Made in Kyoto, Japan There are certain smells that bring you back a sense of place or memories. These Japanese incense certainly reminds me of home as soon as burning a stick. Incense holder is made in collaboration with a Japanese ceramist Mizuyo Yamashita who bases in East London. Her sensitive use of glaze adds character to geometrical forms.I’m sitting in front of smouldering joss sticks trying to determine whether they smell of the milky sweetness of sandalwood or the raspy sharpness of cedar. A young woman with a glossy black bob lights one stick after another, blowing out each flame with a gentle wave of her hand. I’m unused to kneeling for so long, and I feel the crunch of tatami mats through my thin wool trousers. The back of my head throbs slightly from jet lag, and I feel thoroughly overwhelmed by both the size of Tokyo and the strain of trying to remember Japanese – covered in my mind as it is by layers of other languages I’ve learnt since my university days.

I also feel anxious that I may not be able to guess the scents correctly – but then I remember my perfumery teacher’s words “Don’t think, just smell” and I let myself go.I’m inside a Shoyeido incense store hidden in the elegant Aoyama district of Tokyo. Nearby are the glittering avenues of Harajuku, lined with fashion boutiques and populated by some of the most stylish people on the planet – but inside this earth-toned outlet, there is only absolute serenity and incense.“baby sushi costume patternWafts through the summer night/The memory of scented sleeves/Of someone long ago” wrote an anonymous 8th-century poet. fish egg sushi benefitsIncense in Japan has a long tradition, and the art of blending it has been refined to perfection. sushi for parties auckland

Kyara and jinko, different grades of aloeswood, are found in the most prized varieties, but sandalwood, cloves, patchouli, camphor and numerous other spices and roots are also used by incense makers.Japanese incense has the complexity of a perfume, and as I sit surrounded by the pale curlicues of smoke, I’m suddenly reminded of a smouldering twist in Chanel No 22 (£115 for 75ml). sushi washington dc wisconsin aveThis classical perfume made for a French couturier has little to do with Japan, but the languid note of incense that reveals itself after the champagne sparkle of aldehydes and jasmine has a polished Japanese aesthetic. how to roll sushi on a matSimilarly transporting is Guerlain’s Bois d’Arménie (£172 for 75ml), a composition inspired by papier d’Arménie, a type of benzoin-rich incense popular in France. what sushi rolls have eel

me des Garçons Kyoto (£60 for 50ml), on the other hand, was inspired by Japan, and it has a serene, introspective character. One moment Kyoto smells like cedarwood shavings, and the next it transforms into a veil of smoke punctuated by patchouli and amber. The same perfumer, Bertrand Duchaufour, has recently authored Aedes de Venustas’ Copal Azur (£185 for 100ml), which evokes the incense of the Senso-ji temple in Tokyo.An ache in my knees brings me back to reality. sushi maple ridge open lateThe joss sticks are slowly crumbling into a pile of grey ash and the woman is asking if I want to smell more. I will return the next day, I explain, but for now I select two packages of incense – earthy rose and spicy sandalwood – and watch as she intricately wraps them in transparent paper. When I step out into the biting cold of autumnal Tokyo, I notice my sleeves are scented with incense. MINORIEN makes only four kinds of natural incenses.

have a very wet smell. Neither dyestuff, a chemical spice nor additivesMinorien is located near Kyoto. Fu-in® is a Registered US Trademark of Minorien. Perviously, Minorien uses the trademark (™) "Fuuin" or "Fu-uin" for their incense. Fu-in is pronounced "foo-in" in Japanese, and means "wind afterglow" or "wind traces" referring to the soft essence you feel after "listening" to the scent of any of the Fu-in lines of incense.Here is a run down on the major incense stores in Kyoto. With the exception of Lisn, all are shinise (old, traditional stores). Japanese incense makes for excellent gifts and souvenirs to take home. Shoyeido, also spelled Shoeido (and pronounced ‘shoeido’) started in 1705 and offers a huge variety of the highest quality traditional Japanese incense, incense burners and other related traditional tools and accoutrements used to burn and appreciate incense in Japan. Shoyeido is a purveyor to the head temples of all the major Japanese Buddhist sects.

Shoyeido has two locations in Kyoto, several in Tokyo and one in Hokkaido. Shoyeido is where I buy my incense for burning at home, usually Horikawa and Genroku. In my experience, Shoyeido while the store has class, I always feel a haughty chill from the staff. I recall once walking out and saying to myself, I could have received the same service from a robot. Oh well, Kyoto is not a place known for its warmth. Kyoto Honten (main store) 松栄堂京都本店 address: Kyoto-shi, Nakagyo-ku, Karasuma-dori, Nijo-agaru, Higashigawa(京都市中京区烏丸通二条上ル東側) The Kyoto Main Store is located on the east side of Karasuma Street 2 1/2 blocks south of the Karasuma-Marutamachi intersection. Marutamachi Station on the Karasuma Subway Line is the closest station. Shoyeido is about a 5 minute walk to Kyoto Gosho Imperial Palace to the north and to the Kyoto International Manga Museum to the south. Yamada Matsu began around 1790 and is a purveyor of very fine incense and implements used in the burning and appreciation of Japanese incense.

My experience with Yamada Matsu much more limited than the other stores mentioned in this post. It seems to me that if you know something about Japanese incense you can find what you are looking for here. I never quite know what to buy here and have never been really impressed with the incense that I bought. The showroom is very nice. At friends' houses though, I have experienced Yamada Matsu incense that impressed me. (I will keep shopping there and update this with more insight, hopefully.) Yamada Matsu is located on Muromachi-dori street a short walk to the west from Kyoto Gosho Imperial Palace. address: Kyoto-shi, Kamigyo-ku, Muromachi-dori Shimodachiuri-agaru, Kageyukoji-cho 164 (京都市上京区室町通下立売上ル勘解由小路町164) Kyukyodo started in 1663 as an apothecary, the business soon expanded to incense and painted and calligraphic stationary. Kyukyodo is a one-stop shop for all manner of traditional tools and art objects related to calligraphy and painting, incense, tea ceremony, fans, washi paper and so on.

Many beautiful and seasonal illustrated postcards, stationary sets, calendars and so on are also available. Kyukyodo is a great place to purchase some Kyoto-style souvenirs! There is also a store in Ginza, Tokyo. My favorite incense at Kyukyodo is not the variety that is burned but a kind of sachet, not at all 'girly'. They can be put in a wardrobe to give clothing a wonderful fragrance and under your pillow, for sublime dreams. website: http://www.kyukyodo.co.jp‎ (Japanese only) address: Kyoto-shi, Nakagyo-ku, Teramachi Anekoji-agaru, Shimohonnojimae-cho 520 (京都市中京区寺町姉小路上ル下本能寺前町520) Kyukyodo is located in the Teramachi Street Shopping Arcade at the north-west corner of Teramachi and Anekoji streets. It is about a 2 minute walk south from Oike Street. The closest station is Shiyakushomae (city hall), on the Tozai Subway Line. Lisn is a relatively new company started by Shoyeido whose tagline is "Sophisticated incense for listeners by Shoyeido Incense Co."

At first (some years ago) I thought that this brand was intended for people serious about music appreciation or something. But, to 'listen' to a fragrance is an expression for classical Japanese court life. I guess that if you have time to 'listen' to smells, life must be great! Lisn’s line on incense has never impressed me. It is all about presentation. I would guess that the scents are chemically created and not especially novel as compared to what is available in Western countries. Lisn does offer a plethora of scents to choose from, they have more than 200! The white, minimalist store is quite interesting. All the multicolored incense varieties are spread out on wavy glass sheets and you go make your way through the store with a self service tray that a staff member at the door has forced into your hands - whether or not you want to shop or just browse. (Not very Kyoto-style service.) Lisn also has stores in Tokyo and Helsinki. Hokey fragrance names include: Virginal, Hit My Soul, Since, Mother's Chest, Chuckling Wool, Visible.