The Koju is a workshop for people who want to learn about Japanese culture, develop a sense of beauty, and create new Japanese culture to inherit and shape Japanese fragrance with harmony, learning, and fun.
We offer one-time events, as well as a series of training sessions.
In the online store, we deliver incense, incense sticks, eau de toilette, scent bags, meishiko (personalized scent for cards), and incense tools all over Japan with the theme of “an enriched life,” including fragrances to meet the various needs of first-time users, incense ceremony enthusiasts, those looking for a change of mood, and gift-givers. (We currently do not provide delivery overseas)
“Koju” Incense Shop commemorated its 450th anniversary by soliciting incense vessels (incense dishes and diffuser containers) that embody Japan's regional landscapes, culture, and techniques, evoking a sense of mental space and richness to enhance daily life. From the 113 entries, the notable award-winning pieces have been selected. We invite you to enjoy this new world of incense vessels, aiming for a fusion of tradition and innovation.
Incense store, Koju. In business since the Tensho period (1573-1593). Koju was born in Kyoto in the Tensho period . It’s a name which has a history of 450 years, one that has been used by incense meisters who officially have served the imperial palace. Koju inherits and respects the origins of Japanese incense cultural traditions, while simultaneously creating new Japanese incense culture.
The first Koju was a descendant of Yoshisada Yasuda of Seiwa Genji (guardians of Totomi Province), whose name was Yasuda Mataemon Minamoto Mitsuhiro. He was born in Kyoto in the Tensho period (1573-1593) during Nobunaga Oda’s rule. According to the records, the second generation Koju, Masakiyo was summoned by Lord Hideyoshi, and the fourth generation Masanaga was summoned by Lord Ieyasu. During the Edo period(1603-1867), the eighth generation Koju, named Juuemon, was called the incense meister. He delivered incense to the emperor and grand tea masters. Juuemon left behind a document titled the "Family incense blending book” and the skills which are practiced and passed down to this day.
Being a joint-stock company with shops currently centered near Ginza, Tokyo, we return to our birthplace of Kyoto in April 2016 and opened a small shop in Nineizaka.
Grounded on the origins of Japanese incense culture, we deliver the value of incense to the present.
