Kyoto Kungyokudo Incense - Assort Incense Set - Indigo / 薫玉堂 線香アソート (藍)

Kungyokudo (薫玉堂) has been making incense in Kyoto since 1594, and describes itself as Japan's oldest incense supplier. It began as an apothecary serving Nishi Honganji, one of Kyoto's great head temples, and still stands in the very same place today — directly across from the temple on Horikawa-dori. More than four centuries on, Kungyokudo continues to blend incense for both ceremony and everyday life, drawing on recipes handed down through the family and a natural, almost perfumer-like approach to fragrance. The result is a range that feels deeply rooted yet quietly contemporary: rare fragrant woods for moments of stillness, and lighter, more playful scents inspired by the places and seasons of Kyoto.

Kungyokudo's Kyoto Scenery collection is a series of incense scents, each inspired by a particular place in and around Kyoto — a garden, a temple, a village, a season. Light, approachable and charmingly packaged, they're made to be enjoyed every day: each slim box holds around 58 short sticks that burn for about 25 minutes, just long enough to change the feel of a room.

Shiko Ai (Indigo Sampler) / 試香 藍 — A sampler of six Kyoto Scenery scents in an indigo paper case: Sakaimachi 101, Miyama no Renge, Otowa no Taki, Yase no Kun-isou, Mimurodo no Hasu and Uji no Matcha. Calmer and fresher than its vermilion twin, it comes with a small incense stand so it's ready to light straight away.

◾ Handmade in Japan

◾ What's included?

- 19 sticks: Sakaimachi 101 × 4, plus 3 each of the other five scents

- Incense stand

- Stick length: approx. 13.5 cm

◾ Size: approx. Width 8 cm × Depth 15 cm (case)

◾ Fragrance notes: Sakaimachi 101, Milk vetch, Otowa waterfall, lavender, Lotus, Matcha

◾ Burning time: approx. 25 min (per stick)