[First time event/Collaboration of 3 long-established companies] “Kaori Expo”, an event where you can experience Japanese incense culture, will be held in Tokyo and Kyoto from April 12th (Friday)

~First collaboration between three long-established companies in the incense industry that inherit Japan's fragrance culture~

Kyukyodo Seizo Co., Ltd., Shoeido Co., Ltd., and Nippon Kodo Holdings Co., Ltd. will be holding “Kaori Expo”, an itinerary event where you can enjoy Japanese fragrance culture, from April 12th (Friday) to May 12th (Sunday), 2024. It will be held at a total of 6 stores, 3 stores each in Tokyo and Kyoto.

・What is “Kaori Haku”?

“Fragrance Expo” will be held for the first time in the spring of 2024.
This is an event in which scent-related shops in Tokyo and Kyoto come together to promote “fragrance.'' It will be held for about a month, centered around “Incense Day'' on April 18th. Participating stores will hold workshops where you can experience incense, which is one of Japan's three major arts arts along with flower arranging and tea ceremony, as well as the release of limited edition products, and the display of valuable historical materials that are not open to the public. We will expand it. In addition, we have planned a stamp rally that will make it fun to visit long-established fragrance stores, and we have also prepared gifts for participants only.

・The theme for 2024 is “Origin of fragrance”

There will be an exhibition of historic fragrance cultural properties that are not open to the public that will reveal the roots of Japanese fragrances, as well as incense made over 100 years ago and reprinted incense, and other items limited to “Kaori Expo.'' The event theme is unique to a long-established store where you can learn about and experience the origins of Japanese scents, and the content is enjoyable for everyone from incense beginners to experienced incense practitioners.

・Background of the birth of “Kaori Expo”

This event aims to pass on Japan's incense culture to the future, and to encourage people to experience a time that sharpens their minds through the “scents'' that can be enjoyed around town during the beautiful spring months when people want to take a walk. This time, volunteers from three companies representing the incense industry, Kyukyodo, Shoeido, and Nippon Kodo, share the same purpose and have decided to hold a joint event, “Fragrance Expo,'' as promoters.

・April 18th is Incense Day

Incense Day is a commemorative day established by Japan's National Incense Sticks Association (currently Japan Incense Sticks Industry Association) to spread the culture of incense sticks. It is recorded in the Nihon Shoki that fragrant trees were washed ashore on Awaji Island in April about 1,400 years ago, and because the character for “ko'' can be broken down to read “1, 10, 8, and 1,'' it is said that 4 The 18th of the month was established as "Incense Day".
It is said that Japan's fragrance culture began during the Asuka period with the introduction of Buddhism. Later, the Heian aristocrats mixed incense to enjoy the scent, and in the samurai society, incense was established in conjunction with Zen philosophy.

・"Japanese incense" is attracting attention around the world

Currently, Japanese incense (incense) is attracting attention all over the world as a part of well-being. In Europe and America, lifestyles such as cleansing, meditation, and the use of room fragrances are spreading, and in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, they are being used as part of digital detox.As spiritual demand and society become genderless and diversified, incense is being used from a new perspective. It is attracting attention.
Additionally, in France, the land of fragrance, Japan's “monko'' and “kodo'' are attracting attention as a unique fragrance culture, and events in Paris are being held successfully.

[Event overview]

■Event name: “Kaorihaku”
■Event period: April 12th (Friday) to May 12th (Sunday), 2024
*Hours are based on each store's business hours ■Official website: https://kaorihaku.com
■Official Instagram: @kaorihaku_official
■Participating stores:

・Tokyo Tokyo Kyukyodo Ginza Main Store (Kyukyodo Building, 5-7-4 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo)
Shoeido Ginza store (1F, 7-3-8 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo)
Koju Ginza Main Store (Nippon Kodo Building B1F, 4-9-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo)

・Kyoto Kyoto Kyukyodo (520 Shimohonnoji-mae-cho, Teramachi Aneyokoji Rui, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City)
Shoeido Kyoto Main Store/Kunshukan (East side of Karasuma-dori Nijo-kamiru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City)
Kojunineizaka store (349-8 Masuya-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto)

■About the workshop

During the exhibition period, workshops on the theme of "Origin of fragrance" will be held at each brand store. There are various workshops such as “Incense Making'' where you can experience making your own original incense, “Monko'' where you can appreciate the scent of aromatic wood, and “Monsakekai'' where you can enjoy the incense play “Kumiko'' with Japanese sake. , an event where you can reaffirm the origins of Japanese fragrance. Below are some of the workshops. Detailed content, location, schedule, and application method will be published on the official website.

Incense listening experience for beginners (with souvenir)
This is an incense listening experience for beginners. Burn fragrant wood and listen to the aroma. (Kyoto Kyukyodo only) ¥2,200 (tax included)

Incense making workshop <br />We will talk about the raw materials and types of incense, as well as Japanese fragrance culture.Afterwards, you will enjoy creating your own original scent by freely mixing natural fragrances. You can take the finished, one-of-a-kind fragrance home in a drawstring bag.
¥1,980 (tax included)

Fragrance bag making experience <br />After an explanation about incense raw materials and fragrances, you can mix them as you like and take home your original scent in a scent bag of your choice.
¥2,500 (tax included)

■ Release of “Kaori Haku” limited items

Starting April 12th, each company with its own unique history and technology will be reprinting limited edition items from their precious archives for the “Fragrance Expo'' under the theme of “Origin of fragrance.''

“Shirohato'' is a traditional scent that has been manufactured and sold since the early Showa era. To commemorate the “Fragrance Expo,'' we have reprinted the original packaging for a limited time. A refreshing scent with a citrus scent based on high quality sandalwood. Price undetermined.

“Hakuraku'' is a white incense stick originally developed by Shoeido in the late Showa period. White incense sticks, which were previously thought to be difficult to make using natural fragrances, were created through accumulated technology and research. In commemoration of this "Fragrance Expo", we have reproduced this product. It has an elegant fragrance mainly composed of agarwood. ¥2,200 (tax included)

“Hana no Hana'' is an incense that was created in 1902 by Yujiro Kito, a genius incense master, by combining Western perfume culture and Japanese incense culture.
In the “Kaori Haku” special edition,
A set of the original "Hana no Hana" and the Reiwa "Hana no Hana". You can enjoy the different scents of roses, lilies, and violets from each era. Available in 2 types. Hana no Hana Selection Vol.1 ¥3,850 (tax included), Hana no Hana Selection Vol.2 ¥6,050 (tax included)

■About displaying historical materials

We would like to introduce you to the footprint of incense culture, which makes you feel the weight of history, spanning more than 1,100 years between the three companies.
*The display contents may differ depending on the store in Kyoto and Tokyo.

The 8th generation, Naoyuki Kumagai, was taught all the secrets of the “combined incense for the imperial court'', which has been passed down for 900 years, from the Grand Minister of State, Sanetomi Sanjo, and continues to create the Japanese scent that was born in the Heian period. While listening to the scent of that era, you can see a faithful reproduction of the Heian period love letter “Fujiwara Yukinari Fudekana Newsletter'' (National Treasure). It will be exhibited at Kyukyodo, Kyoto.

From our founding to the present, we have been manufacturing in Karasuma Nijo. We manufacture our products by incorporating the latest technology while inheriting traditional handcrafting techniques.

Some of the ancient literature that has been owned by Koju, which was founded in the Tensho era, for many years. A copy of “Gofushimi-in Tatsukan-Konmono-kata'' by Emperor Gofushimi, and “Gokomatsu-in Tatsukan-Konmono-kata'' which is said to have been written by Emperor Gokomatsu himself. It contains incense recipes and techniques dating back more than 400 years.

■About stamp rally

We will give away prizes to customers who get stamps from three stores in Kyoto or Tokyo/Ginza. Mounts are distributed at participating stores. (It will end as soon as the mounts and prizes are gone)

■About each company

Kyukyodo Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ( https://kyukyodo.co.jp )
Kyukyodo, which was founded in Teramachi, Kyoto in 1663 (Edo/Kanbun 3), started out as a “medicine dealer'' and has been manufacturing and selling incense and incense sticks using common raw materials since around 1700 (late Edo period). In 1877 (Meiji 10), the then Grand Minister of State,
We were given the “secret perfumery method'' passed down in the imperial court for 900 years from the Heian period by Lord Sanetomi Sanjo, and we have carefully preserved it as a “secret method passed down from one child to another'' to this day.

Shoeido Co., Ltd. ( https://www.shoyeido.co.jp/ )
Shoeido has been in business for more than 300 years, starting with Sasaya, a business established by Morikichi Hata Rokuzaemon, a village chief in Tanba-Sasayama. Around the time of the third generation, Moritsune, we became involved in the production of incense as “Shoeido'', and since then, we have continued to devote ourselves to incense production to this day, as the 12th generation. In 1890, we succeeded in developing "perfume incense" and exporting it to the United States for the first time in Japan. In 2020, we introduced the first industrial robot in the incense industry, and we are continuing the fragrance culture by combining tradition and innovation. We are also working on development.

Nipponkodo Holdings Co., Ltd. (https://www.nipponkodo.co.jp/ )
Founded in 2011. A holding company for 10 Buddhist, fragrance, and real estate-related companies, including Nippon Kodo, Kanjuten Kundo, and ESTEBAN. Head Office 4-9-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Nippon Kodo Co. , Ltd.<br /> Founded in the Tensho era, we have inherited the incense making techniques that have been passed down from Koju, an incense specialist who served the imperial court. Procuring the highest quality incense raw materials from around the world and using our own incense techniques, we are dedicated to creating scents that are consistent with people's lives, and connect Japan's incense traditions to the future in a way that is in line with the times. ing.

Koju ( https://www.koju.co.jp/ )
For more than 1,400 years, many Japanese incense cultures have been born from the precious incense wood that was brought to Japan with the introduction of Buddhism. Koju was born in the flow of history, inherited and created a new era, including the traditional Kojurenko "Kurohou",
We offer a variety of valuable incense products that are in demand in modern times, including incense with the name of master Juemon and Japanese incense wood.

[Fragrance Expo PR Secretariat] From the press release