The Founder Bridge and Blend | From The Tale of Genji to Everyday Incense
For founder Hiro Nakayama, fragrance is a starting point for an experience. Bridge and Blend connects historical Japanes...
The Founder
The Founder 
The Founder elemense | Fragrance and Object Design by Nippon Kodo
Pursuing beautiful forms leads us to the forms of nature.Takuhiro ShinomotoFor elemense, the experience of fragrance inc...
The Founder TOKYO KODO | From Textile Design to Fragrance That Burns
Chikako Perez describes the brand’s incense as an invisible art. TOKYO KODO brings Japanese incense-making together with...
The Founder QNOWA | Turning Hours and History into Incense
Gyokushodo’s QNOWA connects the hours of a day with inherited incense formulas and aromatic woods. Explore its origins, collaboration with balance, cold-brew coffee incense and roof-tile-inspired KAWARA holder.
The Founder ESTEBAN | From Scented Ceramics to Fragrance Objects for the Home
The meeting of Jean-Max Estéban and ceramicist Catherine Métas began a house of scent and form. Explore its Japanese connection, Cèdre, refillable design and collaboration with Tristan Lohner.
The Founder BAIEIDO | Sakai’s Incense Heritage and the Craft Behind Kobunboku
Founded as an incense specialist in Sakai in 1657, BAIEIDO preserves and refines the craft behind Kobunboku. Explore its surviving formulas, the Nakata family’s history, and its approach to aromatic woods.
The Founder Papier d’Arménie | How an Armenian Inspiration Became a French Scented-Paper Tradition
From an encounter in Armenia in 1885 to a French booklet born in 1888, discover Papier d’Arménie’s family history, benzoin-based craft, and creative collaboration with Francis Kurkdjian.
The Founder KYUKYODO | From Kyoto’s Apothecary Trade to the Art of Blended Incense
Founded in Kyoto in 1663, KYUKYODO carries an incense tradition through generations of the Kumagai family. Explore its imperial formulas, Kyoto and Tokyo roots, and the craft behind its fragrances.
The Founder KUNGYOKUDO | Four Centuries of Kyoto Incense, from Temple Traditions to Everyday Life
Founded in Kyoto in 1594, KUNGYOKUDO has carried incense traditions into everyday life. Explore its temple connections, inherited blending skills and the choices behind its modern renewal.
The Founder APFR (Apotheke Fragrance) | Japanese Fragrance-Making Inspired by Encounters with Other Cultures
From overseas fragrance shops to candles made after work, discover how Keita Sugasawa built APFR and transformed encounters with travel, music and culture into fragrance.