The shop is something entrusted to us by our customers and society.
Michiaki Kumagai (Tokyo Kyukyodo)
Kyukyodo has stores on Teramachi Street in Kyoto and in Ginza, Tokyo. Yet when the business was founded in 1663, it was neither an incense specialist nor a supplier of calligraphy materials. It began as a medicinal-herb merchant, dealing in ingredients used in traditional medicine.
From medicinal ingredients to the manufacture of traditional Japanese incense and incense sticks; from trade with China to brushes, ink, and paper; and, in the Meiji era (1868–1912), to the inheritance of incense-blending formulas passed down within the imperial court.
The Kumagai family has sustained this journey across generations. Its relationships with scholars and artists, commitment to public service, and connections with the imperial court each added a new dimension to Kyukyodo’s business.
- Basic Information
- The Founder and the Origins of the Brand
- 1663: Jikishin Kumagai Opens a Medicinal-Herb Shop in Kyoto
- The Name Kyukyodo and the Kumagai Family Crest
- From Medicinal Ingredients to Traditional Incense and Incense Sticks
- Imports from China and the Improvement of Brushes and Ink Under Rai Sanyo
- Naoyasu and Naotaka Kumagai: Public Service and Connections with the Imperial Court
- 1877: Inheriting the Imperial Court’s Incense-Blending Tradition from Sanjo Sanetomi
- 1880: Establishing a Tokyo Office in Ginza to Serve the Imperial Court
- The 1942 Corporate Division and the Kyoto and Tokyo Businesses
- The Brand’s Approach to Incense Making
- Imperial Incense Blending and the Six Traditional Kneaded Incense Blends
- From Kneaded Incense to Sticks: Giving the Six Blends a Contemporary Form
- Blending Fragrant Woods, Plants, and Resins
- The Experience of Incense Blenders and Improvements to Manufacturing
- Western Floral and Forest Fragrances: Collaboration with Fragrance Manufacturers
- Scent Pouches and Sachets: Enjoying Fragrance Without Fire
- Kaori Expo: Sharing Japanese Incense Culture Beyond the Industry
- References
Basic Information
- Name: Kyukyodo (鳩居堂)
- Japanese pronunciation: Kyukyodo (きゅうきょどう)
- Founded: 1663 (Kanbun 3, Edo period)
- Founder: Jikishin Kumagai (熊谷直心)
- Place of origin: In front of Honno-ji Temple, Teramachi, Kyoto
- Expansion to Tokyo: 1880 (Meiji 13)
- Main activities: Traditional Japanese incense, incense sticks, kneaded incense, calligraphy materials, and Japanese stationery
- Official website: Kyukyodo
Kyoto Kyukyodo and Tokyo Kyukyodo share the same founding history. Today, they operate as separate legal entities responsible for retail operations, while Kyukyodo Manufacturing Co., Ltd., based in Kyoto, manufactures incense and other products.
The Founder and the Origins of the Brand
1663: Jikishin Kumagai Opens a Medicinal-Herb Shop in Kyoto
Kyukyodo’s founder, Jikishin Kumagai (熊谷直心), is said to have been the twentieth-generation descendant of Kumagai Naozane (熊谷直実), a warrior known for his role in the Genpei War between the Taira and Minamoto clans.
Medicinal-herb merchants of the period dealt in ingredients derived from plants, resins, and woods, many of which were imported from China and other regions. A number of these materials were also used in the blending of incense.
Borneol, for example, has a distinctive, cooling aromatic quality and has long been used in traditional incense making. Clove and cinnamon bark, among other materials, have also served as both medicinal ingredients and aromatic substances, depending on their use.
The Name Kyukyodo and the Kumagai Family Crest
The name Kyukyodo is traditionally attributed to the Confucian scholar Muro Kyuso (室鳩巣).
Its origin lies in a passage from the “Shaonan” section of the Book of Songs (Shijing), an ancient Chinese poetry collection: “Wei que you chao, wei jiu ju zhi” (維鵲有巣、維鳩居之). The passage describes a dove dwelling in a magpie’s nest. Kyukyodo interprets this image as a reminder that the shop should not be regarded as the family’s private possession, but as something entrusted to it by society.
The name also connects Muro Kyuso’s literary name with the Kumagai family crest, known as the “Facing Doves” (向かい鳩).
From Medicinal Ingredients to Traditional Incense and Incense Sticks
Kyukyodo is said to have begun manufacturing traditional Japanese incense and incense sticks in the 1700s.
Because medicinal ingredients and incense materials shared many of the same sources, substances originally handled for medicinal purposes also came to be used to create fragrances for enjoyment.
Traditional Japanese incense, broadly speaking, encompasses aromatic materials that are burned or gently heated to release their fragrance. Incense sticks are made by shaping aromatic ingredients into slender sticks that are burned to diffuse their scent.
Imports from China and the Improvement of Brushes and Ink Under Rai Sanyo
Alongside importing medicinal ingredients from China, Kyukyodo began bringing in brushes, ink, paper, and other materials used in calligraphy and painting.
This development reflected not only trade with China but also the shop’s relationships with scholars, calligraphers, and other customers. People who knew that Kyukyodo imported medicinal ingredients and aromatic materials from China began asking the shop to source calligraphy supplies as well.
In time, Kyukyodo moved beyond selling imported goods and began working to improve the quality of brushes and ink themselves.
One of the people who supported this work was Rai Sanyo, a Confucian scholar and man of letters active in the late Edo period.
In the early 1800s, Kyukyodo worked under Rai Sanyo’s guidance to refine its brushes and ink. When products finally met the desired standard, Rai Sanyo is said to have written the words “筆研紙墨皆極精良,” praising the exceptional quality of the brushes, inkstone, paper, and ink.
Kyukyodo’s history also includes relationships with other distinguished artists and men of letters, including Ike no Taiga and Tanomura Chikuden.
Naoyasu and Naotaka Kumagai: Public Service and Connections with the Imperial Court
The history of Kyukyodo includes not only the development of its business but also the Kumagai family’s commitment to public service.
Naoyasu Kumagai (熊谷直恭), the family’s fourth-generation head, cultivated relationships with scholars and artists while also supporting public health initiatives. These included establishing a vaccination facility for smallpox prevention and taking measures against cholera.
Naoyasu himself is said to have died of cholera in 1859.
Naotaka Kumagai (熊谷直孝), the seventh-generation head, was also involved in educational initiatives and other public affairs. According to Kyukyodo’s official history, these contributions formed part of the background to the transmission of a secret incense-blending formula to the eighth-generation head, Kumagai (熊谷直行), by Sanjo Sanetomi in 1877.
1877: Inheriting the Imperial Court’s Incense-Blending Tradition from Sanjo Sanetomi
The knowledge passed to Kyukyodo by Sanjo Sanetomi was a set of incense-blending formulas preserved over generations within the imperial court.
Known in Japanese as awase-kō, incense blending is the practice of combining multiple aromatic ingredients to create a unified fragrance. The term can also refer to the resulting blend.
During the Heian period (794–1185), aristocrats enjoyed takimono, or traditional kneaded incense blends, by scenting their clothing and perfuming indoor spaces. Fragrance was part of everyday life, but it also served as a means of expressing the seasons and formed part of a refined culture in which people compared and appreciated the qualities of different blends.
According to Kyukyodo’s official history, the formulas transmitted by the Sanjo family were secret recipes for incense supplied to the imperial court, preserved over a period of approximately 900 years.
Kyukyodo had already been manufacturing traditional incense and incense sticks since the 1700s, when it was still primarily a medicinal-herb merchant. The addition of these imperial formulas marked a new stage in the company’s history of incense making.
1880: Establishing a Tokyo Office in Ginza to Serve the Imperial Court
Three years after receiving the secret incense-blending formulas, Kyukyodo opened an office in Tokyo in 1880.
The office was located in Owari-cho, Ginza, corresponding to today’s Ginza 5-chome. A single-story wooden building became the company’s first base in Tokyo.
The move was prompted by the need to fulfill commissions for the imperial court. Following the Meiji Restoration, the center of political power had shifted to Tokyo, creating a need for a Kyoto-based business to establish a presence there.
The Ginza store continued the Kumagai family’s business, which had originated in Kyoto. Michiaki Kumagai of Tokyo Kyukyodo has explained that Kyoto is the original family business and that his own grandfather, as a younger son, established a separate branch of the family business.
The 1942 Corporate Division and the Kyoto and Tokyo Businesses
In 1942, Kyukyodo, which had previously operated as a privately organized business, was divided into three corporations.
Kyukyodo Manufacturing Co., Ltd. took responsibility for manufacturing, while Kyoto Kyukyodo Co., Ltd. and Tokyo Kyukyodo Co., Ltd. handled retail operations.
As a result, Kyoto and Tokyo continued their businesses under separate corporate entities while sharing the same founding history.
According to Naohisa Kumagai (熊谷直久), president of Kyoto Kyukyodo, manufacturing continues to take place in Kyoto, with the specialist company Kyukyodo Manufacturing responsible for production. The Kyoto and Tokyo businesses operate in a relationship comparable to that of sister companies.
The Brand’s Approach to Incense Making
Imperial Incense Blending and the Six Traditional Kneaded Incense Blends
One of the defining elements of Kyukyodo’s approach to fragrance is its inheritance of incense-blending traditions from the imperial court.
In awase-kō, multiple aromatic materials derived from fragrant woods, plants, and resins are combined to create a single fragrance.
A key to understanding this tradition is the group known as the mukusa no takimono, or “Six Traditional Kneaded Incense Blends.”
The six are Kurobo (黒方), Baika (梅花), Kayo (荷葉), Kikka (菊花), Jiju (侍従), and Rakuyo (落葉).
Baika, for example, is associated with plum blossoms. This does not mean that the fragrance is made simply by extracting scent from plum flowers. Rather, different aromatic materials are blended to evoke the character and atmosphere of the blossoms.
Kayo takes its name from the lotus. Kurobo, meanwhile, is a traditional incense blend used on auspicious occasions and enjoyed throughout the four seasons.
From Kneaded Incense to Sticks: Giving the Six Blends a Contemporary Form
Traditional incense blends such as the Six Traditional Kneaded Incense Blends have historically been enjoyed in the form of nerikō, or kneaded incense.
Nerikō is made by combining and kneading aromatic ingredients into small pellets. Unlike an incense stick, which is lit directly, kneaded incense is gently heated in an incense burner to release its fragrance.
In addition to traditional kneaded incense, Kyukyodo has also produced stick incense based on the Six Traditional Kneaded Incense Blends.
The stick incense featured in Kyukyodo’s official product information brings these traditional fragrances, transmitted by Sanjo Sanetomi, into a form that is easier to use in contemporary daily life.
Whereas nerikō is warmed indirectly in an incense burner, stick incense is lit to release its fragrance. This is an example of preserving the origins of a fragrance while changing the tools and methods through which it can be enjoyed.
Blending Fragrant Woods, Plants, and Resins
Ingredients used in Kyukyodo’s traditional incense making include fragrant woods such as kyara, agarwood, and sandalwood, alongside aromatic materials such as clove, cinnamon bark, spikenard, and borneol.
Sandalwood is naturally fragrant wood. Agarwood is derived from resin-bearing portions that form within certain trees. Kyara is a particularly prized category of agarwood that has long been held in special regard.
Clove and cinnamon bark are plant-derived materials also familiar as culinary spices. Borneol has a distinctive, cooling aroma that produces a fresh sensation when smelled.
The Experience of Incense Blenders and Improvements to Manufacturing
At Kyukyodo, experienced incense blenders continue to work with formulas inherited from the imperial court.
Manufacturing continues to involve handwork, while also incorporating processes that use computer-controlled technology.
In 1995, a new workshop was completed at Kyukyodo Manufacturing, making it possible to combine traditional manual techniques with automated production processes.
This approach is reflected in the words of Naohisa Kumagai, president of Kyoto Kyukyodo:
We believe there is great significance in continuing to create while preserving what has been handed down.
Naohisa Kumagai (Kyoto Kyukyodo)
Kumagai has emphasized the importance of preserving traditional crafts, including brush making and woodblock printing, as part of Japan’s cultural heritage. At the same time, he recognizes the need to develop products that respond to changing times.
For example, incense sticks were once made longer so that they could burn throughout Buddhist sutra recitations. Shorter versions subsequently emerged in response to users’ concerns, including worries about fire safety.
Western Floral and Forest Fragrances: Collaboration with Fragrance Manufacturers
Alongside its traditional fragrances, Kyukyodo also produces incense that draws on the scents of Western flowers and forests.
These contemporary fragrances have been developed in collaboration with fragrance manufacturers.
Michiaki Kumagai of Tokyo Kyukyodo has explained that, when developing aromatherapy-related products, he considered how they could remain connected to Kyukyodo’s established identity.
Some within the company questioned whether aromatherapy products fit the image of Kyukyodo. In response, the company explored familiar materials such as sandalwood, which has long been used in Japanese incense, to keep the new products connected to its traditional fragrance heritage.
Scent Pouches and Sachets: Enjoying Fragrance Without Fire
Scent pouches, known in Japanese as nioi-bukuro, allow people to enjoy the aroma of fragrant materials without burning or heating them, unlike incense sticks and kneaded incense.
Kyoto Kyukyodo also offers its original “Sashey” products, a contemporary interpretation of fragrance designed for everyday life.
According to Naohisa Kumagai, even people who enjoy incense may hesitate to use it because of the need for an open flame or concerns about smoke. In response to such feedback, the company has offered scent pouches and other products that make fragrance easier to enjoy.
Kaori Expo: Sharing Japanese Incense Culture Beyond the Industry
In 2024, Kyukyodo, Shoyeido, and Nippon Kodo jointly initiated Kaori Expo, an event dedicated to experiencing Japanese incense culture.
Kaori Expo is a walking event that invites visitors to explore fragrance-related establishments in Kyoto and Tokyo while discovering Japanese incense traditions.
In addition to introducing the different fragrances and histories of the participating companies, the event sought to broaden public interest in fragrance through activities such as incense appreciation experiences and exhibitions of historical materials.
Naohisa Kumagai of Kyoto Kyukyodo has expressed the hope that initiatives like this can transcend the boundaries between established incense businesses and eventually reach more people and regions.
Thinking only within the incense industry is limiting, in a sense. It is a small world.
Naohisa Kumagai (Kyoto Kyukyodo)
People visit Kyukyodo not only for incense but also for brushes, ink, and Japanese paper. Kumagai hopes that younger visitors who first come to the store for stationery will also develop an interest in fragrance.
