Nippon Kōdō (日本香堂) traces its lineage to 1575, when Jyuemon Takai — eighth head of the Koju (孝寿) house — supplied incense to Kyoto's imperial court. The modern company was established in 1942, building on that heritage to become one of Japan's most widely recognised incense houses, with presence in Tokyo, New York, and Paris. Their landmark creation is Hana-no-Hana ('Flower of Flowers'), often cited as Japan's first modern perfumed incense — developed in 1911 by Meiji-era master blender Yūjirō Kitō, who fused Western floral perfumery with Eastern sandalwood craft to produce a fragrance that remains in production today.

Production follows centuries-old methods: aromatic powders are hand-kneaded into paste, rolled into slender sticks, and dried naturally to preserve the oils. Nippon Kōdō sources from Awaji Island's kōshi (香司) masters — specialist blenders whose hand-kneading techniques date to the 1850s — alongside traditional Kyoto houses. The Kayuragi (かゆらぎ) series, whose name combines 'ka' (fragrance) with 'yuragi' (gentle wafting), offers single-note scents — Japanese cypress, wisteria, osmanthus, green tea, white peach — each burning for roughly 25 minutes with a softly drifting smoke.

At iromizu, Nippon Kōdō's incense brings centuries of craft into your evening pause — a stick lit after dinner, a scent that fills the room without overwhelming it, and a quiet few minutes that feel distinctly yours. Whether you prefer floral, woody, or green, there is a fragrance below that will find its way into your routine.