Shoyeido is the oldest traditional Japanese incense

Japanese incense

Japanese incense has a long history. It came to Japan from China, along with Buddhism, in the year 538 CE. From that point on, incense would become an important facet of Japanese culture. Initially, it was only imported from China, until eventually Japan began to make its own...

 company, established more than 300 years ago, producing high quality, natural incense

Incense

Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...

. In their traditional grading system, the Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese routinely used shō (松 pine tree), chiku (竹 bamboo) and bai (梅 plum tree), to represent varying degrees of quality. In this grading system, shō represents the highest grade or quality.

The name "Shoyeido" is derived from the three characters Shō, Ei, and Dō.

• Shō means "Pine tree"
• Ei is the ancient sound meaning "Prosperity"
• Dō is a store or company.

Shoyeido has 7 retail stores

Retailing

Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...

. There are 2 in Kyōto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

, 3 in Tōkyō

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, 1 in Sapporo, and 1 in Boulder, Colorado, USA

Boulder, Colorado

Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...

.

Shoyeido carries several series of incense

Incense

Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...

. The 2 main series are the "Daily Incense" series （京線香 Kyō-senkō） and the "Premium Incense" series （高級線香 Kōkyū-senkō）. The following tables are ordered from least expensive to most expensive.

Daily Incense （京線香 Kyō-senkō）

English	Japanese	Romaji
Great Origin	大元香	Daigen-kō
Eternal Treasure	寶永香	Hōei-kō
Orchid	蘭華	Ranka
Kyoto Autumn Leaves	京にしき	Kyō-nishiki
Moss Garden	のきば	Nokiba
Golden Pavilion	金閣	Kin-kaku
Kyoto Cherry Blossom	京桜	Kyō-zakura
Five Hills	五山	Go-zan
White Cloud	白雲	Haku-un
Circle	円明	En-mei
Fresh Breeze	清風	Sei-fū
Low smoke series
Silhouette	ほのか	Honoka
Gossamer	かすみ	Kasumi
Illusions	おぼろ	Oboro

Premium Incense （高級線香　Kōkyū-senkō）
{ class="wikitable" English Japanese Romaji Friend of Pine 松の友 Matsu-no-tomo King's Aroma 王奢香 Ōja-kō Pride of Kyoto 京自慢 Kyō-jiman Beckoning Spring 春陽 Shun-yō Gentle Smile 微笑 Mishō Southern Wind 南薫 Nan-kun Refinement 雅芳 Ga-hō Five Clouds 五雲 Go-un Infinity 妙芳 Myō-hō Translucent Path 正覚 Shō-kaku

External links

• Shoyeido's Website - English
• Shoyeido's Website - Japanese