Discover Kyoto Through Fragrance: 10 Unique Incense Shops to Visit Part 3 | Teramachi Street Area

• Author
• Recent Posts

Holly

主筆兼站長 at 有貓的旅日子

I enjoy traveling alone, writing, and taking photos. In Japan, I often look for signs of cats in quiet streets, temple paths, and wagashi shops. I first write down the views, tastes, and small moments from my trips in my travel notebook, then slowly turn them into a life journal on this website.

Latest posts by Holly (see all)

• 400°C PIZZA Morinomachi (2nd Branch): My First Visit and a Michelin-Level Dream Pizza in Okayama - 2026-11-05
• Exploring the National Palace Museum: From Dining to Cultural and Creative Finds - 2026-10-29
• A Magical Visit to Kinomiya Shrine in Atami: A Helpful Omikuji and a Healing Journey Beneath a Thousand-Year-Old Camphor Tree - 2026-10-22

During this spontaneous incense journey, the idea only came to me midway through the trip, so it was inevitable that I missed a few shops. These incense stores that I did not have the chance to visit became a small regret. The next time I return to Kyoto, I hope to complete the list and visit them all. In this part of the series, in addition to introducing incense shops around Teramachi Street, I will also share a few notable shops that I was unable to visit.

Although this area is referred to as Teramachi Street, the street itself is quite long. The shops introduced here are closer to the Sanjo area, which is some distance from the busier Shijo district. If you take the subway, walking from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station is much closer than coming from Shijo Kawaramachi.

There is also a MUJI store located inside Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station, which makes it very convenient if you plan to shop there. Tax-free service is available, so international visitors can make their purchases directly at this location.

Since my hotel was located in the Gion area, we walked from Shijo Kawaramachi toward Sanjo. We first stopped by Horikin Leaf and Powder Co., Ltd. to purchase gold and silver powder, and then continued on to Ishiguro Incense Shop.

In terms of location, Kyukyodo would have been the closer stop and should have been visited first. However, at that time, I had not planned to write an article about these incense shops. As a result, my visits along Teramachi Street were spread out over several days rather than completed in a single trip.

Ishiguro Incense Shop 石黑香舖

Ishiguro Incense Shop was founded in Ansei 2, which corresponds to 1856. Their specialty is scented sachets. In addition to the common drawstring-style sachets, they also offer a wide variety of designs, including animals, flowers, and human figures. The selection here was much more diverse than in other incense shops I visited.

That said, when it comes specifically to flower-shaped sachets, I still felt that the ones from Yamadamatsu Incense-Wood Co., Ltd. were more refined. However, compared to Toyoda Aizandō, the designs at Ishiguro Incense Shop were more visually appealing.

I also found the fabric incense container that I had seen during the incense lecture. It was fascinating because when you twist it open, it extends and becomes longer.

According to the book, this type of fabric incense container is meant for storing kneaded incense (nerikō). At that time, I had not yet purchased any nerikō, but since I already knew I wanted some, I decided to buy the container first.

Later, when I visited the Kiyomizu-dera area, I noticed that many shops there also sold similar fabric incense containers. However, after handling the one from Ishiguro Incense Shop, I no longer considered buying those near Kiyomizu-dera. The craftsmanship at Ishiguro felt much tighter and more secure when twisted open, whereas the ones around Kiyomizu-dera felt comparatively loose.

Although Ishiguro is primarily known for its scented sachets, they also carry moth-repellent incense. Since I own a silk furisode, I had been considering buying some insect-repellent incense to help protect it. However, I did not particularly like the scent, so I decided to put it back.

They also stock a selection of incense ceremony–related items. I happened to notice ash suitable for soradaki (heating incense without direct flame), so I picked up a small amount. It was reasonably priced, and I knew I would need it anyway.

The Sanjo area, where Ishiguro Incense Shop is located, is not as busy as Shijo Kawaramachi, but it has many charming small shops and cafés. You will also find places such as the Kyoto Cultural Museum and the Nakagyo Post Office, which features Taisho Romantic–style architecture. It is a wonderful area for a slow and relaxed walk.

I personally walked along this street twice, partly because my kimono school was also located here. It was a very comfortable and pleasant place to stroll. However, at that time, as my final exam approached, it also felt a bit like quietly taking in the scenery before an important turning point in my life.

Kyukyodo Kyoto Main Store 鳩居堂 京都本店

I visited Kyukyodo during my first trip to Kyoto, but at that time, I was mainly looking for interesting stationery. Since I am not overly passionate about stationery, I thought I probably would not return. However, I eventually found myself visiting again.

Kyukyodo is a long-established shop founded in Kanbun 3, which corresponds to 1663. In addition to incense, they also offer calligraphy supplies, elegant envelopes and letter paper, and various washi paper crafts. It is definitely the kind of shop where it is easy to spend more than you planned.

At the Kyoto main store, about half of the space is dedicated to incense products, while the other half focuses on stationery. Within the incense section, after excluding items such as incense plates, incense containers, and incense burners, only about one-third of the space is used for displaying incense itself. Most of these are concentrated around the main counter.

One especially helpful feature of their incense sticks is the clear labeling. Each product indicates whether it is made primarily from natural aromatic wood or from blended fragrance ingredients. This makes it much easier for customers who may have difficulty distinguishing between the two. Among all the incense shops I visited, Kyukyodo was the only one that provided this kind of clear guidance.

Several boxes of incense sticks were displayed at the counter for customers to smell. In the end, I chose one called Yume-no-Samurai (夢侍). The staff had labeled it as a reproduction version, which gave it a similar feeling to a limited release.

I was especially drawn to its sandalwood fragrance, which I found very pleasant, so I decided to purchase it. This became one of my favorite incense selections from the trip.

Later, when I returned home and searched online, I discovered that this product was not listed in their regular catalog. This made me realize that it might not be part of their standard lineup. Looking back, I wish I had bought another box while I still had the chance.

While browsing around the shop, I also found kneaded incense that I wanted to try. Since my budget was limited, I chose the plum fragrance (Ume) in the simplest packaging.

Because the packaging was minimal, many of the pieces inside had become slightly misshapen. I had to check several packs before finding one with pieces that were still mostly intact.

Kyukyodo’s selection of kneaded incense was similar to that of Shoyeido. However, it was a bit disappointing that they did not offer an assortment set with multiple fragrances.

As for incense holders and incense plates, some of the lower-priced items were exclusive to Kyukyodo. However, they did not particularly stand out to me. I had already seen similar designs at Hayashi Ryushodo, and overall, the selection felt fairly traditional and conservative.

Since Kyukyodo is located along Teramachi Street, you can continue walking along the shopping arcade after your visit. If you plan to explore this area, I recommend visiting both Ishiguro Incense Shop and Kyukyodo together. There is also Maisendo nearby, another well-known traditional shop. Visiting these historic stores makes for a very enjoyable afternoon, and before you know it, several hours will have passed.

Suuzando Hashimoto 嵩山堂はし本

I also visited Kozando Hashimoto during my first trip to Kyoto. The author of the book Discovering Japanese Incense includes this shop as one of the incense stores. However, in my personal opinion, Kozando Hashimoto feels more like a stationery shop than an incense shop.

Within the store, only one product line, called Fumi-no-Kō (文乃香), is directly related to incense. Other common incense-related items, such as incense sticks, moth-repellent incense, or incense holders, are not available. Most of the products are stationery and paper-related items.

If your main interest is incense, this shop may not be a priority. However, if you are also interested in stationery, it is definitely worth visiting. You can conveniently include it together with Ishiguro Incense Shop and Kyukyodo in your itinerary, as the three shops form a small triangle within walking distance.

Incense Shops I Missed This Time

The shops introduced above are the incense stores that I was able to visit during this trip. The book Discovering Japanese Incense: The First Step to Enjoying the World of Japanese Fragrance features a total of 12 incense shops. Excluding Koju, I was able to visit 10 of the shops mentioned in the book.

For the remaining two shops that I did not visit, I have still included their information here. If you are interested, you may consider adding them to your itinerary when planning your Kyoto trip.

Kungyokudo 薰玉堂

This one was purely a missed opportunity. Kungyokudo is located near Nishi Hongan-ji. During my time in Kyoto, I only passed by Higashi Hongan-ji and the Shijo area to the north. I never actually went close to Nishi Hongan-ji. Even though I had marked Kungyokudo on Google Maps, since I never went near that area, I simply never saw the marker — and just like that, it slipped through the cracks.

Founded in Bunroku 3 (1594), Kungyokudo is a very long-established incense house. What makes this even more painful is that the portable incense tube (a wooden case for carrying incense sticks) that I had been looking for is actually one of their signature products. No wonder I could not find it in the other shops.

Although I did not manage to visit this time, I still added it to my incense shop map. Judging from their website, it looks absolutely worth a visit. The only thing is that the location is somewhat standalone. The nearest related stop would be Shoyeido Kyoto Station Kunkun, and nearby you will also find the Costume Museum. Linking these spots together would make for a very pleasant half-day route.

After the pandemic, I finally had a chance to visit Kyoto again. This time, I made sure to include Kunjyodo in my itinerary. It was a chance to make up for missing the shop on my previous trip, and it also completed my tour of Kyoto’s incense shops. If you would like to read more about my experience visiting this shop, you can click here.

LISN Kyoto リスン京都

According to the book, LISN is described as “a specialty shop that promotes a new aesthetic, with a clean and modern style. Each product is beautifully displayed and available for individual purchase” (p.92). At the time, this description did not particularly appeal to me. Since it was my first time exploring incense shops, I was mainly interested in long-established stores with a deep historical background. I did not expect that this trip would eventually turn into a full incense shop journey across Kyoto.

After returning home and researching further, I learned that LISN is a newer brand established by Shoyeido in 1989. LISN represents a more contemporary interpretation of incense culture. The overall atmosphere feels more like an art gallery or a modern lifestyle store.

If I have the chance to visit Kyoto again and happen to pass by, I would definitely like to step inside and explore it for myself.

Conclusion – Highly Recommend Yamadamatsu Incense-Wood Co., Ltd.

Overall, after visiting all of these incense shops, if I only had time to visit one, I would choose Yamadamatsu Incense-Wood Co., Ltd. Their selection is extensive, and customers are allowed to test incense sticks by lighting them, which makes it much easier to choose the right fragrance. They also offer a wide range of incense made from pure aromatic wood, along with beautifully crafted scented sachets. The service was excellent, and most importantly, tax-free shopping is available, which is a very practical advantage for international visitors.

I would also like to visit the Shoyeido main store in the future. Unfortunately, it was under renovation during my trip, so it was difficult to make a fair comparison between Shoyeido and Yamadamatsu.

Among all the incense I purchased, my personal favorites were Yume-no-Samurai from Kyukyodo, Moss fragrance from Kousaido, and Suifu from Yamadamatsu. Yume-no-Samurai was a limited reproduction version, so I am not sure if it will still be available next time. Looking back, I really should have bought another box.

The Moss fragrance from Kousaido was especially surprising. Although it is not made purely from aromatic wood and includes blended fragrance ingredients, the scent after lighting was clean and refreshing. It completely changed my impression of blended incense. Occasionally using different types of fragrance adds variety to the experience.

As for the moth-repellent incense I purchased, I plan to place them inside my kimono storage bags to serve both as protection and as gentle fragrance. I ended up buying far more than expected, enough to place one in each kimono. Originally, I only intended to use them for my furisode. Perhaps in the future, I might even write a full comparison review of moth-repellent incense from different shops.

Interestingly, while I purchased many incense holders from these incense shops, I bought most of my incense plates and incense containers at local markets. I had not planned to shop for these items at markets, but since this trip included visits to five different markets, I unexpectedly discovered that these products were widely available there, often at very reasonable prices. Before I realized it, I had fallen into an entirely new collecting hobby.

Related Incense Articles

• Discover Kyoto Through Fragrance: 10 Unique Incense Shops to Visit Part 2 (English version coming soon.)
• Discover Kyoto Through Fragrance: 10 Unique Incense Shops to Visit Part 3 (English version coming soon.)
• Beginner’s Kōdō Experience in Taiwan: Understanding Agarwood Origins and How to Use Incense Tools Properly (This link leads to a page written in Chinese only)