Koju – Iroha: Osmanthus, Tangerine and Kungyokudo – Osmanthus
These sticks come from Sebastian, with whom I swap incense from time to time. He was in Japan last year (2025), where he brought me incense sticks, and on top of that added some samples. 💜
The brand Koju (香十) is part of the Nippon Kodo company group. Operating as Koju Tenkundo Co., Ltd, the brand unites two companies with a long tradition that Nippon Kodo took over in the ’60s.
Among other things, Nippon Kodo apparently produce high-class incense sticks based on the original notebook of Koju’s founder.
For anyone who wants to delve a little deeper into the topic, I’d recommend reading this comment on Reddit.
The two Koju varieties I’m introducing here are very modern Japanese incense sticks. The marketing overall feels rather modern and ‘youthful’.
Alongside their online shop, Koju operate a physical shop in Kyoto, where Sebastian bought.
Koju – Iroha – Osmanthus
The full name of these sticks is The Osmanthus at the Corner (いろは あの曲がり角の金木犀). The whole line is equipped with very playful names.
A pack with 30 sticks cost ¥990 in Japan; that corresponds to about €5.40. A stick burns for approximately 25 minutes.
The raw scent of Iroha – Osmanthus is tangy-fruity and very lively. It reminds (typical for osmanthus) a bit of peach. In this case, I also find a fine, tart tone that furthermore makes me think of mandarin oil.
I could almost forget that I’m sniffing incense sticks; the smell could just as easily come from a fruity hard candy.
The fragrance of the burning sticks is likewise fruity and tangy, though expectably less so than in the cold throw. Now, I no longer run the risk of forgetting that it’s an incense stick I’m smelling.
My first impression of Iroha – Osmanthus was rather mixed. I found the base smell very apparent and unpleasant; a problem I’ve had before with a number of incense sticks out of different Nippon Kodo lines.
But this impression changed substantially at the following sessions. I still smell a trace of the base, but have to actively search for it to notice.
It could be because I burned the sticks for the first time on a day in April at an outside temperature of 11°C. I’d certainly only opened my windows a crack, whereas now one is wide open. The ventilation is therefore considerably better this time.
By now, Iroha – Osmanthus are my favourites from this selection. They fill the room with a (for Japanese sticks) relatively strong fragrance with a summery character. Even though the fruity-floral fragrance of osmanthus is so tangy and fresh, it nonetheless transports a sunny warmth.
I find the fragrance profile clearly defined and successful.
The after-smell is rather restrained and, with open windows, it’s quickly gone.
Osmanthus from the Iroha line by Koju offer a tangy and at the same time warm, fruity-floral summer fragrance: modern, playful and yet linear.
Koju – Iroha – Tangerine
The full name of these sticks is Tangerine in The Palm of Your Hand (いろは 手のひらの蜜柑).
A pack with 30 sticks cost ¥990 in Japan; that corresponds to about €5.40. A stick burns for approximately 25 minutes.
The raw sticks smell soapy to me, like shampoo.
With Tangerine, I keep smelling the unpleasant note of base material even on the third burn. I tried these first during the initial round, and later wondered whether they were the reason I didn’t like the Osmanthus from the same line all the much at first.
The smell is citrusy, with a slightly tart tone; but I don’t find it particularly distinctive for tangerine; you could just as well call it grapefruit and get away with it.
The burning Tangerine sticks moreover retain the soapy character, which makes the smell rather unpleasant for me.
The after-smell is just as quick to disappear as that of Iroha – Osmanthus.
Iroha – Tangerine absolutely aren’t my thing.
However, friends of citrus fragrances who don’t mind soapy smells could take a liking to them.
Kungyokudo – Nishijin no Mokusei · Osmanthus
Kungyokudo also have a retail shop in Kyoto, which Sebastian visited. You can find their official international online shop here.
There, Nishijin no Mokusei currently cost €20.95. Unfortunately, the shop doesn’t reveal how many sticks are in a box, nor do you find information about burning time.
Other shops give a content of approximately 60 pieces. The sticks measure 13.5cm. I estimate the burning time at approximately 25 minutes.
The raw sticks smell like peach shampoo or body lotion.
Initially, I found this Osmanthus better than the ones by Koju, but that changed right away at the second session.
Nishijin no Mokusei are milder and less ‘in your face’ than the Koju interpretation. Especially at the beginning, the fragrance is rather woody and builds up gradually. It then has a creamy sweetness that is closer to vanilla (or probably benzoin) than to a fruity sweetness. I think a sweet sandalwood note also mixes in.
The floral-fruity osmanthus character is present, but the smell seems much less clearly defined than that of the above Osmanthus sticks. Some people might find that positive; for me, the fragrance feels a bit washed out as a result.
Over time, the sweetness becomes a bit obtrusive for me, especially as it combines with the note still vaguely reminiscent of shampoo that already stood out in the cold throw.
In my second session notes, I described the smell as ‘Fanta with body lotion’ and still find that quite fitting.
It’s the after-smell that really put me off with Nishijin no Mokusei: I can smell the obtrusive sweetness for hours and even into the next day. As the after-smell develops, it increasingly reminds me of perfume-dipped incense sticks with sawdust base.