Shoyeido – Daigen-koh | Great Origin
In November 2022, I decided to explore the Daily Incense line of Shoyeido. As so often happens, I found an interesting offer on kleinanzeigen.de, but I was perplexed about it: although the names were familiar, the packaging looked entirely different from what I knew. After an hour of research, I eventually posted on r/Incense and was told that they were the same incense sticks, just packaged differently: one is for the domestic market in Japan, the other is the export version. As a result, I bought the Japan version of Great Origin (as well as Eternal Treasure, of which the review you can find here).
The ingredients listed are sandalwood, borneol camphor, cinnamon, and spices – essentially they are the same as with everything else in the line. However, some sources also mention frankincense and myrrh, which promises to make things a bit more interesting.
The price varies depending on the supplier, from under 4€ to 7€.
As with Eternal Treasure, you can only find the boxed version on the official USA Shoyeido site. What’s notable about this roll of Great Origin is not only the entirely different design but also that the incense sticks inside are 24cm long, which is 2cm longer than all the others in the line, including the version of Great Origin that is intended for the export market and sold in boxes.
Great Origin Japan version is strange. I find it smells very strongly of smoke. The bitter note, which probably comes from the myrrh, seems to emphasize this even more. However, there is a peculiar sweetness in the scent profile that sometimes makes me think of smouldering horn and sometimes of shoe polish.
The scent is deep and dark, and I find the purple colour of the incense sticks very fitting. Beneath the ever-present, harsh smoke, the scent has something balsamic and soft about it. I would describe it as grounding and calming.
I really tried to warm up to Great Origin Japan version. Recently, Jiri & Friends – Frankincense reminded me of it again, and I took it out to see if I could find something new in context to these unique frankincense incense sticks. There are moments in between when I feel that the scent blooms; it then seems fuller, more defined, and simply more pleasant, but in the next moment, it’s back to the bitter, burnt, strangely sweet smell from before.
As mentioned in the review of Eternal Treasure, I bought a mini-sampler of the line shortly after that to compare, as it contains the export versions.
This sample of Great Origin smells entirely different. In my view, these two incense sticks have nothing in common except the name.
As much as I could take from this approximately 7cm incense stick, its scent has a clearly recognizable, fresh note of frankincense, underlined by some sweetness and spicy notes, accompanied by a slightly bitter undertone, which I find attractive in this case.
Above, the purple Japan version in the red rolls; below, the brown export version sample.
In summary: I find the Japan version interesting but also unappealing; however, I really liked the sample of the export version, and I am considering buying a pack of it.
I would also like to mention that there are Nippon Kodo incense sticks that also share the name Daigen-koh and look very similar to Shoyeido‘s Japan version. However, the ingredients seem to differ.
Additionally, there are incense sticks from Aromandise named ‘Voie Majeure‘ that also look very similar. The scent description given to me by an acquaintance sounds as if they could be these Shoyeido incense sticks in an own-brand packaging.