山水香 | Sansui-Koh

These incense sticks were given away at the beginning of the year on Kleinanzeigen.

In my attempt to find out more about them, I came across this listing from the shop Klang & Stille. The pack costs €12; contained are 120 sticks with approx. 30 min. burning time.

Not much is revealed about the sticks, only that they come from a ‘small manufactory in Kyoto’. Sandalwood and cedarwood are named as ingredients.

I searched further and came across a shop based in Kyoto City called Hayashi Ryushodo that sells these sticks. They’re as well called Sansui Koh but are listed as jinkoh/agarwood incense sticks and are dyed green. The ones from my pack are of a natural tan colour.
The inner packagings are exactly the same, however the boxes differ.

Next, I posted on Reddit r/Incense whether anyone there would know anything more specific about the manufacturer. All I could find out there was that Hayashi Ryushodo could be the manufacturer, but I couldn’t clarify why they list different ingredients.
I then wrote to Klang & Stille and I received the friendly information that Hayashi Ryushodo, to their knowledge, is not the manufacturer, but all their distribution partner in Japan told them was, that it’s a small manufactory in Kyoto.
Should you be able to make sense of it, I’d be grateful about a comment.

From the start on, the sticks reminded me a bit of the smell of thuja or some ‘cedars’. They contain a fine, green and slightly mineral note that is typical for cupressaceae.
For a long time, I perceived the smell as primarily dry-woody, but over time I’ve discovered a pleasant warmth in the composition that has gradually moved more and more into the foreground.

Because I was frustrated that I couldn’t find out anything definitive about the sticks, I ignored them for quite a while. Then, a few days ago, I spontaneously felt like them again.
By now, Sansui-Koh smell even warmer than in my memory, and I sense a subtle sweetness. Additionally, a waxy softness appears occasionally, that I hadn’t noticed previously.

Sansui-Koh are subtle, which is probably why they’re recommended for meditation by that German shop.
They’re the kind of Japanese incense sticks that take a while to warm to, but the more you use them, the more you end up like them. Their fragrance is a lovely duet of warm, soft sandalwood and the cedar aspect described above.