Kohgen – Japanese Fragrances – Hinoki

Sebastian, one of my incense friends with whom I exchange samples from time to time, was in Japan in 2025 and offered to bring incense back for me. And as if that wouldn’t be kind enough, he sent me samples of all the sticks he’d bought for himself. Many, many thanks!

He got two sticks of this Hinoki incense as a sample, of which he forwarded me one. 😀

I knew Kohgen by hearsay via Reddit as a popular retailer for incense in Japan, with several stores in Japan. Furthermore, you can shop at their Japanese website via WorldShopping or a second, English-language webshop.
Until I’d received this sample, I wasn’t aware that Kohgen also manufacture incense sticks.

Hinoki is sold in packs of 30; the sticks measure approx. 14cm and burn for 30 minutes. The price is 2200 yen, equalling about €12.80.

Kohgen write: ‘Hinoki is the incense with a refreshing fragrance, created on a Sandalwood base with natural Hinoki (Japanese Cypress) oil added in. When you light this incense, you can feel the fragrance which reminds of a newly built Japanese house made out of Cypress wood.’

As I had lit this stick, I let out a surprised ‘Oh!’ The first notes were amazingly clear yet contrasting: on one hand sweet and creamy, on the other woody and coniferous. Though, the conifer note overall reminds me more of pines than of cypresses (which hinoki is) because of its warmth.

After a few moments, the fragrance seems all the sweeter; I smell a very soft, creamy and vanilla-like sweetness, with a hint of cinnamon, as might feel familiar from many Shoyeido varieties.
Alongside that, however, a slightly mineral, green freshness comes through. It smells like freshly baked biscuits next to the Christmas tree!

Burnt down about halfway, the fragrance has slowly transformed. The room note is now less sweet than initially and shows quite a clear sandalwood note. Additionally, the green and warm-woody conifer smell which I wouldn’t immediately associate with cypresses is still present.
From then on, the fragrance keeps on alternating between the sweetness reminiscent of biscuits and the conifers wood scent.

The after-smell is quite subtle and mainly shows the woody part of the fragrance, but remains rather sweet.

I’d expected a less sweet fragrance from a hinoki incense stick, but nevertheless I find the composition lovely and captivating. The dynamic of sweet gourmand fragrance and fresh conifer green is engaging and interesting.