The History of Shoyeido Incense Company
Founded in Kyoto during the Hoei Era
Shoyeido was founded over 300 years ago. It began as "Sasaya", where Hata Rokuzaemon Moriyoshi, who was the village chief of Tamba Sasayama, started a business road. During the third generation, Hata Moritsune, who also served as the chief water officer of the Imperial Palace, was involved in incense making in earnest as "Shoyeido".
From that time to the present, the 13th generation, we have been working on the art of incense making.
Delicate fragrance created by the heart and the hands
Our traditional incense making method follows a "handmade with heart" philosophy. The finest fragrance is created only with skillful hands and techniques, the desire for authenticity, and the sharpened senses all in harmony. While valuing traditional techniques and spirit, we are also motivated to use innovate cutting-edge technology. We believe that this is the only way to maintain the trust of the "long-established store" designation.
A subtle and deep scent that can only be created with natural fragrances
Many of the raw materials for incense are natural fragrances and are transported from all over the world, mostly from China, India, and Southeast Asia. Aromas can also be synthesized chemically, but their depth and subtlety do not match the natural materials. This is because the human sense of smell is keen and can instantly sort out the essence of the scent. It is our role to deliver natural fragrances to your doors without losing the delicacy and elegance of them. In addition, we will continue to strive to create new fragrances by skillfully combining the impression of synthetic fragrances with the depth of natural fragrances.
Wings of fragrance spread around the world
In Meiji 30 (1897), in addition to the traditional incense of the past, we combined the best of technology to develop "Floral World incense" suitable for the lifestyles of other countries, and at the same time succeeded in exporting incense to the United States for the first time from Japan.
In addition, in Taisho 4 (1915), during the Taisho Emperor's Imperial Ceremony, the Emperor purchased our product and spread our name throughout the country. Since then, we have been working hard to refine and develop advanced technologies while preserving traditional scents, and now we are delivering Japanese scents to countries around the world. Currently, there is the United States Shoyeido in Boulder, Colorado.
Historical Timeline
- Around Hoei 2 (1705) The first Hata Rokuzaemon Moriyoshi raises the curtain of "Sasaya."
- Meiji 30 (1897) Developed cone-shaped incense and succeeded in exporting it to the United States for the first time from Japan.
- Showa 3 (1928) The festival of the emperor's enthronement, the honor of having our export incense purchased.
- Showa 8 (1933) Exhibited at the Chicago World's Fair and received awards.
- Showa 17 (1942) Restructured and established as Shoyeido Co., Ltd.
- Heisei 1 (1989) Completion of our Nagaokakyo Factory. Designated as a model factory for small and medium-sized enterprises in Kyoto Prefecture.
- Heisei 2 (1990) Shoyeido Corporation established in Boulder, Colorado.
- Heisei 13 (2001) Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry sponsored the Grand Prize in the Website Contest for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
- Heisei 14 (2002) Nagaokakyo Incense Factory Acquired ISO14001 certification.
- Heisei 17 (2005) 300th Anniversary.
- Heisei 21 (2009) Incense Culture Archive Shoju Bunko established.
- Heisei 28 (2016) Registered Shoyeido for the entire "KES Environmental Management System Standard" Step 1.
- Heisei 29 (2017) The Shoyeido Corporation in Boulder, Colorado was restructured as Shoyeido USA, Inc.
- Heisei 30 (2018) Kunjyukan (Incense Museum and Training Center) opened.
- Reiwa 3 (2021) Nagaokakyo factory received Kyoto Institute of Advanced Technology Oscar certification system certification.