Shoyeido

Shoyeido (Japanese: 松榮堂、松栄堂, Hepburn: Shōeidō), established in 1705 by Hata Rokuberi (a.k.a. Moriyoshi Rokuzaemon Hata[1] and Rokubei Moritsune Hata[2]), an employee of Kyoto's Imperial Palace and an incense hobbyist,[3] is one of the oldest incense companies in Japan.[3] The company is based in Kyoto,[4] with shops in five cities in Japan, and one in America.[5]

Shoyeido is credited for bringing incense to the Western world at the end of the 19th century.[6]

History

The first Shoyeido shop at the corner of Nijo and Karasuma streets was set up in 1705 by members of the Hata family, who were previously employees of the Imperial royal court. Exports to the West started in 1894.[7]

Its first US office was set up in Boulder in 1990.[7]

Name

Shōeidō written in kanji

The name "Shoyeido" (Shōeidō) is derived from the three characters Shō, Ei, and Dō.

  • Shō means "Pine tree"
  • Ei is the ancient sound meaning "Prosperity"
  • Dō is a store or company.

The Shō is from the traditional Sho Chiku Bai trio of shō (松 pine tree), chiku (竹 bamboo) and bai (梅 plum tree), which are used as a traditional Japanese grading system, to represent varying degrees of quality. In this grading system, shō represents the highest grade or quality.

Activities

Shoyeido had 140 employees and made $30 million in sales in 1999. It manufactures most of its products in a facility in Nagaoka-kyō. Il also owns an artisanal shop near Karasuma where it preserves the craftsmanship of incense-making and fills custom orders.[7]

Shoyeido still uses its +300 year old secret recipe for religious orders.[7]

Shoyeido is still a family business, today run by the twelfth generation of the Hata family.[7]

Shoyeido has several stores in Japan across five cities, including four in Kyōto, three in Tōkyō, one in Sapporo, and one in Boulder, Colorado, USA.[5] Shoyeido also manages the store LISN in Kyōto since 2004, which is specifically designed for the customers unfamiliar with the world of incense.[6]

Incense

Shoyeido carries several series of incense. The two main series are the "Daily Incense" series (京線香, Kyō-senkō) and the "Premium Incense" series (高級線香, Kōkyū-senkō). The following tables are ordered from least expensive to most expensive.

Half-size boxes: Sei-fū, Haku-un, Kyō-zakura, Kin-kaku
Premium incense: Matsu-no-tomo, Ōja-kō, Kyō-jiman, Shun-yō, Mishō
Daily Incense (京線香, Kyō-senkō)
English Japanese Romaji
Great Origin 大元香 Daigen-kō
Eternal Treasure 寶永香 Hōei-kō
Orchid 蘭華 Ranka
Kyoto Autumn Leaves 京にしき Kyō-nishiki
Moss Garden のきば Nokiba
Golden Pavilion 金閣 Kin-kaku
Kyoto Cherry Blossom 京桜 Kyō-zakura
Five Hills 五山 Go-zan
White Cloud 白雲 Haku-un
Circle 円明 En-mei
Fresh Breeze 清風 Sei-fū
Low smoke series
Silhouette ほのか Honoka
Gossamer かすみ Kasumi
Illusions おぼろ Oboro
Premium Incense (高級線香, Kōkyū-senkō)
English Japanese Romaji
Friend of Pine 松の友 Matsu-no-tomo
King's Aroma 王奢香 Ōja-kō
Pride of Kyoto 京自慢 Kyō-jiman
Beckoning Spring 春陽 Shun-yō
Gentle Smile 微笑 Mishō
Southern Wind 南薫 Nan-kun
Refinement 雅芳 Ga-hō
Five Clouds 五雲 Go-un
Infinity 妙芳 Myō-hō
Translucent Path 正覚 Shō-kaku

See also

References

  1. ^ "Company History". shoyeido.co.jp.
  2. ^ "About Us". shoyeido.com.
  3. ^ a b Kiyoko Morita (30 Oct 2006). The Book of Incense: Enjoying the Traditional Art of Japanese Scents. Kodansha International. p. 119.
  4. ^ "Company History". Shoyeido Incense Company. Archived from the original on 2013-11-10. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  5. ^ a b Judika Illes (1 Aug 2007). Pure Magic: A Complete Course in Spellcasting. Weiser Books. p. 317. ISBN 9781609252564.
  6. ^ a b Kitamura, Katie (8 July 2007). "Kyoto: LISN". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e Waddell, David (1999-11-05). "Incense maker going strong 12 generations into business". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2024-03-15.