Shoyeido Gozan Five Hills – Japanese Incense Sticks

Shoyeido Gozan – Five Hills is a traditional Japanese incense from Kyoto and belongs to Shoyeido's Daily Incense collection, also known as Nature & Tradition. The composition combines sandalwood, patchouli, cloves and other aromatic spices to create a warm, woody and spicy fragrance. This international version contains long, brown incense sticks without a bamboo core.

Warm sandalwood fragrance with patchouli and spices

Gozan is characterised by a soft, woody and spicy fragrance. Sandalwood provides the warm, gentle foundation of the composition. Patchouli adds earthy and slightly herbal nuances, while cloves contribute an aromatic, spicy warmth.

Additional spices complete the blend, giving it a complex character. The interplay of woody, earthy and spicy fragrance notes creates a harmonious composition that is neither particularly fresh nor floral.

Compared with lighter Japanese incense fragrances, Gozan has a distinctly traditional woody and spicy character. The soft sandalwood note brings together the different aromatic facets to create a balanced overall fragrance.

Gozan – the five mountains of Kyoto

The name Gozan (五山) literally means "five mountains" and refers to a well-known cultural motif associated with Kyoto. The city is surrounded by mountains that have played an important role in its landscape, history and religious culture for centuries.

Particularly well known is the traditional Gozan no Okuribi, during which large ceremonial fires are lit in symbolic shapes on five mountains surrounding Kyoto every August. This Buddhist-influenced custom is associated with remembering the deceased and symbolically bidding farewell to the spirits of ancestors.

The name Five Hills reflects the close connection between Kyoto, its mountainous landscape and Japanese culture. Gozan's warm, traditional fragrance composition fits naturally into this cultural setting.

Shoyeido's Japanese incense tradition

The history of Shoyeido dates back to 1705. The Kyoto-based company is known for its classic incense blends, which combine aromatic woods, spices and other botanical fragrance ingredients.

Gozan belongs to the Daily Incense collection, a range of traditional Japanese incense sticks with different fragrance profiles. Within this collection, Five Hills particularly appeals to enthusiasts of warm sandalwood compositions with earthy and spicy accents.

International and Japanese versions

The international version of Gozan – Five Hills offered here contains brown incense sticks measuring approximately 22 cm in length. They are made without a bamboo core and have an average burning time of around 50 minutes.

There is also a Japanese version of Gozan, whose incense sticks are distinguished by their noticeably light, slightly greyish-blue colour. This version is available in Japan in rolls and larger packaging formats, among others.

The known fragrance ingredients of the international version are sandalwood, patchouli, cloves and other spices. As the complete formulas of the different versions are not documented, any possible differences in their blending ratios cannot be reliably determined.

Features of Shoyeido Gozan

• Manufacturer: Shoyeido
• Collection: Daily Incense / Nature & Tradition
• Product: Gozan – Five Hills, international version
• Origin: Kyoto, Japan
• Known ingredients: sandalwood, patchouli, cloves and other spices
• Fragrance character: warm, woody, spicy, earthy and harmonious
• Colour of incense sticks: brown
• Type: Japanese incense sticks without a bamboo core
• Length: approx. 22 cm
• Burning time: approx. 50 min per incense stick