Shoyeido Kinkaku – 490 Japanese Incense Sticks

Shoyeido Kinkaku (金閣) is a traditional Japanese incense from Kyoto and belongs to Shoyeido's classic Daily Incense collection, also known as Nature & Tradition. The large original box contains 490 short incense sticks with a warm, woody and spicy fragrance featuring sandalwood, cinnamon, cloves, patchouli, benzoin resin and other spices. The composition takes its name from Kyoto's famous Golden Pavilion.

A classic fragrance of sandalwood and aromatic spices

Kinkaku combines the gentle, woody warmth of sandalwood with a complex blend of traditional aromatic ingredients. Cinnamon and cloves give the incense its characteristic warm and spicy accents, while patchouli contributes earthy, slightly herbal nuances.

Benzoin resin complements the composition with a soft, balsamic sweetness. Together with the additional spices, these ingredients create a harmonious, woody, spicy and balsamic incense fragrance with a certain depth, without being dominated entirely by heavy resinous notes.

This combination of sandalwood, spices and aromatic resins is characteristic of classic Japanese incense blends. Kinkaku particularly appeals to enthusiasts of traditional, warm fragrance compositions.

Kinkaku – Kyoto's Golden Pavilion

The name Kinkaku (金閣) means "Golden Pavilion" and refers to the famous Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto. The gilded pavilion of this Buddhist temple is reflected in Kyōko-chi, the so-called Mirror Pond, creating one of the best-known images of historic Japanese architecture.

The distinctive combination of architecture, water and landscaped gardens defines the atmosphere of this place. With Kinkaku, Shoyeido draws on this cultural motif and associates it with a traditional fragrance composition of aromatic woods and spices.

The design of the Japanese packaging, with its warm colours and delicate botanical motifs, also emphasises the classic character of the incense.

Traditional incense craftsmanship by Shoyeido

Shoyeido is one of Japan's long-established incense manufacturers. The company's history dates back to 1705. In Kyoto, an important centre of Japanese incense culture, aromatic woods, resins and spices have been blended into carefully balanced fragrance compositions for centuries.

The Daily Incense collection includes a variety of classic compositions for regular use. Within this range, Kinkaku is distinguished by its warm, spicy and slightly balsamic fragrance character.

Original Japanese box containing 490 incense sticks

This Japanese version of Kinkaku contains 490 incense sticks without a bamboo core. The sticks measure approximately 13.5 cm in length and have an average burning time of around 30 minutes.

The distinctive reddish-brown colour visually distinguishes the Japanese version from the international Kin-Kaku – Golden Pavilion variant, whose incense sticks are brown.

The large box is particularly suitable for those who use Kinkaku regularly and prefer a generous supply. The shorter sticks offer a shorter burning time than the longer Japanese version, which is also available.

Other versions of Kinkaku

The Japanese version of Kinkaku is also available as an individual roll containing 35 longer incense sticks. These measure approximately 22 cm in length and burn for around 50 minutes per stick.

Shoyeido also offers the international Kin-Kaku – Golden Pavilion version. Both versions belong to the same fragrance family and use the same known principal ingredients. As the complete formulas and blending proportions are not disclosed, any possible differences in composition cannot be determined more precisely.

Features of Shoyeido Kinkaku

• Manufacturer: Shoyeido
• Collection: Daily Incense / Nature & Tradition
• Product: Kinkaku (金閣), Japanese version
• Made in: Kyoto, Japan
• Known ingredients: sandalwood, cinnamon, cloves, patchouli, benzoin resin and other spices
• Fragrance character: warm, woody, spicy, earthy and balsamic
• Colour of incense sticks: reddish-brown
• Type: Japanese incense sticks without a bamboo core
• Contents: 490 incense sticks
• Length: approx. 13.5 cm
• Burning time: approx. 30 min per stick
• Packaging: large original Japanese box
• Manufacturer's reference: 122505