Shoyeido Xiang Do Agarwood – 20 Japanese Incense Sticks

Shoyeido Xiang Do Agarwood No. 73 is a Japanese incense from Kyoto with a rich, soft and deep fragrance inspired by precious agarwood. The composition belongs to Shoyeido's Xiang-Do collection, whose short, compact incense sticks are produced using a special compression process. Its fragrance evokes the warm, resinous woody notes of tropical forests.

Agarwood – a deep and enveloping fragrance

Xiang Do Agarwood captures the characteristic fragrance of agarwood, known in Japan as Jinkoh (沈香). Shoyeido describes the composition as rich and precious in character, with a soft, enveloping quality reminiscent of the aromatic woods of tropical forests.

At its heart is a warm, deep and gently resinous woody fragrance. Its full, balanced aroma gives the composition an elegant character, without any individual floral or spicy notes being explicitly brought to the forefront.

Unlike the fresh, fruity or floral varieties in the Xiang-Do series, Agarwood draws inspiration from one of the most traditional fragrance themes in Japanese incense culture.

Shoyeido does not disclose the precise formula. The name Agarwood describes the fragrance profile and does not confirm that natural agarwood from a particular Aquilaria species, or any specified proportion of this precious material, is actually present.

Jinkoh – precious agarwood in Japanese incense tradition

Agarwood (Jinkoh) is among the most highly valued aromatic materials in the Japanese art of incense. It forms when the wood of certain trees, particularly those belonging to the genus Aquilaria, becomes enriched with aromatic resins through natural processes. The resulting fragrant material can develop an exceptionally complex, warm and deep aromatic character.

Agarwood reached Japan from South and Southeast Asia along historical trade routes. There, it became an important part of traditional fragrance culture and played a particularly significant role in Kōdō (香道), the Japanese Way of Fragrance.

In Kōdō, selected aromatic woods are gently heated, and their different fragrance qualities are appreciated with close attention. This centuries-old appreciation of agarwood provides the cultural background for the fragrance interpretation Xiang Do Agarwood.

Xiang Do – Japanese incense sticks shaped by compression

The Xiang-Do collection is distinguished by a manufacturing process developed by Shoyeido: compression moulding (圧縮成形, Asshuku Seikei).

While conventional Japanese incense sticks are usually made by extruding an aromatic mixture, Xiang Do incense material is compressed directly into a mould. This gives the short sticks their particularly smooth, uniform surface and compact shape.

This process combines the expertise of traditional Japanese incense making with a modern approach to fragrance creation. In Xiang Do Agarwood, the focus is on the characteristic depth of an agarwood-inspired fragrance.

Each pack contains 20 incense sticks measuring approximately 7 cm in length, together with a small incense holder. The burning time is approximately 15 minutes per stick.

Features of Shoyeido Xiang Do Agarwood

• Manufacturer: Shoyeido
• Collection: Xiang Do
• Product: Agarwood No. 73
• Made in: Kyoto, Japan
• Fragrance: agarwood (Jinkoh)
• Fragrance character: rich, warm, soft, deep, woody and gently resinous
• Manufacturing process: compression moulding (Asshuku Seikei)
• Contents: 20 incense sticks and 1 small incense holder
• Length: approx. 7 cm
• Burning time: approx. 15 min per stick
• Shoyeido product number: 214573