Shoyeido Xiang Do Sencha Green Tea – 20 Japanese Incense Sticks

Shoyeido Xiang Do Sencha Green Tea No. 18 is a Japanese incense from Kyoto with a fresh, green fragrance inspired by traditional Japanese Sencha tea. The short, compact incense sticks belong to Shoyeido's Xiang-Do collection and are produced using a special compression process.

Sencha – the fresh fragrance of Japanese green tea

Xiang Do Sencha Green Tea evokes the lively, botanical aroma of green tea leaves. Shoyeido describes the composition as fresh and invigorating in an olfactory sense, with a clear, green character that captures the distinctive fragrance of Japanese Sencha.

At the forefront are delicate, leafy green and slightly tart nuances that give the fragrance a natural freshness. The composition feels bright, light and botanical, without the pronounced sweetness of floral incense fragrances or the warm depth of traditional woody compositions.

The name Sencha describes the fragrance profile. As Shoyeido does not disclose the precise formula, it has not been confirmed whether tea leaves or extracts of Camellia sinensis are actually used.

Sencha and Japanese tea culture

Sencha (煎茶) is one of the best-known varieties of Japanese green tea. After harvesting, the tea leaves are usually treated with steam to limit oxidation, then rolled and dried. This allows them to retain their characteristic green, botanical qualities.

Sencha is closely associated with everyday life and tea culture in Japan. Its fragrance evokes fresh tea leaves and the understated aesthetics of Japanese tea preparation. With Xiang Do Sencha, Shoyeido draws on this familiar fragrance and interprets it as a contemporary Japanese incense.

Xiang Do – incense sticks shaped by compression

A distinctive feature of the Xiang-Do collection is the compression moulding process (圧縮成形, Asshuku Seikei) developed by Shoyeido.

While traditional Japanese incense sticks are usually made by extruding an aromatic mixture, Xiang Do incense material is compressed directly into a mould. This produces short, compact incense sticks with a particularly smooth and uniform surface.

The process gives the series its characteristic format and allows for a variety of clearly differentiated fragrance interpretations – from classic woody notes to modern floral, fruity and green compositions.

An earlier fragrance from the Xiang-Do collection

Sencha Green Tea No. 18 is one of the earlier fragrances in Shoyeido's Xiang Do range. This variety is documented in older manufacturer catalogues but no longer appears in the current selection of the collection.

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

Features of Shoyeido Xiang Do Sencha Green Tea

• Manufacturer: Shoyeido
• Collection: Xiang Do
• Product: Sencha Green Tea No. 18
• Made in: Kyoto, Japan
• Fragrance: Japanese green tea (Sencha)
• Fragrance character: fresh, green, botanical, slightly tart and clear
• 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 (indicative)
• Historical Shoyeido product number: 214218
• Special feature: earlier fragrance from the Xiang-Do collection