KYOTO, JAPAN

There is a phrase in Japanese fragrance culture: kōdō, the art of listening to incense. Shoyeido has been practicing that distinction for more than three centuries. Founded in 1705 by the Hata family in Kyoto, the company began as a small shop called Sasaya. By the third generation, they were studying imperial blending techniques inside the palace — methods once reserved for the court — and applying that knowledge to the incense they crafted for temples, tea practitioners, and the wider public. Twelve generations later, the family still leads the company, and the philosophy remains unchanged: natural ingredients only, no synthetic oils, no shortcuts, and every blend mixed by hand.

Shoyeido’s brand concept is rooted in restraint and presence. Their incense is not designed to dominate a room. It is meant to accompany it; a subtle shift in atmosphere, a warmth you notice only when it’s gone. This approach comes from a belief that fragrance should harmonize with its surroundings, rather than overpower them. The materials they use reflect that: aloeswood and sandalwood of the highest quality, herbs and spices sourced along the old incense trade routes that once connected Asia to the Mediterranean. The ingredients are centuries old; the knowledge of how to combine them is older still.

When Shoyeido craftspeople speak about blending incense, they describe it as a matter of balance and listening: understanding how each material behaves, how it changes with humidity, temperature, and time. The most important consideration is not intensity but character: how a fragrance unfolds, how long it lingers, and whether it leaves a memory. Their master blenders work slowly, adjusting by hand, guided by experience rather than formula.

For The Layer, Shoyeido felt inevitable. Their work is serious without being solemn, contemporary without abandoning tradition. 

A fragrance that has taken three hundred years to refine belongs in spaces where people will appreciate it. Our hotel guests will receive a small selection of “Gen” as a thank you from us. A memory of the scent of the sea air, a connection between you and Atami, a celebration of craft and place.