"Kaorihaku 2026" to be Held from April 18, "Incense Day" — Experience Scents in Ginza, Kyoto, and Kamakura

The "Kaorihaku" event, where visitors can experience Japanese incense culture, will be held for approximately one month, from Saturday, April 18, 2026, "Incense Day," to Sunday, May 17, 2026. This third installment will expand to three areas: Ginza, Kyoto, and Kamakura, with Kamakura being a new addition.

In addition to the organizers Kyukyodo, Shoyeido, and Nippon Kodo, Muji Ginza and Muji Kyoto BAL will participate again this year. Furthermore, Kitou Tenkundo will make its first appearance in the Kamakura area.

The theme for 2026 is "Where Scents Meet Tomorrow." As AI and digital technology evolve, and the forms of living and communication continue to change, "scent" as a sensory experience is once again drawing attention.

"Kaorihaku" is a cultural event where visitors can experience Japan's long-standing incense culture through activities such as a stamp rally visiting incense shops, workshops like Kodo (incense ceremony) experience and making scented sachets, special exhibitions at each store, and the sale of Kaorihaku-exclusive incense.

At the venues, visitors can enjoy the relaxed time that scent brings and the feeling of physical and mental well-being through four experiences: "touring," "listening to," "creating," and "enjoying" scents. Under this theme, the three long-established incense companies—Kyukyodo, Shoyeido, and Nippon Kodo—have collaborated to create the Kaorihaku 2026 limited edition incense series, "TRINEX (Trinex) ." Three types of incense, where the individuality of each company resonates and connects to the future, will be released on April 18.

Kaorihaku 2026 Event Outline

Event Areas

Ginza (some product displays in Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro), Kyoto, Kamakura

Theme

"Where Scents Meet Tomorrow"

Participating Stores

【Tokyo Area】

Tokyo Kyukyodo (Ginza Main Store, Shibuya Store, Shinjuku Store, Ikebukuro Store) / Shoyeido Ginza Store / Koju Ginza Main Store / Ginza Rangetsu / Muji Ginza

【Kyoto Area】

Kyoto Kyukyodo / Shoyeido (Kyoto Main Store, Kunshukan, Kun Kun, Sannenzaka Store) / Koju Ninenzaka Store / Muji Kyoto BAL

【Kamakura Area】

Kitou Tenkundo

Organizers

Kaorihaku Executive Committee (Organizers: Kyukyodo, Shoyeido, Nippon Kodo) / Participating Stores: Koju, Kitou Tenkundo, Ginza Rangetsu, Muji

*Advance reservations are required for experiences and workshops.

Details will be sequentially released on the official website (https://kaorihaku.com) after April 2.

Main Contents of Kaorihaku 2026

"Touring" Scents

A stamp rally will be held, visiting incense shops in Ginza, Kyoto, and Kamakura.

Collect three stamps to receive a special incense gift. You can encounter incense culture while walking through the city.

"Listening to" Scents

Programs to experience traditional Japanese incense culture will be held at each store, including "Kodo Experience," one of the three major traditional arts, "Monko" (listening to the scent of precious incense wood), and "Kikizake-kai" (identifying the scent of sake).

"Creating" Scents

Workshops such as "making scented sachets" will be held, where you can enjoy blending your own scents.

You can experience the profoundness of scents.

"Enjoying" Scents

Kaorihaku limited edition incense will be released, and special exhibitions on the theme of scent will be held within each store.

Image of Kaorihaku event

*Advance reservations are required for experiences and workshops. Details will be sequentially released on the official website (https://kaorihaku.com) after April 2. Stamp rally sheets are distributed at participating stamp rally stores.

Limited edition incense "TRINEX (Trinex) " a collaboration of three companies, to be released on April 18, 2026

Under the 2026 theme "Where Scents Meet Tomorrow," the Kaorihaku limited edition incense "TRINEX (Trinex) ," created through the collaboration of Kyukyodo, Shoyeido, and Nippon Kodo, will be sold at participating Kaorihaku stores (excluding some) starting April 18, 2026.

"TRINEX " is a special Kaorihaku-exclusive series jointly developed by the three companies (TRI) of Kyukyodo, Shoyeido, and Nippon Kodo, based on the concept of "a nexus (NEXUS) connecting scents to the future (NEXT)." The lineup includes three scents: "Strawberry Parfait," "MISORA," and "Heritage Hybrid 2026." The individuality and philosophies of each company intersect, sublimating into new expressions of scent. Product details are scheduled to be announced on April 8, 2026.

What is "Kaorihaku"?

"Kaorihaku" is an event first held in Tokyo and Kyoto in the spring of 2024. The three long-established incense companies with over 300 years of history (Kyukyodo, Shoyeido, Nippon Kodo) planned this event with the desire for people to "enjoy scents while strolling through the city in the pleasant spring season" and with the aim of passing on the 1400-year-old "Japanese incense culture" to the future. Held for one month from April 18, "Incense Day," it is a circulating event where visitors can tour incense shops through a stamp rally, enjoy limited edition products, and participate in experiential workshops. In 2025, Muji Ginza and Muji Kyoto BAL joined, and in 2026, the Kamakura area will be added.

Official Website: https://kaorihaku.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaorihaku_official/ X: https://x.com/kaorihaku_418

Last year's "Kaorihaku" held in April last year

In "Kaorihaku" held in April 2025, over 4,000 people participated in the stamp rally, and many visitors enjoyed touring scents and experiencing incense.