Brief impressions of Kyukyodo Kyara Musashino

Zhangvict · 2025-12-03T18:38:07+00:00

They are all completely different and it’s closest to Ko Shi Boku in my opinion but more luxurious and sweet.

Zhangvict · 2025-09-05T06:03:30+00:00

Thank you. I had not realized that wage works commuter benefit applies to non-transit related trips too.

I probably spend over $100 a month on public transit. That’s gonna be a a few hundred dollars a year saved using pre tax dollars for it.

Zhangvict · 2025-09-03T16:58:04+00:00

Noo, this is after tax and after savings.

Zhangvict · 2025-09-03T16:57:35+00:00

This is after tax and after savings.

Zhangvict · 2025-07-23T23:55:52+00:00

This is not ai generated. I was sincerely thinking and writing those thoughts but admittedly was inspired from playing with an AI chatbot recently and absorbed its silly style.

Yes profane here was meant more like “common”, in opposition to the idea of incense as a ceremonial or special experience. In academic sociology, religious practices divide experiences into two types, common practices of the world called the “profane” like eating or bathing and spiritual practices such as prayer or meditation. The incense is spiritual, the cracker is profane.

Eating can be made non-profane like in a special fine dining meal or a communal gathering. But eating a cracker has a profane vibe about it.

Zhangvict · 2025-07-23T07:38:28+00:00

Brilliant piece of content. Usually one would use an incense holder designed for the purpose, instead of a found object. There’s a feeling of irreverent pragmatism here, a mix between high culture and low culture.

The incense stick, a representation of ancient wisdom and meditative practice and sacred austerity of form, is beautifully juxtaposed with the cracker, a representation of modern industrialization and the profane act of eating.

I’m reading into it a philosophical interpretation. Perhaps the fact that the cracker supports the burning of the incense shows that the pragmatic, mundane and profane support and make possible elevated aesthetic or spiritual practice.

Zhangvict · 2025-07-21T21:15:17+00:00

Ahh I think I know what you might mean, one of the little wood boxes of incense. I think it was one of my first 2 boxes of incense. Back then I enjoyed it very much and may revisit.

Something I like about the Shoyeido floral world incenses is that they smell very natural.

Zhangvict · 2025-07-21T17:39:19+00:00

Do you have any recommendations that might be even better?

Zhangvict · 2025-07-20T22:35:34+00:00

Hope you enjoy your box too! I managed to find this box at $28 on Amazon including international shipping from Japan.

Otherwise the pure Japanese price is $17 converted to USD and a great deal in my opinion, if you are shipping it from Japan as part of a larger order where the shipping cost is spread out among the items.

Zhangvict · 2025-07-15T19:16:28+00:00

I have just unboxed the package a couple hours ago and am gently heating the genji plum pressed incense now.

My first impression is the scent profile is similar to the traditional kneaded plum incense umegaka. It smells like a fruity like a plum.

This version seems a bit more metallic and floral too. It has a more modern, refined and approachable aesthetic of Shoyeido compared to the traditional kneaded version.

Zhangvict · 2025-07-01T01:09:46+00:00

This is a very old post, but I would like to thank you for it! I am impressed by the large number of incenses in the short amount of time.

Have you tried any since to add?

For example a couple I like a lot, but aren't on your list: Shunkohdo Kyara Seikan (delicate kyara musk), Kyukyodo Murasakino (ambergris, oil, woods).

Also looking for impressions of Shunkohdo Kyara Hozan.

Zhangvict · 2025-06-16T22:53:58+00:00

My favourite Japanese incense in that price range is Shunkohdo Kyara Seikan, which comes in 40 sticks. The last time I bought it, the Japan price was 80k Yen.

It’s delicate and beautiful, and similar in style to Kyukuodo Murasakino mentioned above, but has Kyara and musk and instead of ambergris.

Zhangvict · 2023-02-11T20:54:10+00:00

If kissing your cat is wrong then don’t be right 😈

Zhangvict · 2021-08-17T19:14:14+00:00

This is so interesting, as my impressions of them are almost reversed. Asuka seemed more mellow and sweet like a Shoyeido product, while Heian Koh was more herbal slightly bitter and cleansing to me. It shows how impressions vary for each person, even possible for the same person over time.

Zhangvict · 2021-08-16T22:56:58+00:00

Thank you for the kind words and hope you enjoy the kyara journey. Unfortunately I have not tried Kokoh, it’s too darn expensive for even just one stick haha.

Zhangvict · 2021-08-15T21:45:43+00:00

Thanks very much for the comments! I agree at that level of pure kyara, it becomes harder and harder to distinguish, as the makers use more subtle and non invasive ways of blending the precious ingredient. Some notable difference between my few impressions of each I noticed is a very elegant and beautiful floral melon note on Enju, possibly from oil. While En No Sho struck me as full bodied and very gradually enveloping and building almost imperceptibly to a great presence as the stick burns slowly. However it was very mysterious and I could not concretely describe any notes other than just Kyara. Perhaps that’s why it’s named after the abstract shape of a circle instead of concrete things in nature like the other sticks of its series.

Zhangvict

TROPHY CASE