Renshin School of Incense

The Renshin School of Incense 蓮心流香道—named to reflect the aspiration to live with the serene purity of a lotus heart, as well as the creation of incense from sacred lotus—offers a refined approach to the Japanese Incense Ceremony, rooted in Mon-koh: Listening to Incense.  Founded by Eriyo Watanabe, this path of fragrance cultivates stillness, mindfulness, and inner peace through the quiet power of aromatic woods—especially Kyara, the highest grade of agarwood, and Sandalwood, as well as the original Juku-koh™ : Fermented Incense.

In every Japanese Incense Ceremony I offer, the fragrance of Kyara, Sandalwood, and my original creation—Juku-koh™—carries a silent intention: to bring happiness and inner peace to those who receive it.  Juku-koh™, the world’s first lotus-based incense, revives the ancient art of Neri-koh from the Heian period in a form that speaks to the soul of our time.  I believe that when each person feels peace within, it gently extends to the world around them.  Kyara, once harvested in Vietnam, has become increasingly rare over the past two decades. This reality calls us to deepen our awareness of environmental fragility and to honor the sacredness of natural materials.  While tea ceremony and flower arrangement are part of traditional Japanese culture and can still be practiced using locally grown materials, the aromatic woods used in incense—especially Kyara—are precious and often inaccessible, even within Japan.  For this reason, Japanese Incense Ceremony: Koh-do remains unfamiliar to many.  Through the Renshin School of Incense, I hope to open the experience of incense to people around the world—not as a performance, but as a path to stillness, reverence, and reconnection.  The quality of the aromatic woods I select, and the materials I use to compose Juku-koh™, are chosen with the utmost care and devotion.  Japan may be facing a time of demographic transformation and economic uncertainty, but I believe its traditional culture—and the deep spirit behind it—offers something essential to the world today.

Concepts such as ikigai, wabi-sabi, and Zen still speak to our collective longing for meaning, simplicity, and depth.  Fragrance cannot be conveyed online.  That is why I travel—to create real, in-person encounters within a realm of quietude and connection.

Mon-koh, the meditative heart of Koh-do, invites us to “listen” to fragrance—not through analysis or memory, but through presence.  The incense is gently warmed, never burned. There is no visible smoke. What rises is an unseen breath—subtle, pure, and profoundly alive.  In this stillness, three transformative elements converge: deep breathing, silent meditation, and the aromatic essence of Kyara, Sandalwood, and Juku-koh™—a lotus-based Fermented Incense born from a thousand-year tradition.  This quiet trinity creates a space where the body, mind, and spirit may come into balance.  A sense of wellbeing arises—not as a goal, but as a natural unfolding.  Mon-koh is not a performance. It is a practice of returning.  For those carrying tension, fatigue, or unspoken emotional burdens, the fragrance becomes a companion—gently releasing, subtly uplifting.  It echoes the spirit of Expressive Arts Therapy, which I studied at Lesley University in the United States: a way of transforming inner heaviness into self-awareness, quiet reflection, and a renewed sense of purpose.  Unlike the competitive game called Kumi-koh, in the traditional style of Koh-do, my approach gently embraces incense as a meditative and restorative art.  I believe that incense—especially the rare and sacred Kyara—is meant to be experienced in quiet reverence, as a subtle offering toward human wellbeing and inner peace.

The story of Juku-koh™ begins with an encounter—an unforgettable moment when Eriyo Watanabe, newly returned to Tokyo from eight years in Boston, first experienced the delicate fragrance of an ancient Japanese lotus.  This sacred scent stirred something profound, and years later, a meeting with a devoted lotus grower brought a long-held dream to life: to create the world’s first lotus-based Juku-koh™, a Fermented Incense that would carry the soul of this timeless flower.  Among aromatic traditions around the world, fermentation has long been honored as a form of wisdom—transforming ingredients into something living, subtle, and enduring.  But in the realm of incense, such practices are exceedingly rare. Juku-koh™ represents a singular path: a unique formula developed over many years through quiet experimentation, spiritual intention, and reverence for nature’s gifts.  Two forms exist. One revives Neri-koh, the kneaded incense cherished by Heian court nobles over a thousand years ago. The other recalls Kyphi, the sacred blend once used in the rituals of ancient Egypt.  Each is composed of carefully selected, top-grade natural aromatic woods and botanicals, prepared slowly over time, and infused with prayer.  Juku-koh™ is not merely incense. It is a vessel for memory, devotion, and stillness—offering a gentle invitation to return to the heart.

Launched in 2024, the Lotus Peace Project is guided by a simple yet profound belief: World Peace begins with Inner Peace. Rooted in the spiritual philosophy of the Japanese Incense Ceremony and the symbolic purity of the lotus, this initiative seeks to share serenity across borders and cultures.

The project draws inspiration from two sacred sources:

– The ancient Japanese lotus, believed to carry the genetic memory of the Jomon era.

– Kyara, the rarest and most revered of aromatic woods.

Fragrance, in this vision, becomes a medium for emotional release, spiritual renewal, and global dialogue.  Through international outreach—including academic collaborations, public ceremonies, and hands-on workshops—the Lotus Peace Project creates opportunities for cross-cultural connection, reflection, and shared moments of quiet awakening.

The Renshin School of Incense offers immersive opportunities to experience the Japanese Incense Ceremony: Koh-do through refined courses and intimate retreats. While our in-person sessions in Tokyo remain the ideal introduction, international students are welcome to begin their journey through online lessons—crafted with the same depth and elegance.  A Certified Koh-do Program is currently being developed in three levels: Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced. These programs will be accessible worldwide and structured to support independent study and deep sensory engagement.  Our Fragrant Retreats are envisioned as profound encounters with silence, nature, and inner peace—set in locations of exceptional serenity. The first retreat is scheduled to begin in December 2025, and details will be announced on Substack and other platforms.

To explore more about Japanese Incense Ceremony: Koh-do, upcoming events, or to follow the global journey of the Renshin School of Incense, please visit:

【Substack】                https://substack.com/@eriyowatanabe

【Facebook (Eriyo)】   https://www.facebook.com/eriyo.watanabe/  

【Facebook (IRI) 】      https://www.facebook.com/IncenseResearchInstitute/   

【Instagram (Eriyo)】   https://www.instagram.com/eriyo_watanabe/

【Instagram (IRI) 】      https://www.instagram.com/iri_japan/

【Threads (IRI) 】         https://www.threads.com/@iri_japan

【Youtube (IRI) 】         https://www.youtube.com/@ERIYO_IRI

You are warmly invited to listen with us—to fragrance, to presence, and to the still voice within.