Eriyo Watanabe is the Director of the Incense Research Institute (IRI) and Founder & Grand Master of the Renshin School of Incense. For over two decades, she has devoted herself to the study and practice of Koh-do: the Japanese Incense Ceremony, as well as the global history of incense cultures.

Out of reverence for Kyara, the rarest agarwood, she carefully preserves and reuses the wood even after it has been offered once in incense gatherings, giving new life to its sacred essence through her original creation of Juku-koh®, Fermented Incense.

Over the years, she has created Juku-koh® using various flowers such as plum and wisteria, but her deepest dedication is now to the Lotus. Among flowers, the lotus holds the most sacred power—nourishing the soul and symbolizing eternal life. Her Fermented Lotus Incense stands at the heart of the Lotus Peace Project, a global initiative that connects inner peace to world peace through the timeless art of fragrance.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Expressive Arts Therapy and Holistic Health from Lesley University in the U.S., and also studied at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. Having lived in London, Paris, Hong Kong, New York, and Boston for 10 years, and traveled to more than 50 countries, she brings a uniquely global perspective to her incense research, teaching, and cultural activities.