Fermented Incense Juku-koh™

Fermented incense is a rare and distinguished fragrant work of art, rooted in traditions once reserved for royalty and sacred ritual.  In Japan, Eriyo Watanabe created the original term Juku-koh™ (now a registered trademark) to name this unique world of fragrance—embracing both the art of Japanese Neri-koh and the ancient Egyptian Kyphi.  Each piece is created by hand from the highest quality aromatic materials, with prayers woven into its making, then allowed to mature gracefully over time to reveal an exquisite depth and harmony found nowhere else.

Unlike mass-produced common incense, fermented incense is slowly aged and gently warmed to release its scent.  Juku-koh™ is the world’s first and only incense created through natural fermentation, offering a deeply layered, sacred fragrance.

The name Juku-koh™ 熟香 is an original term, now registered as a trademark in Japan.  Derived from Japanese,“Juku” 熟 means fermentation or maturation, and “Koh” 香 means incense.  Together, they embody a new tradition of sacred scent—aged like a fine spirit, offered like a prayer.  Eriyo is the only incense artist in the world to create fermented incense using fresh flowers—ranging from Damask rose, plum blossom, wisteria, and jasmine to the sacred lotus of Japan.  While the Damask rose is beloved by women worldwide for its timeless beauty and fragrance, it carries the hidden energy of its thorns. The sacred Japanese lotus, by contrast, blooms unblemished in still waters, revered across Asia as the flower of the Pure Land.  For this reason, the lotus holds a singular place in Juku-koh™, representing purity, spiritual awakening, and the exquisite pinnacle of her work. By private commission, she also creates bespoke Juku-koh™ with other flowers, offering a fragrance experience as unique as the patron who requests it.

Juku-koh™ is born from the ancient incense lineages of two great civilizations.  In Ancient Egypt, Kyphi was a sacred temple incense, blending resins, spices, and wine in ritual.  Through the Silk Road, aromatic materials and ideas moved eastward, influencing the development of Neri-koh in Japan’s imperial courts—where incense became an expression of refinement, meditation, and poetry.  In Heian Period in Japan, Neri-koh evolved as a poetic courtly incense, kneaded by hand and steeped in seasonal themes.  Both embody sacredness, craftsmanship, and scent as spiritual expression.

Unlike incense sticks or cones, Neri-koh is not meant to be lit; rather, it is gently warmed to release its scent, allowing the fragrance to unfold in quiet, contemplative layers.  From the late eighth century onward, Japan’s aristocracy embraced Neri-koh as a refined sensory ritual. The exquisite aroma was used to scent rooms, garments, and even handwritten letters. The elegant pastime of Takimono-awase—a poetic incense blending contest—gained popularity in courtly circles and gradually evolved into Koh-do, the formal Japanese incense ceremony established during the Muromachi period.  As recorded in the Kunjuu Ruishou, one of Japan’s oldest texts on incense, seasonal motifs were essential in creation of Neri-koh. Fragrance compositions paid homage to the natural world: plum blossoms in spring, lotus flowers in summer, chrysanthemums in autumn, and fallen leaves in winter—each evoking a moment in time and a shift in sensibility.

In seeking the historical roots of Neri-koh, Eriyo traveled to Grasse, France—the cradle of French perfumery—where she visited the International Perfume Museum. There, a permanent exhibition traced the history of aromatics from Ancient Egypt to the modern era. While no definitive link was established between Japanese incense and the Silk Road in the exhibits, she felt a deep, intuitive connection. In particular, Kyphi, the sacred incense of ancient Egypt, seemed to resonate as a spiritual and olfactory ancestor to Neri-koh.  Today, Eriyo continues to explore this lineage—this aromatic legacy of the Silk Road—through my signature incense Juku-koh™: fermented incense. After years of experimentation and study, I have developed an original formula incorporating the highest quality agarwood, sandalwood, frankincense, benzoin, amber, and fresh seasonal flowers. The result is a timeless, meditative fragrance that transcends borders and eras—a modern expression of an ancient art.

Fermentation is not just a technique—it is a metaphor for time, patience, and living transformation.  As flowers, aromatic woods, and resins mingle and evolve, the fragrance becomes deeper, softer, more timeless.  This process cannot be rushed. It is alchemy guided by intuition, spirit, and season.

Only the highest quality natural ingredients are chosen: kyara, agarwood, sandalwood, frankincense, benzoin, amber, Japanese lotus, damask rose, plum blossom, and more.  Each blend contains no synthetic fragrance—only the raw essence of nature, honored with reverence and care.  This is not incense in the ordinary sense.  It is a sacred act of creation, shaped by hand, aged with time, and offered from the heart.  Born from ancient traditions, reborn through fermentation—Juku-koh™ is a timeless gift to the senses and the soul.

In the Middle East, bukhoor has long been a treasured expression of hospitality and prestige.  Today, most available offerings rely on synthetic fragrances designed for mass production.  Juku-koh™ stands apart—created only from the rarest natural materials, fermented and matured with the same reverence given to the world’s finest vintages.  Its fragrance is as pure as it is enduring, offering discerning patrons a new chapter in the legacy of bukhoor—one worthy of royal traditions.

Juku-koh™ is not merely a fragrance—it offers a meditative fragrant ritual, supporting mindfulness, prayer, memory, and emotional balance.  For those on a path of wellness, beauty, and spiritual refinement, it offers a moment of quiet transcendence.  Each piece of Juku-koh™ is handcrafted in small batches and aged over weeks or months.  For connoisseurs seeking a custom aromatic creation, Eriyo offers limited bespoke commissions.  This is not a product—it is a living offering, made with you, and for you.

For those who wish to immerse themselves in the fragrant ritual as ultimate experience of fragrance, please submit a inquiry through CONTACT US.