Eriyo Watanabe   Master of Incense

・Director of Incense Research Institute (IRI)

・Grand Master of the Renshin School of Incense

・Specially Appointed Professor, Nihon Pharmaceutical University

Eriyo Watanabe is the Director of Incense Research Institute (IRI) and Grand Master of the Renshin School of Incense.  Through her decades of dedication to the research and practice of traditional Kho-do: Japanese Incense Ceremony, she developed Revering Kyara, the rarest agarwood used in traditional Koh-do: the Japanese incense ceremony, she created Juku-koh™, a fermented incense that honors the sacred fragrance of Kyara and living flowers. Her signature Fermented Lotus Incense forms the heart of the Lotus Peace Project, a global initiative connecting inner peace to world peace through the timeless art of fragrance.  In addition to the traditional use of aromatic woods, she revitalized the ancient art of Neri-koh, creating Juku-koh™ : Fermented Incense, the world's first of its kind.  Rooted in Heian period and reimagined for the present day, this unique incense offers a refined sensory experience that nurtures the mind, body, and spirit.  

She holds a Master's Degree in Expressive Arts Therapy and Holistic Health from Lesley University in the U.S., and 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 over 50 countries, she brings a uniquely global perspective to her incense research and educational work.