玉初堂の創業は文化元年（1804年）。中国（清）より渡来された線香師「董玉初（トウギョクショ）」から、お線香の製造法と調香の秘法を授かり、かねてより漢方香料の取り扱いで身につけていた知識を生かして高級線香の製造を開始しました。以来、看板商品である「香樹林」など、仏事に最適な各種お線香をはじめ、暮らしに彩りを添えるお香まで幅広く展開。令和２年にはナチュラル成分が中心のインセンスブランド「ICHIKŌ ICHIE（イチコウイチエ）」を、令和６年には時間がテーマのお香専門店「QNOWA（クノワ）」を誕生させました。伝統を大切に守りながら、時代のニーズに応じた香りをご提案しています。
Devoted to incense
since 1804
Gyokushodo was founded in 1804, the first year of the Bunka era during the Edo period. After learning incense stick manufacturing methods and secret perfume-blending techniques from Togyokusho, an incense master from China's Qing Dynasty, we started producing high-grade incense sticks while utilizing our own expertise gained from trading Chinese herbal fragrances. Since then, we have expanded our product lineup, offering incense sticks ideal for Buddhist services including our signature product KŌJURIN, as well as incense that enhances everyday life. In 2020, we introduced our ICHIKŌ ICHIE branded incense, a specialty lineup of incense made primarily from natural ingredients; and then in 2024, we opened QNOWA, an incense store themed around the concept of time. We offer our customers incense that meets the needs of the times while cherishing and preserving tradition.
玉初堂はパッケージに原材料名を表示しており、天然原料を使用していることがわかります。香りは複数の原料を配合することで生まれますが、そこには職人の繊細な感覚が不可欠。なぜなら同じ原料でも、採れた年や場所などにより個体差があり、決められた配合をただ守るだけでは品質に変化が生じるからです。そこで長年の経験をもとに調整。その上で、当社規定に基づき、香り、強度、煙や灰の状態、燃焼時間などを確認し、合格したものだけを製品としています。規定範囲内の微妙な差は、自然の恵みを使用しているからこその証しと言えます。
A connoisseur's eye for
the utmost quality
We list every ingredient on our products' packaging so our customers can confidently trust in our natural raw materials. Our fragrances are created by blending multiple materials, requiring a connoisseur's exquisite sense. Due to the variability in raw materials influenced by factors such as procurement year and location, simply adhering to a predetermined composition is not sufficient, as it can affect quality. Our artisans make carefully considered adjustments to the compositions based on their long experience. Then, we evaluate various aspects including aroma, durability, smoke, ash, and burning time to ensure that only those products which meet our stringent criteria become final products. The minor variations present within our permissible limits are a testament to the craftsmanship and blessings of nature incorporated into each product.
お香は原料を混ぜて捏ね、長さと形を調えて乾燥させることで完成します。昭和50年代頃までは、木の板を用いた自然乾燥が主流で、乾燥の過程で反り曲がるなどの不具合が生じていました。そこで玉初堂は、吸水性や通気性の良い段ボールを用いた「積層乾燥法」を昭和54年に発案。これにより品質が格段に向上し、3週間を要していた乾燥期間は3日間に短縮。今では業界のスタンダードになっています。また、業界初となる短寸進物線香や、ユニバーサルデザインを取り入れた製品パッケージの考案などに取り組み、時代の変化に対応しています。
Invention driving industry growth
Incense is produced by combining various ingredients, kneading the mixture, shaping it into uniform sizes and lengths, and then drying it. Before around 1975, the primary method of drying involved natural drying using wooden boards, during which process some incense sticks curved, resulting in defective products. To tackle this problem, we invented the multi-tier drying method in 1979, replacing the traditional wood with cardboard which offers superior water absorption and ventilation. This significantly improved product quality and also reduced the drying time from three weeks to three days. This drying method has become standard in the industry. In addition, we have kept pace with evolving market trends by being the first in the industry to produce short gift incense sticks and by creating product packaging that follows universal design principles.
