The island of Yakushima is covered with a primitive, mysterious rainforest: thousand-year-old Japanese cedars, a carpet of rare mosses and wild azaleas. Among the dense, abundant vegetation, towering above the yakusugi, a wonderful, delicate aroma emerges from the soil watered by crystal clear streams.
Thanks to the favorable climate of Awaji Island, located off the coast of Kobe, the best incense comes from there. The local masters of perfumery, koh-shi, prepare incense according to a thousand-year-old tradition passed down from father to son. They have perfected four stages of production. First, they prepare and mix ingredients - all of natural origin - including exotic wood, plants and herbs, plant resins and perfumes. They knead these ingredients to obtain a uniform paste and leave it for two weeks to combine with the perfumes. From this paste, they form long strips, which are cut to the desired length and left to dry for three days in the western wind. The finished incense is collected in bundles. Each box contains about 125 incense sticks, each burning for 30 minutes.
About the brand Astier de Villatte
Brand with a crafty touch. Its founders, Ivan Pericoli and Benoît Astier de Villatte, produce ceramics using traditional 19th century methods - making each piece timeless and unique. But ceramics are not the end! In 2008, the pair invited renowned "noses": Emilie Mazeaud and Françoise Carona (a star from the Japanese perfume house Takasago) to collaborate. This resulted in a line of colognes, incense, and scented candles. The candles deserve special recognition - each wick (made of pure cotton) is tailored to the specific composition, while the glass vessels, decorated with small air bubbles, are made in an old-fashioned workshop in Tuscany. The labels and cardboard packaging are printed by one of the last typesetters in France - Monsieur Huin.