Fragrance is one of Kanazawa's traditional cultures. Kanazawa's Koya is a shop that cherishes the charm and tradition of fragrance and conveys it to the modern day. This time, we visited Koya and learned about the profound world of fragrance.
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Table of Contents
- Hotel Resol Trinity Kanazawa
- Kanazawa's unique fragrance elements
- Fragrance was a luxury item
- The fragrance-making process
- Kaga Incense "Kouya"
Hotel Resol Trinity Kanazawa
All tourist spots in Kanazawa City are within walking distance.
Omicho Market is just a 1-minute walk away, making it a convenient base for sightseeing in Kanazawa.
We welcome you with colorful flowers and Kaga Temari art.
Kanazawa's unique fragrance elements
![[Kanazawa ] A long-established store in Kanazawa that continues to create fragrances: Kaga no Kunko "Kouya"](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2024/03/08-170693.webp)
Kanazawa has just the right humidity and temperature, making it a place famous for its fragrances.
In this area, where tea culture is also thriving, it seems that both the tea ceremony and the incense ceremony were often enjoyed together.
"Kouya" offers the Kyoka series, named after the literary master Izumi Kyoka, who was born in Kanazawa Prefecture.
Since many of his works tell fantastical stories, he creates them so that when you smell the scent, you can feel as if you are escaping reality.
Fragrance was a luxury item
The culture of enjoying fragrances spread in Japan during the Kamakura period.
This led to the creation of a new way of enjoying incense, known as "monkou," which involves quietly enjoying the delicate fragrance of fragrant wood.
During the Muromachi period, a game called "Kumiko" began to be played, in which participants listened to several different scents and tried to guess which scent they were. As the times changed, the ways of enjoying fragrances expanded.
Fragrances can be broadly divided into two types: agarwood and sandalwood.
Agarwood is a material that gives off its fragrance when tree sap accumulates.
On the other hand, sandalwood is a material whose fragrance emanates from the trunk of the tree, and its unique feature is that the scent does not change from start to finish even when lit.
These scented woods cannot be harvested in Japan, so they are chopped into very small pieces and enjoyed for their fragrance. This shows that in the past, "fragrance" was a luxury item.
The fragrance-making process
![[Kanazawa ] A long-established store in Kanazawa that continues to create fragrances: Kaga no Kunko "Kouya"](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2024/03/08-170694.webp)
Aroma is expressed in terms similar to taste, such as "sweet," "sour," "spicy," "bitter," and "salty."
No two fragrant woods have the same scent. We sort these nameless fragrant woods and create fragrances.
Even if the scents are sold under the same name, the overall scent can change dramatically if you add a small change to the scent you add. It's fun to browse the stores and try to find your favorite scent.
Kaga Incense "Kouya"
The incense shop offers two types of fragrance experiences: "sachet making" and "incense listening experience."
If you want to casually try mixing your favorite scent, we recommend the "Sachet Making" experience, and if you want to try a unique experience that has been around since the Muromachi period, we recommend the "Incense Sachet Experience."
Additionally, at Hotel Resol Trinity Kanazawa , we burn Kyoka series incense at the front desk.
The scents change with the seasons to envelop travel-weary guests.
Store Information
Phone number: 076-260-1139
Address: 10-1 Musashicho, Kanazawa Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Access: Approximately 16 minutes on foot from JR Kanazawa Station / Approximately 3 minutes on foot from the hotel
*For details on opening hours and closing days, please check the link above.
If you would like to try out or purchase something, please use our easily accessible facility.
![[Kanazawa ] A long-established store in Kanazawa that continues to create fragrances: Kaga no Kunko "Kouya"](https://resources.matcha-jp.com/resize/720x2000/2026/02/25-259614.webp)