Kyobancha Incense

A type of green tea, Japanese bancha uses broad, large leaves that are harvested late in the picking season. We found this bancha incense made in Ujitawara near Uji, which is south of Kyoto. It is 99.9 percent made from Kyoto bancha (known as Kyobancha), with the remaining 0.1 percent aromatic wood. The Japanese incense maker spent a year creating the correct formula and named it after his 4-year-old granddaughter; the kanji characters translate to 'beautiful-moon-scent.'

No chemicals were included to make the incense, which imparts a wonderful smoky smell suitable for freshening up a room quickly with the scent of bancha tea. Some tea ceremony rooms in Japan have been using the incense for its relaxing, therapeutic effects.

Each box contains 16 cones, each of which burns for about twenty minutes. We think you'll find that the scent goes nicely with your cup of Japanese tea.