Location: Japan
Product category: Incense
HIBI is a piece of Japanese craftsmanship in its purest form, a synergy of two traditional industries in the Hyogo Prefecture: the incense of Awaji Island and the matches of Harima. The collaboration began in 2011 with the idea of an incense stick that can be lit like a match, followed by three years of intensive experimentation and research. In the end, a new product was born, small packets with matchstick-like 10-minute aromas of various scents that enchant everyday life and clear rooms in no time.
The technology for producing matches was introduced to Japan from Europe at the beginning of the Meiji era (1868-1912). The match industry in Harima grew quickly and matches from Japan became an export item due to their high quality. Since matches no longer have the same importance as they once did, people looked for other fields of activity and ended up with the aforementioned incense sticks, the production of which is centered on the island of Awaji.
As you move around Awaji Island, you will notice the smell of fragrant wood everywhere. About 70% of domestic incense products are made here. The techniques of incense making were brought to the Senshu region from the city of Sakai in 1850, at the end of the Edo period. It was firmly established on Awaji Island, which is ideal for drying incense due to its special orientation with westerly winds.
The aromas represent the worldview of the HIBI brand, which emerged from both industries, and the names and packaging were developed to convey the spirit of contemporary Japan, while at the same time bringing the culture of Japanese craftsmanship into the present. The brand name hibi means "day after day" or "daily" in Japanese. It was chosen as a reminiscence of the daily use of the fragrances, to match the mood or occasion of the day. The design of the logo combines two Chinese characters next to each other, "日" for "day".
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