Shoyeido's River Path Incense, 80 Sticks - Hori-kawa

Shoyeido doesn't disappoint with River Path. I love the lingering scent from the small sticks. All incense from Shoyeido is high quality, but the Horin line is really great. You definitely need to be prepared to spend a fair few dollars but it is effective at setting a calming mood and helping decompress from work or stressful situations. The box is the perfect size, 80 sticks guarantees a good amount of days to enjoy but without breaking the bank.

I'm in enough niche hobbyist communities (including incense) where I know this isn't the "best you can get". I've had a few that people consider better, and well, comparatively I feel kind of meh about them. I'm not really acclimated to ouds or agarwood, so I don't really feel like I'm missing out on something ultra special that costs like a grand. This dude I find to just be the perfect daily driver. Great price, perfectly sized sticks for virtually any room (I like to burn them in my bedroom, not overwhelming). For years I used to smell this in a few places I'd shop, not realizing what it was. The first time I smelled it it testing it at home was super nostalgic, that and I love it so much to the point I think I'd just be happy with these and some deodorizing hinoki incense for the rest of my life. Burn time on these is like your usual like 15-20 minutes or so. They're small sticks but you get super reasonable mileage out of them. The scent lasts a good while, I find that one a day does me. Love just burning this guy, drinking some nice oolong tea, reading a book, just taking a moment where everything is nice. The fragrance profile is sandalwood, cinnamon and frankincense, and it's just super rich, woodsy, complex, no funk or chemical/artificial smells. My absolute favorite, I couldn't recommend an incense more. Absolutely stunning and affordable for daily use, and well worth the price offered here.

I kind of regret buying these joss sticks because they do smell good, however, I did not experience the seemingly life-altering fragrance moments all the other reviewers were gushing about upon smelling this. If you are a fan of sandalwood+spice incense, you will immediately find yourself shaking your head because there are several scents that smell similar to this that don't have this high price tag and offer more sticks. I read in some comments on Reddit that River Path is the OG cinnamon /sandalwood scent so many brands have replicated it over the years. I don't know anything about the history behind this scent but as a sandalwood/spice fan, I had unintentionally "smelled" this scent many times over through the several knockoff iterations. With that in mind, I recommend buying the sampler with this scent because at least you will get to try other fragrances (for the same or less price as this) without feeling cheated because you technically smelled this incense before. Don't get me wrong, it is a very lovely scent ( it is sweet, woody, cinnamon spice that reminds of baking raisin spice cookies) but I will not say it is something to feel left out over if you don't ever try it. NOTE: If you do NOT want your house smelling like spices, do not use this scent. It does have a sillage so if you burn it, that space will faintly smell of cinnamon/spice for a few days (this effect could be why it is more expensive). If you are a fan of this smell, you will find it warm and pleasant, but if you prefer "fresh" or "floral" scents, you might find the sillage to be cloying. Edit: I can't say 4.5 but I bumped the rating to a 5 because of the sillage issue. I guess in a way this makes up for that lack of sticks. You don't need to use many, only one stick will leave a strong impression.

Clean, exquisite scent, natural. My favorite! Great for people who can’t handle artificial scents. This is natural and not over powering. The smell is divine

After my memorable visit to Kyoto, I had the privileged opportunity to tour Sheyido's incense factory, and it was an absolute delight! From the moment I stepped inside, I was immediately struck by the palpable passion and dedication evident in every aspect of their craft. The scents offered by Sheyido are truly exceptional. Whether it's the soothing essence of sandalwood or the delicate fragrance of cherry blossom, each aroma is meticulously crafted to perfection. It's like being transported to a serene oasis with every whiff. Having experienced firsthand the superior quality of Sheyido's incense, I simply can't imagine turning to any other brand. Once you indulge in the sensory delight that Sheyido offers, you'll find it difficult to settle for anything less. Trust me, your senses will be forever grateful for the experience!

love it !

Great value at 50% off. We use this daily in our meditation practice.

I love this brand of incense for decades and just discovered this premium version and I am in 6th heaven. Never over powering and always inspiring to clam and peace. I run incense many times a day in my home, to keep purifying the energy.

The best scent of any japanese incense. I only use japanese incense, but this is my new favorite.

Duft ist Geschmackssache. Darum muss das jeder für sich entscheiden. Ich mag den Duft sehr. Die 80 Stäbchen sind sehr kurz, aber der Duft ist sehr intensiv, so dass es reicht, wenn man es nur kurz brennen lässt. Dadurch hat man dann doch länger etwas davon, aber sie sind schnell verbrannt, wenn man mal nicht aufpasst. Aus irgendeinem Grund habe ich damals für diese Packung hier bei Amazon 50€ bezahlt, der Normalpreis war damals irgendwo bei 80€. Das finde ich schon recht viel für Räucherstäbchen, seien sie auch noch so erlesen. Aber 1 Jahr später 150€ verlangen, finde ich richtig unverschämt. Deshalb nur 3 Sterne.

Is it expensive? A bit. Is it worth it? Absolutely! The scent is sweet and spicy, very complex. About the price, I mean, it's about a buck a stick, ok, but it's very potent. I burn one or two per week, in between regular stuff, so the price is spread through almost a year.

J'adore cet encens. Il sent divinement bon.

I love this incense. We first bought it in Japan in the mid 2000s and I was so sad when we'd used it so because we couldn't find it anywhere in Canada. It's expensive but worth it. Rich, warm, sweet and woody. The benzoin gives it a deep chocolate/vanilla scent. I've been trying lots of other Shoyeido scents and they're all pretty great but the other one that stands out is similar to this, but a little lighter: Horin Shirikawa. Also worth the expense!