Japanese people practice the 400-year-old tradition of lighting straight incense sticks to honor the deceased. Founded in 1927, Kameyama, Japan’s oldest and most widely loved incense brand, had a big challenge on their hands: updating this age-old tradition of memorializing the deceased by transforming incense sticks into a more impressionable, memorable, and evocative product.

To address Kameyama’s challenge, we proposed the idea of a new incense product that would allow people to reminisce about the “individuality” and personalities of their loved ones, which the 400-year-old tradition of lighting straight incense sticks had long neglected.

To update this tradition so that those left behind could alleviate their feelings of grief and celebrate the lives of their loved ones in a more positive light than ever before, it was crucial to create incense sticks that could offer a personal touch and feel like a representation and reflection of the departed.

Japanese people practice the 400-year-old tradition of lighting straight incense sticks to honor the deceased. Founded in 1927, Kameyama, Japan’s oldest and most widely loved incense brand, had a big challenge on their hands: updating this age-old tradition of memorializing the deceased by transforming incense sticks into a more impressionable, memorable, and evocative product.

To address Kameyama’s challenge, we proposed the idea of a new and iconic incense product that would allow people to reminisce about the “individuality” and personalities of their loved ones. In addition to helping those left behind alleviate their feelings of grief and celebrate the lives of the deceased in a more positive light than ever before, in an industry where there is a limited budget, it was necessary to evolve the product itself through an innovative design that would have a strong PR effect and inspire everyone to share.

“INCENSE OF MEMORIES” is the world’s first incense that gives shape to the departed. Leveraging Kameyama’s experience and craftsmanship, every detail was meticulously calculated to transform the 400-year-old form of straight incense sticks. Iconic designs were

created to give shape to a loved one’s hobbies, such as reading, hiking, and surfing, reminding us of the “individuality” of those who were so vibrant during their life. Launched in August 2022, despite minimal advertising on storefronts and posts on owned social channels, the headline “The world’s first person-shaped incense sticks” had a powerful PR effect and the product was picked up by Japan’s most popular news program, “NEWS ZERO”, sparking its popularity and creating buzz throughout Japan. As a result, the product was ranked No. 1 in its category on Amazon Japan, orders 10 times the production volume flowed in, thousands left reviews on social media, reaching a 94% user satisfaction rate.

The groundbreaking concept of offering prayers while reminiscing and feeling the memories and individuality of loved ones became a hot topic throughout Japan, leading the product to be featured on Japan’s most popular news program, “News Zero”, and talked about by thousands of people all over social media.

In addition, the product was ranked No. 1 on Amazon’s “new arrivals” ranking, and the first production run sold out instantly due to a rush of orders 10 times the production volume. The product also recorded a 94% usage satisfaction rate and has already become one of Kameyama’s signature products, ultimately becoming a part of the hearts of many and bringing a brighter light to those remembering their loved ones.