Morihata

Kaz and Yuka Morihata met while undergraduates at the Rhode Island School of Design, while Yuka pursuing a BFA in jewelry and metalsmithing, and Kaz was in the industrial design department. Now based in Philadelphia, the couple return regularly to their native Japan to hand-select the best of its artisanal design products  — including the HA KO incense. HA KO is the product of a rich tradition of incense-making on Awaji Island, the largest island in the Seto Inland Sea, and a century-old producer of incense, Kunjyudo. “Incense-making began on Awaji Island in 1850, and today, Awaji produces about 70% of Japan's incense, making it the single largest source of incense in the country,” Yuka Morihata says. “Since the company's founding on Awaji Island in 1893, Kunjyudo's skilled craftsmen have carefully manufactured quality incense sticks. In addition to creating this traditional form of incense, Kunjyudo's artisans are constantly exploring new ways in which incense could enrich our daily lives.” One line of exploration led to these products: Japanese paper infused with essential oils, created in the shape of leaves native to the region. “HA KO is a product that enriches people's daily lives by successfully combining the Japanese tradition, artistic beauty, and craftsmanship that Morihata seeks,” Yuka Morihata says.