Fragrances that enrich the day - the incense of Awaji Island and the matches from Harima: These two traditional industries of Hyogo Prefecture first came together in 2011. The collaboration between the incense company Daihatsu and the match manufacturer Kobe Match Corporation began with the idea of an incense that can be lit like a match, hoping to save two stagnating industries. What followed was three and a half years of trial and error. The result: a perfectly balanced mixture of Japanese paper, incense, and temperature that makes the stick more flammable and resilient. In the Harima region of Awaji, incense has been produced for almost one hundred and fifty years. The westerly winds blowing over Awaji Island provide the perfect temperature for drying the incense, and each of the fragrances comes from herbs grown by a local incense maker using traditional methods. The technique of match production was introduced to Japan from Europe at the beginning of the Meiji era (1868-1912). In Himeji, Masashi Sagayama's grandfather (co-founder of hibi) founded the Kobe Match Corporation in 1929, a company that has now existed for three generations. Unfortunately, the act of lighting matches, which used to be part of everyday life, has gradually disappeared with the introduction of inexpensive lighters, leading to the idea for a new type of match. "Matches don't have to play the leading role. "However, we want to pass on the roots and tradition of our matches."With this thought in mind, hibi has strived to enrich people's lives through collaboration with Japanese craftsmanship and culture. The name hibi was chosen in the hope that it would be carried every day and that its fragrance could be enjoyed freely, fitting the mood of the day or the occasion. The logo is a combination of two adjacent Chinese characters "日" (day). Hibi hopes to become synonymous with simple and cool incense both in Japan and abroad, and to instill a sense of pride and dreams in those working in the traditional industry - a connection between Japan and the world through the spirit of enjoying fragrances. That is the hope and goal of hibi.
