koto — candles of the twenty-four solar terms

koto is a fragrance candle brand that expresses the turning of the seasons through scent, inspired by Japan's twenty-four solar terms.

Drawing on the subtle changes and natural scenes within each season, and on the sense of the seasons that people in Japan have long cherished, we express the air and mood of each moment through scent.

We explore the background and origins of each solar term — its natural phenomena, plants and landscapes, and the customs of daily life — and reconstruct the images we find into original fragrances. Giving form to the unseen presence of each season as scent, we put into every candle a story unique to its time of year.

What we value in our making is not only the beauty of the scent, but quality that can be enjoyed with peace of mind in daily life. Our wax is a plant-based blend of soy wax and palm wax, refined under quality control standards equivalent to those of food manufacturing in Japan. Our fragrances are selected to comply with the safety standards of RIFM (Research Institute for Fragrance Materials) and IFRA (International Fragrance Association), and to contain no CMR substances — those associated with carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, or reproductive toxicity — and no phthalates. From the selection of raw materials through production and finishing, we take great care over quality and safety.

Every candle is made in our own workshop in Matsumoto, Nagano. From selecting raw materials and layering scents to the final finish, each one is carefully crafted by hand.

Scent is deeply tied to memory and emotion, and can vividly call up the scene of a place or a moment. koto sees scent not as mere ambience, but as a way to feel the seasons, to attune to one's own senses, and to enrich daily life.

In days that rush by, we turn our eyes to the changing seasons, feel the beauty of nature in transition, and cherish each passing moment. Bringing together Japan's seasonal culture and contemporary expression in scent, we share the richness of a life with four seasons — so that scent and light may become punctuation marks in daily life.