At TSUTSUMU, our incense-making studio in Fukuoka's Hakata district, there is one fragrance whose popularity soars as summer arrives: lemongrass. The hotter it gets, the more of our guests ask for something refreshing. Today, the story behind that coolness.
Lemongrass is not a lemon
The name conjures a yellow fruit, but lemongrass is a grass — a tall tropical one, with long, slender green leaves like pampas grass or sugarcane.
And yet, tear a leaf and a scent astonishingly close to lemon rises from it. The reason is citral, an aroma compound also found in lemon peel — which is why a grass can smell like a fruit. Lemongrass carries the freshness of lemon without any of the citrus sourness.
Its scent is lighter and greener than the fruit's. And it is precisely this — being a grass, not a fruit — that gives lemongrass incense its distinctive coolness.
A fragrance loved in the kitchens of Asia
Lemongrass is native to the tropics of Southeast Asia and India. If you have ever had tom yum soup, you already know its fragrance.
In Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, it is said to have been used for thousands of years, and as a herbal tea it is loved around the world. It is a scent that people in hot countries have long kept close — a small wisdom against the heat.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that lemongrass suits Hakata's humid summer so well.
What happens when you put it in incense
If we had to describe lemongrass's role in one word: it lets the wind through.
The sweetness of sandalwood, the warmth of benzoin — on their own, in summer air, they can feel a little heavy. Add lemongrass, and a green, just-torn-grass note opens a path through the blend. The whole fragrance turns lighter and cooler.
How much to add is up to you. A single spoonful leaves a clean finish; a generous amount makes it the star. It does not pierce with coldness — it cools you gently, with the freshness of green grass.
Frankincense × lemongrass — the clear summer classic
Choose frankincense as your base and layer lemongrass over it. This is the coolest combination we recommend at TSUTSUMU in summer.
When the grassy freshness joins frankincense's serene "fragrance of prayer," the blend turns clear and still, like highland air in the early morning. It is a favorite among guests who prefer their scents unsweetened.
Sandalwood × lemongrass — a Japanese coolness
Here, lemongrass lets the wind through sandalwood's calm sweetness.
Sweetness and freshness settle in equal measure into something quietly nostalgic — like a back street just after uchimizu, the old custom of sprinkling water on the pavement on a summer evening. A Japanese summer scent that would suit an indigo yukata.
The cool of fragrance, while summer lasts
The coolness of air conditioning reaches the skin; the coolness of fragrance reaches the mind. The moment you light it, the air of the room changes slightly, and the trapped heat quietly loosens. Lemongrass incense carries that kind of power.
And fragrances honestly have their seasons. Just as autumn will make you crave the warmth of osmanthus and cinnamon, lemongrass shines brightest now, in the heat. A stick made in Hakata this August keeps the memory of this summer inside its scent.
Reservations & Access
- Address: Motojima Building 401, 3-5-20 Hakata Ekimae, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka (about a 10-minute walk from JR Hakata Station, Hakata Exit)
- Hours: 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00)
- 🎐 Open every day in August, including Mondays and Tuesdays (normally our closing days)
- Price: ¥3,500 per person (optional engraving on the wooden box +¥500)
- Duration: about 60 minutes / Languages: Japanese, English, Korean
- Reservations: 24 hours a day via our website / Phone 070-6697-5255
- Instagram / TikTok: @tsutsumu_incense
Knowing a fragrance's name and story changes the sixty minutes of choosing. Not "something fresh, I suppose," but: the stillness of frankincense, with lemongrass letting the wind through. Come to our studio in Fukuoka, and find the coolness that fits your summer best.
