Kohshi

Cute little store tucked away in the Japantown mall. Was shopping around for cool little Japanese Knick-knacks I could use for decor and I definitely found my favorite piece all day there! The owners were so very helpful, kind and polite. Knowledgeable about their products and completely transparent about where their products were made/obtained. Seriously though, their customer service is second to none. Highly recommend checking out their store, be it for little items or incense. Honestly, would come back just to greet the awesome owners alone.100% recommend.

This little shop is great! They sell a bunch of home scents and ceramics. The people are really nice and helpful. It's a gem of a store.

Such a cute little shop that sells incenses, ceramics, and teas that is tucked in the Japantown center near Andersons Bakery. The employees here are very knowledgeable in what they sell, and I was most excited to find my favorite Marukyu Koyamaen matcha powders here, when they are sold out at most places. Their prices for the matcha powders are comparable to other vendors that sell within Japantown, and it's actually a bit cheaper than purchasing from matcha stores that sell the same brand. They also sell another matcha brand called Kanbayashi Shunsho, which is a comparable alternative when MK is out of stock.

Although I visit Japantown in SF quite often I don't often go inside this store because I am sensitive to strong fragrances. Even though they have cute little plants and pots in addition to incense I usually avoid this place because the smells give me a headache. I was desperate to find a nice gift box for a fancy pen I bought for a friend at Maido upstairs (the pen I chose didn't have a nice box sadly). After going to several gift shops and jewelry stores and asking about boxes I decided to go in here on a whim. They had a perfect plain Paulownia wood box that the pen fit in perfectly! It was $10, more than I would normally ever spend on a box, but it was worth it because I don't think I would have found a nicer option elsewhere. The box is normally supposed to hold incense.I usually know this as the place near Oma (omakase restaurant/stand) where they have taped up a cute, lost earring on the glass. So if you're missing a cute fan earring, they've had your earring taped up on the glass for a long time. The owners were friendly and nicely wrapped up the wooden box in paper to protect it.

Japan Center has a ton of stores that stock incense.If you only ever buy Morning Star incense (staple scents in plain, brightly colored boxes) then feel free to visit any ol' store because it's carried everywhere. You don't even have to go to Japan Center. The head shops and metaphysical stores in the Upper Haight carry it.Kohshi carries it, too, but you'll better appreciate the store and its available stock if your taste in incense is more... refined? Adventurous? Discerning? Not sure what the word should be.It's mainly variety that sets this store apart from the other options in Japan Center. But not the sort of variety where it's "engh, just stock as much as possible and wait to see what moves". The available stock seems like it has been carefully compiled, like attention and consideration were taken. There are brands and smells here that you'll have trouble finding locally.Most places, they'll set up a throwaway tester box that you're free to open up and huff. But the way something smells while idle in the package doesn't necessarily represent what you'll actually experience once you light a stick/cone and start filling your domicile with the end result. Ask this shop for assistance -- they'll light some so you can truly try before you buy. They can also make recommendations if you know what kind of aroma(s) you like but aren't sure what's available or what to purchase.For those with tea tree issues: Unlike other shops in Japan Center, Kohshi doesn't lean hard into it. That said, they also sells soaps here and there's at least one containing tea tree oil. Prepare accordingly.

One of my favorite shops in Japantown for high quality scents, and Daruma. Super interesting store to browse and I got some very cool things here for myself and gifts for others.

No trip to Japantown is complete without a stop at Kohshi. It is such a nice environment. There is a fantastic selection of high quality incense and one can learn and expand an incense appreciation with every trip. The owner is so nice as are the employees. In addition to incense there are unique gifts, tea drinking accessories and beauty products, all of the highest quality.A most welcoming place.

I'm not normally an incense buyer but I was checking things out while waiting for dinner and had such a lovely time. Incredibly helpful and friendly service, pointing out some interesting scents based on what I expressed an interest in and tossing in a few of their favorites.Then I bought a mug with a shiba ink on it, started chatting with Kotaro, and found out that our dogs are related. Such a sweet store, a lovely owner, and they both came outside to track me down when realizing I had left behind part of the purchase.I gave Reese some pets for you, Kotaro, and she enjoyed it! Now she just needs some lessons in being more friendly from your black & tan boy.

Extremely great service. I walked in with my boyfriend and immediately felt a HUGE sense (or dare I say, scents???) of tranquility and peace due to the good vibes (and really pleasant scent) radiating from the shop. I was sold already if only one or two steps into a place, I swoon at the scent. Fresh, magnetizing energy that I needed in my place.I was pleasantly greeted with a smile by the kind men in the shop and left to sniff scents lightly with my boyfriend, and we found a few scents to turn my dingy apartment into more of a home vibe, to make the feng shui better. As I thought I found the perfect one, the shopkeep heard me cheer in joy at finding one of their amazing scented candles (VERY strong, but not overbearing whatsoever, and BEAUTIFUL glass containers,) and chimed in "If you like that, then you'll love this!"I sniffed the Huckleberry candle they have and fell in love, it's what my house NEEDED. Plus we found great low smoke incense, (I like smoke but my roommate is adverse to it,) and its smell was light but seemed good enough for the days my roommates did a number two... 100 count of incense for roughly 8 dollars is S O L I D !And it ended up being cheaper than we expected, it was labelled as a 12 dollar incense pack but was actually 8 dollars, so we got it for cheaper. AMAZING! Definitely come here if you want a nice vibe, excellent customer service, and more.

This business has always been amazing. I collect traditional Japanese Tanuki statues and they always have amazing imports from Japan. Fair prices and fantastic customer service. I try to visit at least once a month!