Once you start exploring Japanese incense, chances are that your collection will start to grow as well. As we've discussed before; Japanese incense uses rare, natural ingredients and we've had questions regarding its longevity as well as the best practices to store incense.

There is no need for any special storage compartments, containers or the like. If you keep in mind some basic rules, the incense will last almost indefinitely. 

First, keep the original packaging that the incense came in. Not only this adds to the aesthetic value of your collection, it has been designed from the manufacturers to store the incense for long periods of time.

Make sure that you store it in a cool, dry and dark place. Due to its natural composition, Japanese incense can be affected by high levels of moisture in the air. Therefore it's optimal to keep it in a simple drawer in a ventilated space, air conditioning is a plus. Avoid using drawers that use strongly scented woods such as cedar as this can lead to scent contamination over long periods of time.

If and when your collection grows large enough to have multiple groups of incense in it (floral, spicy, daily, premium), then grouping them together when storing them is a great idea as well. Of course, this is not mandatory and there is little to no risk of scent contamination but it can be a good idea for those invested in premium incense. 

For those looking to go the extra mile, a kiri tansu (箪笥) is the best option for long term storage. This chest of drawers is a traditional Japanese piece of furniture that uses paulownia wood; famed for its flexibility and light weight. The wood is naturally fire resistant as it has a very low heat transfer rate and also highly water resistant. If your incense collection has grown to the point where it justifies such an investment, this is a lifetime purchase that will be ideal for it.