Japanese Pipe Tobacco Recommendation

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RexHiemis

Might Stick Around
Mar 17, 2024
51
77
Istanbul, Turkey
Has anyone tried these Japanese tobaccos: Tsuge Kagayaki, Asuka and Momoyama? Which one(s) would you recommend?

A friend of mine will be visiting Japan and kindly offered to bring me some pipe tobacco. I'm looking for something as local as possible. I already own a Tsuge pipe, so I'm especially interested in trying Tsuge tobacco, but I haven't been able to find many reviews online.
 

Peter Turbo

Lifer
Oct 18, 2021
1,850
15,401
CT, USA
What you are looking for is traditional Japanese tobacco which is called "kizami". Its super fine cut and usually smoked in their kiseru pipes.

I think all the Tsuge branded pipe tobacco, which isnt Japanese at all, is out of production. I had the winter one (which I bought from a local b&m) it was awful but I kept the tin for the art.

I was there last year and visited a pipe shop in tokyo, all the tobacco they had was basically anything you can get in the EU/US nowadays. I'm actually smoking through a tin of SG Firedance flake I got from there and the only thing different about the tin is the smoking warning is in Japanese.

So yeah tell your friend to get some Kizami if you want actual "Japanese tobacco".
 
Last edited:

RexHiemis

Might Stick Around
Mar 17, 2024
51
77
Istanbul, Turkey
What you are looking for is traditional Japanese tobacco which is called "kizami". Its super fine cut and usually smoked in their kiseru pipes.

I think all the Tsuge branded pipe tobacco, which isnt Japanese at all, is out of production. I had the winter one (which I bought from a local b&m) it was awful but I kept the tin for the art.

I was there last year and visited a pipe shop in tokyo, all the tobacco they had was basically anything you can get in the EU/US nowadays. I'm actually smoking through a tin of SG Firedance flake I got from there and the only thing different about the tin is the smoking warning is in Japanese.

So yeah tell your friend to get some Kizami if you want actual "Japanese tobacco".
I did the same with kiseru and kizami; these tobacco will be additional. 😅 By the way, only one (Koiki) of the kizami was of Japanese origin; the rest were produced either in Germany or in Denmark.
 

JoburgB2

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 30, 2024
748
2,617
Dundee, Scotland
Momoyama, which is made by MacBaren until it isn't, is a very nice mild savory aromatic Virginia. It used to be available in the US years ago.
I've smoked the other two blends listed at the top of this thread and found them to be good, not great. My favorite of them is Momoyama.
My daughter arrived today from Japan. I had suggested that Kagaya pipe shop that Max visited for you. And of course, the power of suggestion is effective!