Japanese Incense | History | Companies | Incense Ceremony | Burning Tips

JAPANESE INCENSE

HISTORICAL TIME LINE TYPES OF INCENSE AROMATIC MATERIALS INCENSE CEREMONY (KODO) KODO ACCESSORIES GAMES MAJOR MANUFACTURERS PREPARING INCENSE BOOKS & REFERENCES

Japanese Incense

HISTORICAL TIME LINE

Early Japan	AD 538	The culture of incense reaches Japan from China (via the Korean peninsula), along with the introduction of Buddhism.
	AD 595	A specimen of fragrant aloeswood (agarwood) washes up on shore of Awaji Island (a tiny island between Honshu and Shikoku). After discovering the wonderful aroma from the burning wood the villagers present it to the empress. Awaji remains the primary incense producing region of Japan, turing out 70% of Japan-made incense.
Nara Period	AD 710	Buddhism is supported by the new political power of the Nara period. Buddhist rituals are incorporated into state ceremonies and imperial functions.
	AD 756	The famous incense wood, known as Ranjantai, is presented to Todaiji temple in Kyoto by Empress Komyo. Originally 13kg in weight, Ranjantai remains in Todaiji temple to this day just 1.5kg have been used! Precious incense woods that received names were called "meikoh".
Heian Period	AD 794	Japan continues to embrace incense in ceremonies. Many new varieties of spices as well as blended incense (neri-koh) are introduced from China by the Buddhist priest Ganjin. Chinese culture is considered exotic and fashionable. More secular use of incense in imported. The newly defined soradaki method of incense appreciation (burning incense for non-religious purposes, lit. "empty burning") distinguished itself from sonae-koh (burning incense as an offering to Buddha). Incense is embraced by the nobility. Heian courtiers adapt the use of incense to suit social gatherings and to celebrate the seasons, including blending their own fragrances.
Kamakura Period	AD 1185	Japanese drift away from the popularity of neri-koh and revert to the practice of burning of incense woods.
Muromachi Period	AD 1392	The practice of appreciating a piece of heated incense wood according to a specific set of rules becomes known as "listening" to incense. Kodo emerges as a formal art and schools are established to preserve the proper methods of appreciating incense.
Edo Period	AD 1615	Kodo reaches its peak of popularity. The Shino and Oie schools represent the two main forms of appreciation. The Shino school practices a rigorous and disciplined form of kodo with religious relevance, while the Oie school features courtly games with a more poetical influence. The joss stick type of incense is introduced from China.
	AD 1657	Baieido is established.
	AD 1705	Shoyeido in established.

TYPES OF JAPANESE INCENSE

Senkoh (Incense Sticks)		Japanese incense sticks are also known as joss sticks. They are made from incense dough that has been extruded through a press, like spaghetti, then cut and carefully dried. Japanese incense sticks lack a bamboo interior which makes them produce less smoke.
Uzumaki-kei (Coil Shaped Incense)		Japanese incense coils are made in a similar way to joss sticks except that they are shaped into coils before drying. The coil shape is more sturdy, allowing for a longer stick with a longer burning time. But, many people prefer coils simply because of their elegant shape.
Ensuikoh (Incense Cones)		Japanese incense cones are a relatively new shape of incense. Developed by Shoyeido about a 100 years ago, the cone shape was designed for greater durability during overseas shipping. The cone is made by pressing the incense dough into a cone shaped mold.
Shokoh (Granulated Incense)		Granulated Japanese Incense is a blend of five, seven, or ten different raw incense materials. It is commonly used at altars in Buddhist temples. A couple of pinches of the granulated mixture is placed on a small piece of burning charcoal.
Nerikoh (Blended Incense Balls)		Japanese nerikoh is a blend of finely ground aromatic materials with a moist base of honey or plum meat. Nerikoh recipes are fairly complex and can contain over twenty ingredients.
Kohboku (Incense Wood Chips)		Japanese incense wood chips are heated to release their delicate fragrances, not burned. The chips are heated over charcoal that is resting in white ash (soradaki). Or, they are heated using a more elaborate preparation called mohkoh, used in the Japanese incense ceremony, or kodo.

AROMATIC MATERIALS


Sandalwood	Aloeswood/Agarwood (Jin-koh)	Benzoin Resin	Cinnamon	Cloves

Star Anis	Borneo Camphor	Frankincense	Patchouli

KODO: The Japanese Incense Ceremony

The culture of incense appreciation in Japan began around A.D. 595. At the time it was an indulgence reserved for the Imperial Court or Buddhist ritual but it gradually evolved and gained a much wider appeal. The Japanese incense ceremony, or Kodo (the way of tea, in direct translation) developed during the Muromachi period (1336-1473) when the rules and principles of appreciating incense became known as "listening to incense" or monkoh. Still a pastime reserved for the upper class, Kodo involved an orchestrated "listening" of incense that became like a game. With many different variations, the game involved people "listening" to different fragrances and then having to differentiate the various fragrances from one another from memory. It involved appreciation of tiny pieces of rare South East Asian woods heated over a small charcoal censer that was carefully passed from person to person. The participants would record their guesses using emblems unique to the game. Kodo experienced a decline in popularity after the middle of the 19th century, when the Japanese shogunate government began to crumble, but has shown signs of revival. While the traditional Kodo games are reserved and quite formal, the ceremonial approach to appreciating fine fragrances is open to modern interpretation. Create your own game and discover a deeper level of understanding the world of fragrances.

KODO ACCESSORIES

Metal Chopsticks	Ash Press	Feather Broom	Tweezers	Mica Plate	Wooden Chopsticks	Incense Spoon	Answer Sheet Holder

Metal chopsticks are used for placing the hot charcoal into the ash.	The ash press is used for neatly pressing the ash over the charcoal.	The feather broom is used for dusting stray ash off the side of the censer.	The tweezers are used for placing the mica plate on the white ash.	The mica plate is placed over the heat source to hold the incense.	Wooden chopsticks are used for placing small incense pieces on the mica plate.	The incense spoon is used for placing wood chips on the mica plate.	The answer sheet holder secures the answers during games.

Censer or Koro	White Ash	Incense Charcoal

Censers are typically cup-shaped and made of porcelain or ceramic. The three-footed bottom keeps heat away from surfaces.	White ash made from rice is used for its light weight and because it emits very little scent. Ash can be found in standard or ceremonial grades.	Japanese incense charcoal is free of salt-peter and has little scent of its own. I comes in round or square shapes and can be found in standard and ceremonial grades.

KODO GAMES

Sanshu-koh 三種香
(Game of Three)

Step One:	Select pieces each of three different kinds of incense
Step Two:	Wrap them each individually. Carefully mark each envelope so only the record-keeper can tell which envelope contains which incense. The Japanese have a special style of paper folding for wrapping incense pieces. Shuffle the envelopes.
Step Three:	The guest of honor selects three envelopes at random while the other six are set aside. Each sample is carefully prepared according to Kodo custom and passed around for each participant to "listen".
Step Four:	The participants write down what they "heard" from the three samples, using the symbols below.
Step Five:	A different poetic saying is assigned to each outcome. (See below)



All Three Different	All Three the Same	One and Three the same	Two and Three the same	One and two the same
Evergreen trees	Dew on the grass	Snow on a lonely peak	Plum blossom from a neighbor's house	Sound of the koto

JAPANESE INCENSE MANUFACTURERS

Baieido	梅栄堂
Nippon Kodo	日本香堂
Shoyeido	松栄堂

PREPARING JAPANESE INCENSE

Soradaki　空抱き

Appreciating incense wood chips in the traditional Japanese way, heated over charcoal that is embedded in white ash.

Monkoh　門香

The formal preparation used in the Japanese incense ceremony (kodo).

Cones, Sticks, and Coils

The easiest form of incense appreciation.

BOOKS & REFERENCES

Morita, Kiyoko. The Book of Incense. ©1992 (ISBN: 4-7700-2389-8)

Pybus, David. Kodo: The Way of Incense. ©2001 (ISBN: 0-8048-3286-2)

Ishibashi, Ikuko. Koh ga kataru Nihon Bunka-shi: Koh Senzai (Historical World of Incense in Japan). ©2002 (in Japanese) (ISBN: 4-8381-0277-1)

Tanko Muku. Kodo Nyumon (Introduction to the Japanese Incense Ceremony). ©1993 (in Japanese), (ISBN: 4-473-02004-5)

Hyams, Gina. Incense: Rituals, Mystery, Lore. ©2004 (ISBN: 0-8118-3993-1)

Copyright©2006 The Fifth Sense. All Rights Reserved.