This article was written by Reed’s Handmade Incense.
There have been many popular traditions to come out of Japan. Perhaps some of you have fallen in love with Studio Ghibli’s beautiful animated movies.
Others may have taken up Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) as a hobby, or perhaps even Judo, which is a form of Japanese martial-arts. No matter what your interests are, Japan seemingly has something for everybody.
Today I am going to discuss a lesser-known custom which originated in Japan, known as kōdō (The Way of Incense).
But let’s start with some history first!
Feudal Japan was a complex era for Japanese culture. The ruling elites of the prior era began being replaced by Samurai (bushi).
Although this transfer of power led to instability in the region, and times were hard for many, creativity and innovation always seem to flourish during periods of struggle.
These advancements, particularly those in agriculture and trade, caused Japan’s population to grow immensely. By the beginning of the feudal era, Japan had about 7 million people, but by the end of it, grew to over 25 million.
It was during this time, where many of Japan’s fabled traditions developed.
Kōdō (The Way of Incense)
At it’s core, Kōdō is the art of appreciating incense. In ancient times, they had simple pleasures. Many of the activities we choose to participate in nowadays were not available in feudal Japan.
One of the ways which they entertained themselves was by burning and smelling the fragrance of various materials gathered throughout the nearby region.
Individuals fortunate enough to be able to take part in these practices would use the scents as inspiration, to play games, or even tell stories.
It is worth noting that incense sticks were not yet prevalent in feudal Japan. Most of their incense burning consisted of burning raw fragrant materials, such as aromatic woods, resins, herbs, or flowers, in censers.
Here are some examples of games played in feudal Japan.
- If you remember that old-time game where you took 3 or 5 cups, hid an object inside, shuffled them up, and had your friend try to guess where it was at, well, they did something very similar with incense. They would take 3 or 5 censers, filling all but one with the same material, and a different material in the last one. The players would then try to guess which one was different. A simple, yet entertaining party game of the era. This game is known as Genjikō and is somewhat well-known due to it’s depiction in Murasaki Shikibu’s famous tale ‘The Tale of Genji’.
- Sometimes the censer containing the fragrant material would be passed around while players kept notebooks where they wrote their own opinions and thoughts about each fragrance. They would later share their notes with each other.
- Another popular way to incorporate incense into an activity was to burn a fragrant material, often harvested from somewhere other then their own region, in a censer and use it’s fragrance as inspiration to tell a story.
The Ten Virtues of Koh
The Ten Virtues of Koh (koh is a Japanese term for incense) were a document relating to incense and it’s inherent benefits. They were written by Zen monks in the fifteenth century and are a key component of incense history. Many people feel they are still relevant today.
- It brings communication with the transcendent.
- It refreshes mind and body.
- It removes impurity.
- It brings alertness.
- It is a companion in solitude.
- In the midst of busy affairs, it brings a moment of peace.
- When it is plentiful, one never tires of it.
- When there is little, still one is satisfied.
- Age does not change its efficacy.
- Used everyday, it does no harm.
Unfortunately many old-time fragrances are nearly impossible to recreate in the modern world. Agarwood, an aromatic wood from South Asia is legendary in Japanese incense culture. In the world of Japanese incense, it is considered above all else, with no equal.
Agarwood
Agarwood is the wood of a highly resinous aquilaria tree which has come in contact with a very specific bacteria. For reasons unknown, over a long period of time, the bacteria causes the wood to create an aromatic resin, smelling of a deep musk. It is truly something unique in the incense world. Although agarwood is still available, and it’s scent is still popular, it is not possible to obtain the same quality material anymore.
They began mass-harvesting it in the 70’s, and although there used to be a lot of great material available, there simply isn’t much available anymore. In many parts of the world, the agarwood craze of the 70’s and 80’s were similar to the American gold rush.
The problem is that since the fragrance is developed due to a self-defense mechanism within the tree, it can take a lifetime to develop, and many lifetimes to develop the thick resin which used to be commonplace. The price has gone up as well, with a single gram of Vietnamese sinking-grade agarwood often demanding over $120. The ultra-high quality stuff is often referred to as kyara, or kynam.
The Chinese have a saying which states that one needs to acquire 3 lifetimes of virtue before even having the chance to encounter real kyara. It goes on to say that one needs to acquire 8 lifetimes of merit to be able to truly appreciate it.
About the Author
Reed’s Handmade Incense is a US based company that curates and imports quality incense sticks and accessories.
For years we have been supplying incense and related accessories to people such as meditators, religious folk, yoga practitioners, and everyday people.
We hope you will find that our products fit your individual needs, whatever they may be.