History

Before the introduction of Buddhism, the natural woody fragrances of cedar, Japanese cypress, sakaki tree and other woods were used for religious rituals in Japan. Then, “incense” was imported to Japan together with Buddhism. With the smell richer and stronger than that of the previously-used woods, imported incense came to be used in Buddhist rituals.

There is a mention in Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) that a fragrance wood drifted ashore on the Awaji Island in April 595. The residents of the island who burned the wood were surprised by its fragrance and presented it to the Imperial Court, and Prince Shotoku recognized it as Jinkoh (Aloeswood). This anecdote indicates that while the upper class of this period had knowledge about, and were familiar with, Incense wood, it was not yet spread among ordinary people.

Arrival of Ganjin in Japan was one of the important events in the country’s relations with the Tang Dynasty. Ganjin is a Chinese monk who helped propagate Buddhism in Japan, and as he brought incense and medicine with him, the recipe for making kneaded incense was also introduced.
Until that time, incense was normally burned directly, but with the introduction of kneaded incense, indirect heating became common as well.

Kneaded incense, which was introduced in the Nara period, developed as takimono in the Heian period and became popular among the nobles. They blended ingredients by themselves to create their own original incense and scented their room and garments with it. It is said that they could identify people by their distinctive fragrance, even without seeing them.
They all kept the recipe of their takimono to themselves or within their family. It was also a social skill.

With its popularity among the nobles, takimono were categorized into six major themes, under which the creators of each takimono set a sub theme of their choice.
The six themes, collectively called Mukusa-no-takimono, are called Kurobou, Baika (plum flower), Kayou (lotus leaf), Kikka (chrysanthemum flower), Rakuyou (fallen leaves), and Jiju (chamberlain), respectively. Incenses categorized in the same theme still smelled differently, as they were blended with different settings or flavors in the minds of the respective creators.

The nobles began to compare their original takimono with one another, which eventually developed into takimono-awase. It is a contest where not only the fragrance but the setting of incenses were compared and evaluated. It was a very popular game among the nobles and is described in the chapter “Umegae” in The Tale of Genji.

The active trade with other countries allowed various Incense woods to be imported into Japan from many sources.
With the improved availability of high quality Incense wood, burning of Incense wood, which were previously mainly for Buddhist rituals, began to spread as a recreational activity in place of takimono.
It was also around this time that the concept of “Kyara” was born, and as more social elites began collecting Incense wood, the attitude of appreciating incense on a deep level was developed. The character “聞” means “to smell” in Chinese, but in Japanese it can be interpreted as “to understand” and “to pay attention”.

Sasaki Doyo, a feudal lord in the Nanboku-cho period known for his flamboyant behavior, owned many Incense woods and put names to them. Meanwhile, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the 8th shogun of the Muromachi period, is said to have spent his days at his villa in the eastern hills of Kyoto appreciating the Incense woods that he collected by himself or inherited from Doyo.
Yoshimasa saw the necessity to organize his enormous collection of Incense wood, and appointed the experts of incense at that time, Sanjonishi Sanetaka (founder of Oie School) and Shino Soshin (founder of Shino School), to establish the system of classifying incense called “Rikkoku Gomi (six countries, five tastes)”. Tools and manners for listening to incense developed as well, and gradually formed Kodo.
(*Rikkoku refers to the characteristics of fragrance and consists of Kyara, Rakoku, Manaban, Manaka, Sumondara, and Sasora. Gomi is five tastes describing the fragrance, sweet, sour, spicy, salty and bitter.)

The value of Incense woods, especially of Kyara and aloeswood, increased gradually, making them a symbol of power. Oda Nobunaga, in order to show his power, cut out a piece of the famous Ranjatai wood owned by Todaiji Temple with the permission of the Emperor. Apart from Nobunaga, Ranjatai has been cut Ashikaga Yoshimasa and the Meiji Emperor.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi and other lords are known as avid collectors of Incense wood as well, and the level of passion that Tokugawa Ieyasu had for Incense wood is said to have been particularly remarkable.

The political stabilization and economic growth in the Edo period enabled high quality incense materials to be used widely in general public by the time of the Genroku era. Accordingly, Kodo spread not only among samurai but also among wealthy merchants. It was one of the essential accomplishments for the upper class and many of the learners were men.
With the popularization of Kodo, kumiko in particular flourished during this period. Kumiko is a game where participants listen to incenses and compare and identify them, and various types of visually pleasing kumiko with timely themes were invented, including Tanabatako, Genjiko and Keibako.

Incense sticks began to be distributed in mid-16th century, but at that time they were imported from China. Domestic production of incense sticks started around the end of 17th century to early 18th century. Its recipe remains basically the same until now.
Incense sticks were widely spread among commoners and were used as a substitute of a clock at that time as well. They remain the most familiar incense product for us today, used widely in various occasions from religious ceremonies to household.