History of incense in Japan

     For many centuries, incense has been used both in sacred ceremonies and to flavor the home, and nowadays, it also does not lose its popularity. The history of Japanese fragrances is one of the oldest, and both in the past and now, Japan is a producer of the most expensive and valuable incense sticks in the world. For centuries, Japan kept the art of making incense as secret.

     Woody incense was first mentioned in Japan in 595 AD, during the reign of Empress Suiko. Not long before that, in the middle of the sixth century, Japan first became acquainted with Buddhism, sutras and images relating to Buddhism were introduced at the same time, along with the first incense.

During the Nara period (710-784), near its end, Buddhist incense-burning rituals in temples inspired many courtiers who began to use them at home. The Chinese monk Ganjin, during his visit to Japan, helped spread Buddhism, as well as formulas for making incense that sound like Koh in Japanese. The method of making "Takimono" (rope incense) also appeared in Japan at the same time. During the Nara period, the ingredients were ignited both directly and in the form of tied balls. People believed that incense used for religious purposes as "Ku-koh," purified and helped to avoid the manifestations of evil. Scented balls were also used to flavor the space, giving flavor to clothes and hair.

     In the Heian period (794-1183) it was rope or thread scents that were typical for that time. A mixture of selected ingredients was used to make it, many of which were imported to Japan from other countries. The aroma of these fragrances was liked by the locals, and the aristocracy of Japan began to use the aromas of incense as a daily ritual of enjoying elegant and unique scents.

  Whole sets of lacquered tableware were used to make incense. The classical set consisted of a box with small compartments for storing raw materials - fragrance ingredients - such as cloves, aloe wood, amber, musk, sandalwood and herbs, and small spatulas and spoons for cooking mixtures.

     Around the 12th century, the Kamakura Shogunate (the first all-Japanese samurai government) was established. At the same time, there was a new wave of tasting aromas among aristocratic warriors. Until now, the most common form of fragrance was rope fragrance, but during that period, the pure aroma of Agar (aloe wood) became more popular.

     During the Muromachi period (1392-1573), the KoDo etiquette ("Fragrance Ways") developed, along with the tea ceremony. At the same time, games with incense, as well as collecting rare and very expensive fragrant wood became very popular. The burning of these valuable ingredients at various events immediately increased their value and significance in the eyes of the elite.

     At the beginning of the Edo period (1615-1868), the Kyoto aristocracy realized the need to revive traditional arts to preserve them as part of its culture, as well as to oppose various rules imposed by the Tokugawa shogunate to limit the influence of aristocrats. As a result, later, the scent path became a very popular occupation for the Tokugawa clan, and incense became part of the heritage of warrior families. In the middle of the Edo period, incense games became popular throughout the country. 

          At the same time, incense in the form of sticks became very popular, as well as other new forms of incense. There were many complex games associated with aromas, reminiscent of exquisite poetry. The tools for such games have also evolved and become more sophisticated. Many schools gave skills about fragrances and their use. Along with various sets for games, other items related to fragrances began to appear, such as kodo - stands for incense, for aromatization of premises, hair and clothes, and various decorated boxes for storage of fragrant wood.

     During the same period of Edo, the Chinese method of making incense sticks, which was used by the middle class of Japanese families, was mastered. The incense ceremony of Koh-do, which was developed during the Muromachi period, has now become a part of the lives of people who did not belong to the nobility.

     This was followed by the Meiji reforms (1867-68), together with the "westernization-modernization" of Japanese culture in the second half of the 19th century, which reduced the use of incense, showing that this was only history. Thus, at the same time, in the second half of the century, many different sets appeared on the art market both for ceremonies and incense, and a significant part of them was in the hands of European collectors. However, later, after the 1890s, including due to the efforts of foreigners, Japanese culture was restored, and the value of the "path of fragrance" was gradually revived.

     Many well-known fragrance companies in Japan have been producing for over 300 years (Nipppon Kodo, for example, has been making sticks since 1575).

     Most of the ingredients are imported from India and Southeast Asia. These components are carefully selected for their healing properties according to traditional Chinese medicine. Times are changing and manufacturers of Japanese fragrances are constantly working to create new fragrances that are suitable for the modern way of life in Japan. We can say that they create a new chapter in the history of fragrances.