Kodo – Art of Incense

Studied under Ouchiyamake Master Roshi, who has been preserving the secrets of incense-making for over a thousand years, learning the philosophy of incense that predates the formalization of the art and inheriting its spirit.

He has delivered lectures on "The Relationship between Incense and Waka Poetry" at a university in Tokyo, and in 2008, to mark the millennium of The Tale of Genji, he held the first incense-making ceremony at the National Noh Theatre, which garnered significant attention. Recently, he has been organizing opportunities at embassies to experience Kodo, introducing this traditional art to foreigners and popularizing it.

Incense tools are crafted to fit neatly into a box that can be held in your arms. There's something incredibly refreshing about the sight of these tools, meticulously arranged after being unwrapped.

Kodo, once a practice of the upper class, is also known for the extravagance of its tools, which were lavishly made from high-quality materials like lacquer, mother-of-pearl, ivory, and gold dust. Today, these materials are hard to come by, and there are fewer craftsmen, so many of these exquisite tools are no longer available.

Incense wood releases its fragrance when heated. The host "Kou-moto" heats the several incense wood, and each participant carefully savors the aroma.

Kumiko is a game in which participants must identify which incense share the same scent among those that have been provided multiple times. This game is designed to help participants "listen" to the incense more deeply and attentively while calming their minds through the host's deliberate movements and the use of elegant tools. It can also be seen as a form of ritual.

Once all the incense burners have been passed around and each participant has "listened" to the incense, they write their answer and submit it. The host keeps a record of each participant's answers on a piece of paper. After announcing the correct answer, the person who guessed correctly is presented with the beautifully written record.

In this way, not only the scent but also the calligraphy becomes part of the experience. This reveals that Kodo is an art that requires a high level of cultural refinement, engaging more than just the five senses.

The art of Kodo is a highly refined, ritualistic pleasure, yet at its core, it taps into a deeply primal sense: the human need for smell. The scent of your mother, the fragrance of the towel you carried as a child—these aromas instantly evoke nostalgia, memories, and vivid scenes from the past. Incense is deeply connected to human memory and psychology.

Come experience it for yourself and discover how the scents you "hear" will touch your heart and what kind of memories they will create.