A time to "listen" to the scent: The quiet story of Kodo

A time to "listen" to the scent: The quiet story of the art of incense

Have you ever had a distant memory brought back to you by a scent carried on the wind one autumn day?
The art of incense is a uniquely Japanese art that carefully listens to the "memories of fragrance." Although it is one of the three major arts alongside the tea ceremony and flower arranging, its existence is somewhat cryptic, like a single flower blooming deep in the forest.

Kodo: The art of listening to fragrances

In the art of incense, we don't "smell" the scent, we "listen" to it.
It means savoring the fragrance not with the five senses, but with the heart. By burning rare fragrant woods such as agarwood and aloeswood, the scent evokes stories, the seasons, and even oneself.

Fragrance is invisible, shapeless, and simply floats in the air.
This is why the art of incense teaches us the aesthetics of "nothingness" - the depth of stillness that is also found in Zen and waka poetry.

Kumiko: Playing with scents in the world of stories

In the art of incense, there is a game called "Kumiko."
Several fragrant woods are burned, and participants must distinguish the scents to guess the story or season. For example, in "Genjiko," participants must distinguish the combinations of scents associated with each chapter of the Tale of Genji.

It's like composing a waka poem using fragrance.
The invisible scent evokes indescribable emotions and memories, and remains in your mind as a poem.

The charm of the art of incense - a story in silence

Kodo is a fresh experience even for the younger generation.
Taking time to face your inner self through fragrance - perhaps it's a "quiet magic" that makes you stop and think in the midst of your busy daily life.

The world of incense is also rich in delicate techniques and traditional tools.
Using an incense burner, silver leaves, and incense charcoal, the artist gently extracts the scent of incense wood not through smoke but through heat, and his actions are like weaving an invisible poem.

The time you spend savoring the indescribable aftertaste of the incense arts will bring a subtle richness to your daily life.
I would like to continue writing about these fragrance stories little by little on the WABISUKE blog.