Kodo (Incense Ceremony)

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Kōdō (香道 - Way of Fragrance) is the Japanese art of appreciating incense, and involves using incense within a structure of codified conduct. Though it is counted as one of the three classical arts of refinement, it is relatively unknown amongst modern Japanese people. Kōdō includes all aspects of the incense process - from the tools (香道具), which, much like tools of the tea ceremony, are valued as high art, to activities such the incense-comparing games kumikō (組香) and genjikō (源氏香).

1 Kumikō
2 Incense Lore
3 References
4 See Also
5 External Links

[edit] Kumikō

Participants sit near one another and take turns smelling incense from a censer as they pass it around the group. Participants comment on and make observations about the incense, and play games to guess the incense material. Genjikō is one such game, in which participants are to determine which of 5 prepared censers contain different scents, and which contain the same scent. Judgements are marked using genji-mon, linear patterns which designate chapters in the Tale of Genji.

[edit] Incense Lore

Incense Lore includes Art, Culture, History, and Ceremony. Incense Lore can be compared to and has some of the same qualities as music, art, or literature. Incense is also an intricate part of Tea Lore, just like Calligraphy, Floral Arrangement, and Scroll Arrangement. These are five Classical Chinese Arts. Incense Lore involves natural incense woods and not artificial substitutes.