[Kyoto's Fragrances and History]

The other day, I stopped by the Kunjyukan facility operated by Shoyeido, one of Kyoto's long-established incense wood shops. Inside, there's a section where you can actually see the raw materials for incense, like fragrant woods, and experience their scents. Permanent exhibits include the heartwood of Indian sandalwood, frankincense resin sourced from Africa and the Arabian Sea coast, and “cinnamon bark,” widely known as cinnamon. Despite each individual scent being remarkably distinct, it was fascinating and felt refreshingly new to realize how these combine to create that soothing, comforting fragrance of incense.

All the fragrant woods used as incense ingredients are imported from overseas, primarily Southeast Asia. Despite this decisive constraint—the inability to cultivate them domestically like rice or tea—Kyoto is home to a concentration of long-established incense wood shops and manufacturers, some with over 300 years of history. Why did this land, unable to produce the raw materials, become the center of Japan's incense culture? Behind this lies Kyoto's history of cultural creation, where “foreign luxury goods” were sublimated into “Japan's unique aesthetic sensibility.”

With the relocation of the capital to Heian-kyo, the role of incense dramatically shifted from “Buddhist ritual” to the “refined cultivation” of the aristocracy. Within the capital of Kyoto, the scent that had been a tool for prayer evolved into a sophisticated luxury item that enriched daily life. By the 9th century, a specialized organization called the “Onkodokoro” (Imperial Incense Bureau) was established within the imperial court. Incense transcended mere personal preference, becoming a special system symbolizing the nation's dignity and order. Meanwhile, this culture permeated people's living spaces. The practice of “soradakimono”—perfuming the open-plan shinden-zukuri architecture, characterized by few walls and an open layout using pillars, sliding doors (“shitomi-do”), and bamboo screens (“misu”)—was an urban, refined style nurtured by Kyoto's architectural style and climate.

Furthermore, within the Higashiyama culture of the Muromachi period, fragrance was established as an art form alongside tea ceremony and flower arrangement, known as “Kodo” (the Way of Fragrance). Kyoto's status as the seat of the headmasters for various arts held decisive significance for incense culture as well. The demand for kneaded incense used in tea ceremonies and for purifying rooms became firmly established alongside the development of the tea ceremony. The reason many long-established shops still have deep roots in Kyoto is precisely because they are not merely retailers, but indispensable partners who have continuously supported the spirituality of traditional ceremonies and various arts through the aspect of “fragrance blending.”

Supporting this culture was the existence of professional groups inheriting the techniques. By the late Warring States period, the status of specialized professions, including the “Koju” (Incense Masters) who prepared special incense for the Emperor, was established. Through close collaboration with the imperial court, temple abbots, and family masters, these court artisans refined their secret blending techniques, cementing Kyoto's status as the home of the highest-grade brands. Precisely because raw materials were scarce, an unparalleled, delicate blending technique crystallized here—one focused on how to combine limited, precious resources and harmonize them with Japan's four seasons.

Even when the culture of fragrance spread to the merchant class during the Edo period as entertainment and a status symbol, Kyoto's long-established houses steadfastly upheld their pride as the “authentic source.” They functioned like “translators,” transforming raw fragrant woods imported from overseas into forms that bloomed most beautifully within Japan's climate and environment. Why Kyoto remains the center of fragrance? It is likely because this city possesses a long accumulated history of cherishing scents, refining them into profound spirituality and ritual—even without possessing the land that produces the raw materials.

momentum factory Orii's tone tray S
https://www.shokunin.com/en/orii/tray.html
Iwamoto Kiyoshi Shoten's Mame Hibachi
https://www.shokunin.com/en/iwamoto/hibachi.html
Showroom Information
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/
Kunjyukan
https://www.kunjyukan.jp/

References
https://www.shoyeido.co.jp/incense/history.html
https://www.shoyeido.co.jp/about/
https://q-sdgs.kyoto.travel/search/sdgs15/938/
https://www.okou.or.jp/history/
https://www.nippon.com/en/features/c02502/