High Quality Incense
``OEDO-KOH``
- Made in Japan
- No bamboo core for a clean burning, pure scent
- Box includes 60 short incense sticks
- Burn time approximately 12 minutes
- Each stick is 56 mm long (2.25 inches)
- Net weight of incense per box is 10 grams
- Box size is 102mm (L), 67mm (W) and 20mm (D)
- Paulownia wood box, coloured outer box sleeve and leaflet
- Tin Incense stick holder is included
The culture of Edo (the old name of Tokyo) was a playful and stylish one, born out of a marriage of the elegant and the common, the coarse and the refined. People enjoyed the four seasons, treasured their friends and neighbors, and lived lives brimming with vitality. This series was created by master incense artisans in Tokyo to express the fragrant atmosphere of old Edo. A single thin column of smoke beckons you to the stylish, modernist world that Edo represents. We invite you to bask in the fragrant world of Edo.
ABOUT THE INCENSE
These fragrances have been specially blended to correlate with the folk tales that were told during the Edo Period in Japan (1603-1868).
Each incense is colored with traditional colors.
One by one, these products are carefully hand crafted by the skilled craftsman of Tokyo.
ABOUT THE INCENSE HOLDER
Each incense includes an incense holder that resembles the stone pave ments of Edo. Tin was a favored metal by the upper class during the Edo period. The tin incense stand included in the package can be washed with water and will last for a long time.
ABOUT THE PACKAGING
The incense is nestled in a paulownia box, while the packaging is adorned with Japanese patterns in traditional colors. Special attention has been paid to textures and made sure the packaging has a luxurious surface finish.
The Ukiyo-e paintings printed inside the package express the aesthetic during the Edo period.
ABOUT THE EXPLANATORY LEAFLET
Each fragrance set comes complete with an English explanation leaflet, making this a great souvenir gift.
Aloeswood
Incense-smelling ceremonies were the practice of court nobles, feudal lords and other wealthy people. Among commoners as well, while they may have lacked access to genuine fragrant woods, there was much fascination with them, and they are frequently featured in works of Kabuki and Joruri theater. The word kyara, meaning aloeswood, even became a general term for “something wonderful.” Hair wax that evokes the scent of aloeswood was extremely popular as well.Experience the fragrance, and understand why it was the most highly prized of scents.
Peony Tree
The enchanting peony enjoyed enormous popularity in Edo. Its bewitching form is reminiscent of a beautiful geisha, and gazing upon a peony you can almost hear the music and see the dances of the geisha quarter. This was an exclusive world for the privileged few, and it is said that customers’ time spent in teahouses was measured by sticks of incense. The fragrance of the peony, “queen of the flowers” evokes this beautiful and evanescent world.
Cherry Blossoms
The custom of cherry blossom viewing took hold during the Edo Period.
The somei-yoshino cherry tree, seen in groves throughout Japan today, was originally an ornamental garden variety raised in the village of Somei near Edo. Cherry blossom viewings were also an opportunity for Edo denizens to meet one another, present themselves, and perform : matching fancy kimonos were worn for the occasion, and people sang and danced to celebrate the coming of spring. The captivating scent of cherry blossoms heralds spring’s arrival.
Chrysanthemum
The gardeners of Komagome and Sugamo near Edo are said to have sparked the chrysanthemum craze of the Edo era. Fond of the fancy and spectacular, Edo dwellers loved the beautiful and fragrant flowers, which were displayed or fashioned into various shapes. Chrysanthemums were believed since ancient times to prolong life, and during the Edo Period the Chrysanthemum Festival became a yearly event where people drank chrysanthemum sake infused with medicinal blossoms. The smooth, refreshing scent of chrysanthemum will delight you as it did the denizens of old Edo.
Pine tree
Savor the refreshing scent of pine, the tree that guards the travelers’ road and watches over their safe return. It is traditionally believed that the kami (deities) dwell in evergreen trees. The word matsu means both “pine” and “to wait” (for the deity to descend), and the pine is part of the felicitous trio of pine, bamboo and plum tree, and the auspicious pairing of crane and pine. Pine decorations are displayed at New Year’s, and a monumental pine tree is painted on the backdrop of the Noh stage – all expressing the pine’s association with luck and longevity. In ukiyo-e woodcuts, boldly rendered pines standing in the midst of Edo-era people bustling to and fro are a classic motif.
Water Drop
This fragrance has the warmth and friendly glow of the moment you step out of the bath. In the Edo Period (1603-1868) people didn’t have baths at home, and public bathhouses were built to meet the need. There were about 600 in Edo. At first they were steam baths, then large bathtubs were developed. As all were naked and people comingled without regard for age, gender, or rank, the bathhouse was an egalitarian place. Apparently another popular item was a scented lotion made with floral essences distilled using a still known as a ranbiki.
