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Incense
Ceremony ...
Like tea ceremony and flower arrangement,
Koh-do, or incense ceremony is an important tradition in Japan. Incense ceremony
is traditionally carried out in the Koh room, with a master of ceremonies, and
a small group of participants. Most incense ceremonies involve a game, in which
participants attempt to guess which scent is being burned.There are hundreds of
variations of these incense games. Overall,
incense ceremony is about having fun with fragrance, and learning to 'listen'
to incense. You do not have to be an experienced 'nose' to enjoy Koh-do. The important
thing is to appreciate the incense.
The above information is from Shoeyido.
| How
to Create Fragrance from Wood Chips.
Method 1 "Soradaki"
Soradaki
means 'Appreciating Incense'. This method is typically used to scent
a small area, by heating the wood chips over charcoal.
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1.
Ignite the corner of a piece of charcoal by using a match or lighter.
Place the charcoal on top of the ash and wait until it becomes
greyish-white in color. |
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2.
When half of the charcoal has turned greyish-white, cover it with
a thin layer of ash.
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3.
Place
wood chip directly over the heated part of the ash. (It's best
to heat the wood chips over hot ash rather than burning them directly
on the charcoal). |
| Please
note:
• For best results, use wood chips
that are approximately 1/4" wide.
• You should not reuse the ash for "Incense Ceremony"
or "Mon-koh," as the scent from the wood chips may
remain in the ash and change the fragrance.
• You may enjoy joss stick incense, granulated incense
and kneaded incense by using this same method. |
Method
2 "Mon-Koh"
Mon-koh
means 'Listening to Incense'. This method involves using ceremonial
charcoal (Koh-tadon) and a mica plate to heat, rather than burn, the
incense.
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1.
Light the ceremonial charcoal completely by using a gas stove
or electric range until it becomes greyish-white. |
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2.
Using metal incense chopsticks, loosen the ash and place the
charcoal in the center.
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3.
Gently gather the ash around the charcoal and make a small mound
over it.
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4.Use
the ash press to lightly pack the ash over the charcoal.
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5.
Using the incense chopstick, make an air/heat hole.
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6.
Place the mica plate over the air hole by using the silver tweezers.
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7.
Place wood chips on the mica plate by using the incense chopsticks.
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8.
Enjoy the fragrance! |
| Please
note:
• You may need to adjust the depth
of the charcoal and the amount of ash covering it for proper
heating (to avoid burning the wood chips).
• For
this method, use a matchstick size wood chip, approximately
1/8" square.
• For safety, keep the bowl in an upright position
to assure the contents do not shift.
• You may enjoy joss stick incense, granulated incense
and kneaded incense by using this same method.
• To extinguish the charcoal: Pick up the charcoal with
the metal chopsticks, and carefully drop it in a bowl filled
with water. Caution: After use, the ash and bowl become very
hot for an extended period of time. Do not put the used ash
into a trash can until it has completely cooled down to room
temperature. Ash can be reused many times with this method. |
The above information
is from Shoeyido.
LINKS TO CEREMONY TOOLS:
3 - piece tool set
5- piece tool set
mica plate
Mini Gotoku stand
Ash / Charcoal / Book
Cast Iron and Ceramic Burner Bowls (scroll down for bowls)
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Copyright 2024, Japan Incense. All rights reserved.
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