Incense offers various effects. It purifies air and sets their mind at ease. It has medicinal effects as well, such as strengthening the stomach and alleviating fever. Initially, people used it as herb medicine or spices.From more than one thousand years ago to our own modern era, incense has developed a deeply profound link bound closely to our everyday life. This is readily visible in the great popularity it held in ancient Chang-an (China), where the secular uses of incense came into great favor with the royal class. The mixing of various ingredients together and then kneading them together with plum meat or honey came to be widely used in rooms, placed in the sleeves of a garment, and even used to imbue clothes with. The development of such a love for incense in Japan is vividly detailed in the Tale of Genji, in which you can catch a glimpse of the stylish aristocracy of the Heian era working so diligently to mix their very own original aromas.
From these simple beginnings it underwent a transformation into a mutual competition between each other's mixtures, referred to as “Takimono-awase” (Fragrance Mixing). Before long, it developed into the burning of natural raw incense ingredients, which was called “Ko-awase” (Incense Mixing). These elegant games later became the source of the Kodo ceremony (Way of Incense).
During the Feudal period (Sengoku jidai, 1490–1573) of Japan there arose a necessity for a simple as well as practical form of incense. Chinese of the Ming Dynasty transmitted the techniques of creating incense sticks. It was simple form of powdered incense rolled into a stick that was easy to carry and more affordable for the common people. This was the epoch of incense popularity. It flourished in acceptance with all classes, rich and poor. In the center of this limelight, was the city of Sakai. This popularity was mainly due to establishment of Sakai as a major port for foreign trade from China, Spain, and Portugal.
Baieido dates back to the Muromachi period (1338–1573) in Japanese history. During this period, the founder of Baieido, Kakuuemon Yamatoya, became a wholesaler of medicinal herbs in Sakai city. Sakai was a well-known trading port in ancient Japan in which incense trading was in high demand. In 1657, the founder named himself “Jinkoya Sakubei” and specialized in selling incense ingredients and incense sticks. “Jinkoya” (Aloes wood trader) was a name peculiar to Sakai, only medicinal wholesalers who specialized in incense were authorized to use this name.
The creation of incense is an extraordinarily delicate process. In the time-honored traditions of Jinkoya Sakubei, Baieido has dedicated itself to making incense for over 300 years. The method and recipes have been handed down from generation to generation in an unbroken secret oral tradition.
Read more about the main ingredients of Baieido incense
