Japanese incense is very ancient and dates back to about 538CE. It has a long history and came to Japan from China, along with Buddhism. From that time incense has become an important facet in the Japanese culture. At the beginning it was only imported from china but after some years Japan started to make its own Incense. There are many current incense companies in Japan who exist since more than 300 years.

The following are the main ingredients in Japanese incense Agarwood, Sandalwood, Borneo Camphor, Benzoin, Frankincense, Clove, Star Anise, Rhubarb, Cinnamon, Licorice, Patchouli Many other ingredients are also used in Japanese incense. They are chosen either for their scent or properties in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Most ingredients for Japanese incense come from India and South-East Asia.

Agarwood and sandalwood are some of the two most important ingredients. Agarwood is called jinkō in Japan, which translates as “incense that sinks in water,” due to the weight of the resin in the wood. It is currently on the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Sandalwood is one of the most calming incense ingredients and lends itself well to meditation. The most valued sandalwood comes from Mysore in the state of Karnatakain India, where it is endangered.

Another important ingredient in Japanese incense is kyara. Kyara is one kind of agarwood Japanese incense companies divide agarwood into six categories depending on the region obtained and properties of the agarwood. Kyara is currently worth more than its weight in gold.

Makkō is another ingredient used in Japanese incense. Makkō actually just translates as “incense powder.” The incense powder that is normally being referred to is called tabu no ki . Makko is used to bind the ingredients together. It is remarkable for being able to bind ingredients while having little scent of its own.

Baieidō was established in 1657 in Sakai City and is the oldest company in Japan. Shōeidō was established in 1705 in Kyoto Japan. Both Baieido and Shoyeido are used extensively by Zen Buddhist temples, both in Japan and worldwide. Nippon Kōdō was established by incoporation in New York City in August 1965 and is the largest seller of Japanese incense worldwide. Most of their incense is “Everyday” quality. They do make some “Traditional” incense as well. These three are the major exporters of Japanese incense.

Currently, 70% of all of Japan’s incense is manufactured on a small island south of Osaka called Awaji Island. The history extends back to 1850 in Ei of the city of Awaji in 1850 when Senshuu Sakai manufacturing technology was introduced. At the time, Ei was a military run trade port for the Tokushima Clan, which opened the door to the import and sale of raw materials used in making incense. Over time, the incense made in Awaji Island became renowned throughout Japan. The main reason incense manufacturing took root in Awaji Island is because of its nishi-kaze (west wind). This strong seasonal wind hampers the fishing industry, giving rise to the necessity for cottage industries such as incense making. This wind is also great for drying incense.

Kyūkyodō, Kunmeidō, and Kōkandō also sell some incense overseas. It may be difficult to find the other brands outside of Japan. There are numerous other incense makers in Japan, of course. These are the either the major sellers or the oldest companies in Japan.

Kōdō 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, which, much like tools of the tea ceremony, are valued as high art, to activities such the incense-comparing games kumikō and genjikō.

Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for masking bad odours.

Incense is composed of aromatic plant materials, often combined with essential oils. The forms taken by incense differ with the underlying culture, and have changed with advances in technology and increasing diversity in the reasons for burning it. Incense can generally be separated into two main types: “indirect-burning” and “direct-burning.” Indirect-burning incense is not capable of burning on its own, and requires a separate heat source. Direct-burning incense is lit directly by a flame and then fanned or blown out, leaving a glowing ember that smoulders and releases fragrance. Direct-burning incense comes in several forms, including incense sticks cones, and pyramids.

Types

Incense materials are available in various forms and degrees of processing. They can generally be separated into “direct-burning” and “indirect-burning” types depending on use. Preference for one form or another varies with culture, tradition, and personal taste. Although the production of direct- and indirect-burning incense are both blended to produce a pleasant smell when burned, the two differ in their composition due to the former’s requirement for even, stable, and sustained burning.

Indirect-burning Incense

Indirect-burning incense, also called “non-combustible incense.” It is a combination of aromatic ingredients that are not prepared in any particular way or encouraged into any particular form, leaving it mostly unsuitable for direct combustion. The use of this class of incense requires a separate heat source since it does not generally kindle a fire capable of burning itself and may not ignite at all under normal conditions. This incense can vary in the duration of its burning with the texture of the material. Finer ingredients tend to burn more rapidly; while coarsely ground or whole chunks may be consumed very gradually as they have less total surface area. The heat is traditionally provided by charcoal or glowing embers.

• Whole: The incense material is burned directly in its raw unprocessed form on top of coal embers.
• Powdered or granulated: The incense material is broken down into finer bits. This incense burns quickly and provides a short period of intense smells.

Direct-burning Incense

Direct-burning incense also called “combustible incense.” It generally requires little preparation prior to its use. When lit directly by a flame and then fanned out, the glowing ember on the incense will continue to smoulder and burn away the rest of the incense without continued application of heat or flame from an outside source. This class of incense is made from a moldable substrate of fragrant finely ground (or liquid) incense materials and odourless binder. The composition must be adjusted to provide fragrance in the proper concentration and to ensure even burning. The following types of direct-burning incense are commonly used:

• Coil: Extruded and shaped into a coil without a core. This type of incense is able to burn for an extended period, from hours to days, and is commonly produced and used by Chinese culture
• Cone: Incense in this form burns relatively fast. Incense cones were invented in Japan in the 1800s.
• Solid stick: This stick incense has no supporting core and is completely made of incense material. Easily broken into pieces, it allows one to determine the specific amount of incense they wish to burn. This is the most commonly produced form of incense in Japan and Tibet.
• Loose powder: The incense powder used for making indirect burning incense is sometimes burned without further processing. They are typically packed into long trails on top of wood ash using a stencil and burned in special censers or incense clocks.
• Rope: The incense powder is rolled into paper sheets, which are then rolled into ropes, twisted tightly, then doubled over and twisted again, yielding a two-strand rope. This type of incense is highly transportable and stays fresh for extremely long periods. It has been used for centuries in Tibet and Nepal.

Direct-burning incense of these forms is extruded, pressed into forms, or coated onto a supporting material.

The disks of powdered mugwort called ‘moxa’ sold in Chinese shops and herbalists are used in Traditional Chinese medicine for moxibustion treatment. Moxa tablets are not incenses; the treatment relies on heat rather than fragrance.

Health Uses

Incense smoke contains various contaminants including gaseous pollutants, such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides(SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [4–8], and absorbed toxic pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and toxic metals. The solid particles range between 10 and 500 nm. The emission rate decreases in the row Indian sandalwood, Japanese aloeswood, Taiwanese aloeswood, smokeless sandalwood.

Research carried out in Taiwan in 2001 linked the burning of incense sticks to the slow accumulation of potential carcinogens in a poorly ventilated environment by measuring the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (including benzopyrene) within Buddhist temples. The study found gaseousaliphatic aldehydes, which are carcinogenic and mutagenic, in incense smoke.

A survey of risk factors for lung cancer, also conducted in Taiwan, noted an inverse association between incense burning and adenocarcinoma of the lung, though the finding was not deemed significant.

Frankincense has been shown to cause antidepressive behavior . It activated the poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety and depression.

In the last few articles you must have read about a few varieties of incense burners, we further elaborate on the topic here and help you solve your confusions regarding which should be the best one to serve our purpose of incense burning.

Combination Type Burners

A large variety of incense burners are so designed that it can contain and burns more than single incense stick if required. They are prepared out of a large variety of metals as well as clay and china. The design can also vary from cone shaped burners that are perforated at places to hold the sticks or certain shapely flat disc shaped holders that have perforations at the bottom to hold the incense sticks while the tray shaped structure helps to retain the ashes within the container itself. If there is a big room that you want to purify and cleanse with the help of incense sticks, these multiple incense holders can come in very handy and serve the purpose without much of a hassle. Some are designed to carry both the bamboo shaped sticks, the spaghetti sticks and the cylindrical incense. Of all these multiple incense holders, the bowl shaped burners are the most popular and versatile.

Cone Shaped Burners

Cone shaped incense burners are so designed that they burn the incense stick completely and mostly prepared out of non combustible substances like metals. They are not prepared with wood lest it should come in contact with flame and result in accidents. In case the burner is made in wood, it would have a metal case inserted within acting as the incense holder so that the purpose of preventing accidental fire is served. Cone shaped burners work well when they are inserted within a large bowl shaped structure such that the ashes do not litter on the floor or the table. The desirable width should be around 2 to 3 inches so that one can easily place a burning cone within the burner without burning ones hand. The depth should also be significant as sand or ash needs to be set within in while the cone is well placed within the burner stand and gets easily surrounded by sand. Doing so should provide ample air transmission to the burner while it allows complete combustion of the incense stick without getting heated too much.

In case you desire to put a lid to the preparation, the size of the burner needs to be increased to allow ventilation and circulation of air even when it is covered. The lid will need to be cleansed regularly as deposits of oils and resins would become a regular feature. With prolonged usage of the lid on incense burner, the deposits will get seasoned with the burner and their smell will get emanated every time the burner is put to use. Such smell might not exactly be bad and add to the pleasant atmosphere.

Spiral Hanging Incense Burners

In case of space crunch one would prefer to hang the incense burner conveniently rather than placing it somewhere where the full benefit of the incense stick is not derived. In such cases, the role of hanging spiral incense burner comes into play. These burners have the unique mean of remaining suspended within the air with the help of a spiral that bears its weight against gravity and keeps it floating in the air bearing its own weight. These burners are not easily available and often sold not in places where you might find the usual burners. Their anatomy consists of a plain rod equipped with a hook with which it remains put on a wall or the likes and it extends to end up in a plate like structure where the incense stick can be placed and also deposit the ashes post combustion. If one is not sure where to find these burners, they can get it custom made as they are not exactly complex in design.

Clay and Stone Burners

This variety of incense burners are hugely popular and widely available across the globe mainly because of the attractive colors and shapes and sizes that it comes in. Clay and stone incense burners are also dynamic in the types of incense sticks they can hold. They commonly have two types of holes for the purpose of holding both the bamboo type incense stick and the spaghetti type sticks of incense. However they are not designed to hold the Indian or the Tibetan variety of incense, the dhoop sticks as they are far too thick.
A small number of these burners are also designed to handle the cones. One needs to be careful with these cones because they have to be placed over a high temperature resistant surface like the ceramic tiles.

While burning solid incense sticks in these burners, one can always keep a stick or pin in the vicinity as they need to be cleansed at regular intervals of all the ash fillings in the hole and such pins can act as the cleaning device. The sticks burn right up to the very end leaving no space for the resins to fall out and therefore they get deposited within the holder itself. Soaking the burner in green tea can help remove all the dirt completely. But such cleaning requires effort and cannot be done on a regular basis.

Smudge Pots and Bowls Burners

There are some smudge bowls that can be conveniently used for the purpose of support the burning of smudge bundles while there are others that come in handy for burning loose herbs on charcoal along with the resins. These smudge bowls can also serve your purpose of burning incense but one should on priority make sure that the material out of which the smudge bowl is made is fireproof because on the usage of charcoal, the temperatures can go really high (sometimes up to 1500 degree F) and can be dangerous despite putting a bed of sand below the charcoal.

Providing with the exhaustive list and details of the various types of incense burners might not be possible but the varieties discussed here cover most of the majorly available ones. Thus we hope that the task of choosing the perfect burner for your holy purpose has now become a lot simpler.