Awaji Island, located in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea, is known as the ‘fragrance island’ with the highest production of incense sticks.
It is written in the Chronicles of Japan that the oldest fragrant wood in Japan drifted ashore on Awaji Island and was presented to the Imperial Court.
Incense stick production began in the Edo period as a way of preventing the islanders from dying in the winter. The seasonal winds blowing from the sea were ideal for incense making.
Today, more than a quarter of the islanders are involved in incense production as a cottage industry.
The Hyogo Incence Cooperative Association has 15 manufacturing companies as members, and is the only organisation in Japan where there are ‘incense masters’, or fragrance masters.
The incense makers of Awaji Island have unique techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation, and they create unique fragrances through friendly competition.
We hope that you will have a restful time using the different fragrances, whether for communicating with the Buddha or your ancestors, or as a fragrance to regulate your body, mind and space.