Incense Day

What Is Incense Day?

April 18 is Incense Day in Japan. It was established in 1992 by a national council of incense makers' cooperatives (now the Nihon Kunbutsu Senko Kogyokai, a Japanese incense industry association) to share the appeal of incense with more people. The date comes from the month aromatic wood first appeared in Japanese history and from the structure of the kanji character for incense.

Two Reasons for April 18

The date has two origins: a passage in the Nihon Shoki and the breakdown of a kanji character.

• "April" from the Nihon Shoki: The Nihon Shoki records that in the fourth month of the third year of Empress Suiko's reign (595), aromatic wood called "jinsui" drifted ashore on Awaji Island. This record is regarded as the beginning of incense in Japan.
• "18th" from a kanji: The character 香 (incense) can be broken into 一 (one), 十 (ten), 八 (eight), and 日 (day), which can be read as "the 18th day."
• What is jinsui? It refers to agarwood (jinko), one of the representative types of aromatic wood. It is said to have been called "jinsui," meaning "sinking in water," because it was heavy enough to sink.

Aromatic Wood Burned as Firewood

According to the Nihon Shoki, the people of Awaji Island did not know what the wood was and burned it with firewood in their stoves. When the fragrance of the smoke drifted far away, they found it unusual and presented the wood to the imperial court. A biography of Prince Shotoku, the Shotoku Taishi Denryaku, also tells that the prince, who was working to spread Buddhism, immediately recognized the wood as agarwood.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Light some incense after you get home and take a moment to relax with the scent
• Look up how the scents of different aromatic woods, such as agarwood and sandalwood, differ
• Write the character 香 and see whether it really breaks down into "one, ten, eight, day"
• Visit an incense shop and look for a scent you like

A Day to Enjoy a Culture of Fragrance More Than 1,400 Years Old

Incense Day on April 18 recalls the history of fragrance in Japan, which began with a single piece of aromatic wood that washed ashore on Awaji Island. Even in a busy day, taking a short moment to enjoy a scent may help you switch gears. Why not light some incense today and spend a relaxing moment?