Precious Cultural Activity Time: Part 1 - Kōdō (Incense Ceremony)

(The following is the English translation of the e-mail sent to our Japanese customers.)

This is Kanako Yoshida from YOUYOUANG.

How are you doing?

Time flies and it's already February. The Setsubun bean-throwing ceremony is over, and it's getting tough to eat the same number of beans as your age these days. (lol)

(Setsubun is a traditional Japanese event held on February 3rd. It marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

People perform a ritual called "mamemaki," where they throw roasted soybeans outside to drive away evil spirits, saying, "Out with the demons, in with the good fortune!"

It is also common to eat the same number of beans as your age to bring good health.)

Preparing for the exhibition, new products development, and winter being the marathon season,

I've been busy, but last weekend I had my first incense ceremony of the year, the "Ohatsu Koukai." As expected, I wore a kimono from the morning on that day, so I was calm. (lol)

1st: We sit on a felt (red carpet). I think it's the same as a tea ceremony.

2nd: The hanging scroll in the tokonoma depicts butterbur sprouts in the snow. It gives me the feeling that "spring is almost here."

For the monthly lessons, they usually provide 4 to 5 wonderful fragrant woods, but this time at the beginning of the year, they provided 10 luxurious fragrant woods!

So, the incense burner was passed around 10 times, and I couldn't remember what the last scent was.

This time, there were 4 pieces of Kyara, aloeswood (the highest quality incense wood), and the other incense woods also had such rich scent that they could be mistaken for aloeswood.

I couldn't remember them all, so I secretly left notes, but I wrote in a hurry so I couldn't even read them myself (lol).

From halfway through, I focused on "listening to the world of a piece of incense wood with my whole body” (it is called “listening to” when you smell fragrant wood)".

On the record paper, the writer records the title of the incense ceremony, the type of incense, the name of the incense, and the date.

For me, who leads an athletic lifestyle in my daily life, learning etiquette and techniques through incense ceremony and flower arrangement lessons is a very precious experience.

As I get older, the time I spend teaching far exceeds the time I spend learning.

There are many realizations that come from teaching, but when I learn as a student, like when I was young, I lose my ego, feel lighter, and most of all, it's fun to have new experiences.

Well, this week is finally the Tokyo Gift Show.

February 12th, 13th, and 14th, booth number T-41-02 in East Hall 5.

I'm sorry to invite you in this cold weather, but please be careful on your way there.

The venue will be warm and full of excitement!