As the cherry blossom season faded and the skunk cabbage flowers reached their peak in our region, a Genji-kō practice session was held at the Kinkōkai, the school of Kōdō where I study.

Kōdō, the Way of Incense, is one of Japan’s traditional arts alongside Kadō (flower arrangement) and Sadō (the tea ceremony). It is the practice of “listening” to the fragrance of aromatic woods and appreciating the depth and subtlety of their world. Among the many forms of kumikō (incense appreciation games), Genji-kō is considered one of the most representative and celebrated.

The experience begins even before the incense burner is passed to the guests—in this case, the students gathered for the lesson.

The movements of the kōmoto—the host responsible for preparing the aromatic wood and guiding participants through the incense gathering—are free from any unnecessary action. Each gesture carries meaning, refined and preserved through more than a thousand years of tradition.

Even in a warm and friendly classroom atmosphere, conversations naturally fade away. In the quiet stillness, the gently warmed aromatic wood begins to release its delicate fragrance.

For Genji-kō, five different fragrances are prepared, with five packets of each scent, making a total of twenty-five packets. These are shuffled together, and five are then selected at random.

As a result, participants are presented with five incense burners in succession. Sometimes all five contain the same aromatic wood, while in other cases each one may be completely different.

Participants record their answers using the distinctive patterns known as Genji-kō no Zu (Genji-kō diagrams), connecting fragrances that are perceived to be the same with horizontal lines. Using only vertical and horizontal lines, these elegant symbols express the relationships between the five fragrances.

There are fifty-two such patterns, each named after a chapter of The Tale of Genji. Examples include “Yūgao” (The Evening Faces), “Wakamurasaki” (Young Murasaki), and “Hatsune” (The First Warbler Song).

No one achieved a perfect score that day—and I have yet to do so myself.

Even so, I continue my practice, trusting that one day I will be able to fully discern the subtle differences between each fragrance.

In Genji-kō, participants listen closely to the subtle differences between fragrances, appreciating the depth and complexity of aromatic woods.

While opportunities to experience aromatic woods in the formal setting of Kōdō may be limited, their fragrances can also be enjoyed through incense in everyday life.

We invite you to discover the timeless scents of sandalwood and aloeswood—fragrances that have long been treasured in the world of Kōdō—and bring their quiet elegance into your daily moments.