Kodo : The Way of Incense

by David Pybus

The elegant incense ceremony Kodo has a long, colorful history in traditional Japanese life-but remains little known in the West. This beautiful and informative book comes with several different kinds of incense and two incense holders. Kodo includes all the tools a reader needs to understand and experience first hand the exquisite pleasure and calmness of a ceremony that continues to have a powerful resonance in Japanese culture and history. Kodo -or "The Way of Incense"-takes readers step-by-step through performing your own Kodo ceremony and offers an overview not only to the different incenses and incense materials used in the ceremony but what it means to "listen to the incense." The book also outlines the highly formalized games-tests of the senses-associated with the ceremony. The only book of its kind available today, Kodo explores the history, development and influences upon this ceremony as it brings the remarkable Kodo ritual into Western homes for the first time.

Genres: Self Help

96 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully accessible beginners overview of both Japanese incense, and the art of Kodo (香道). Kodo is a sibling of the far more well-known Japanese tea ceremony, focusing on rare aromatics instead of tea.

(An archaic version of Kodo is detailed in the 11th century Japanese classic, and perhaps world first novel, "The Tale of Genji".)

Pybus offers English speakers one of only a couple of works on it. I recommend Kiyoko Morita's "Book of Incense" as well. Both books just lightly dip into Kodo; something worth studying Japanese for..

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviews the ingredients, history and rituals of Japanese incense. There's a lot more to it then you might have thought.