How is Japanese incense made?

Japanese incense is usually made using sandalwood, agar, resin and / or essential oils. Some incenses are made exclusively from herbal ingredients; others contain aromatic oils certified by the International Perfume Association (IFRA), as well as dyes.

Fragrance - agar and sandalwood are the main ingredients used in Japanese incense. These trees give off aromatic resin, which eventually turns into koboku (aromatic tree). Chiara is a kobuku variety with a high oil content and excellent aroma, which is why it is very valuable.

Unfortunately, in general, due to depletion of resources, many trees and herbs used to make incense are becoming rarer and therefore more expensive. Only the most ardent enthusiasts and connoisseurs of incense seek these priceless varieties.

The basis of Japanese incense is made from the bark of the Tabu-no-ki tree (Machilus thunbergii).

A feature of this tree bark is a clay-like paste, obtained by mixing its powder form with water. Then the paste, called macko, can be rolled up into thin sticks, bumps or spirals. Incense sticks are cut so that they are the same length and left to dry on wooden trays in a large space. Humidity and temperature are carefully controlled.

Incense remains in the factory or in the workshop in a special room for several days, where it is dried. Finally, dried to an ideal moisture ratio in a stick, incense is packaged in packs. Companies like Nippon Kodo have a special room where they put incense under the hood and burn the stick under the stopwatch. The wand should burn out at exactly the allotted time, if the wand burns faster than it should be, it means that it is slightly dry, and the batch of these incense is “moistened” a little, if the wand burns longer than it should be, then these incense is still slightly moist and dried. If the stick burns out at the right time, then this batch of incense is ready for packaging and packaging.

The creation of Japanese incense is a whole art in which experienced craftsmen learn over the years to control every component of the process, where not only the quality and origin of the raw material can affect the aromatic mixture, but also aspects such as temperature, humidity and drying time of the incense mixture.