The earliest recorded history of agarwood (jinkō, 沈香) in Japan dates back to the Asuka period (538–710 AD). According to the Nihon Shoki (日本書紀), a large piece of agarwood drifted ashore on Awaji Island (淡路島), and it was presented to Prince Shōtoku (聖徳太子), then it was identified it as jinkō.
Another theory suggests agarwood was introduced alongside Buddhism during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD), by Jianzhen (鑑真), a Chinese monk who travelled to Japan in 753 AD. He brought Chinese herbs, tea, and of course agarwood which subsequently became an essential part of Buddhist rituals in Japan.
After the establishment of the Shingon (真言宗), Master Kūkai (空海, 774 – 835 AD) officially incorporated agarwood into rituals for invoking deities and purifying spaces. Later, with the rise of Zen Buddhism (禅宗), the use of agarwood became a meditative practice for spiritual purification and enlightenment. During this period, agarwood also became a status symbol among nobility.
In the Muromachi period (1336 - 1573 AD), influenced by Zen culture teachings on mindfulness and impermanence, Samurai warriors began to perform incense rituals before battles. At this time, Ashikaga Yoshimasa (足利義政) asked Shino Soshin (志野宗信) to universalise the way of appreciating incense.
Then, Soshin formally described the different scents of agarwood as Rikkoku Gomi (六国五味, Six Countries and Five Tastes), due to different geographic regions producing distinct types of agarwood. That is, Kyara (伽羅, Vietnam); Rakoku (羅国, Thailand); Sumotara (寸聞多羅, Indonesia); Manaba (真南蛮, Cambodia); Manaka (真那賀, Malaysia) and Sasora (佐曾羅, Eastern India). This system categorizes different types of agarwood based on their origins, aroma profiles, and sensory characteristics, forming the foundation of traditional Kōdō practices (The Way of Incense).
Of course, from our modern perspective, classifying agarwood using the Six Countries and Five Tastes system is quite limited and imperfect. In addition to these regions, places like Hainan, Dongguan, and Hong Kong in China have historically been renowned for their high-quality agarwood. There are also other Southeast Asian countries, such as Brunei and Laos which produce exceptionally high-grade agarwood too. Even while hiking in Singapore, we could also see wild agarwood trees in the forest.
The Five Tastes, 甘 (Sweet), 辛 (Spicy), 酸 (Sour), 苦 (Bitter), 鹹 (Salty) are far from enough to describe the rich and complex aromas that agarwood contains. For example, the cooling notes is now considered an important standard for identifying high-quality agarwood from Vietnam. However, we need to note that this system was established 500 years ago, and Japan is not a producing region for agarwood. All the raw materials had to be imported from other countries, which imposed significant limitations.
In my opinion, the establishment of this system has an unparalleled advantage. 500 years ago, Japan began to highly value and carefully appreciate every piece of agarwood. Over these centuries, many unique agarwood pieces with distinctive aromas have been carefully selected, named, and preserved to this day, especially for Kyara.
The most famous example in history is the Ran-ja-tai (蘭奢待), which is the most legendary and mysterious piece of Kyara in Tōdai-ji (東大寺), Nara. It has fascinated emperors, shoguns, and scholars for over a thousand years and only a few powerful figures in history were allowed to cut a piece from it: Emperor Go-Nara (後奈良天皇, 1495–1557 AD), Oda Nobunaga (織田信長, 1534–1582 AD) and Emperor Meiji (明治天皇, 1852–1912 AD).
For the same reason, many other exceptionally rare Kyara or agarwood have been passed down as family heirlooms in Japan. Each piece naturally evokes a unique and beautiful olfactory imagery, earning its own distinctive name. These rare Kyara pieces are what we have been pursuing and collecting, like the 夕露 (Night Dew) and 玉ゆび (Jade Yubi) that we had previously shared about. As Night Dew's name describes, after smelling it, you will fall into a dark night, see twinkling stars in the dark sky and crystal dew shining on the grass.
We are very fortunate to have recently received an unparalleled treasure – “伽羅 新九重” from Hideo Yamada (山田英夫) of Yamadamatsu Incense-wood (山田松香木店). “新” means new, referencing another similar piece in history. “九重” means Nine Heavens, and is an ancient term for the highest Heavens where Gods live. We can see that its surface has naturally formed layers of patterns, just like forming different layers of Heaven. It also looks like a winding celestial path, seeming to lead to paradise.
This exceptional Kyara was an important collection of an abbot in Kyoto. Due to Japan's shūkatsu (end-of-life preparation) tradition, he passed it to Yamada-san before his death. However, high-value Kyara like this will never be sold to the public in Yamadamatsu shops but will usually go to specialized auction houses. We are deeply grateful to Yamada-san for finally agreeing to let us have it.
Over the years, we have handled many pieces of Kyara, but I can say that this one is the most special. Even when sealed in two layers of plastic bags, its powerful scents and energy can be clearly sensed, reminding me of the ancient saying that the scent of agarwood can pass through the boundaries of Heaven, Earth and the Human Realm. Simply amazing!
