Information
2025.04.22
New Book Release: “Nippon no Koh (The scent of Japan)”
“Japanese Incense Culture” drawing attention from the U.S. and Europe
This volume compiles the history of Japanese scent culture, which has undergone unique development in each era over 1,500 years—from the “blended incense culture (Takimono bunka)” symbolized by The Tale of Genji to the “fragrant wood culture (Kōboku bunka)” born from the precious woods avidly collected by warlords in Sengoku era.
The book is an all-color visual guide structured around the theme, “What does scent mean to the Japanese people, and what is their aesthetic sense?” It features columns explaining the historical background and cultural perspectives, accompanied by beautiful photographs.
It includes numerous precious fragrant woods and historical materials owned by Nippon Kodo.
It also features valuable interviews with experts versed in both Japanese and French fragrance cultures.
To mark its 450th anniversary, the Nippon Kodo Group produced this book in collaboration with the long-established publisher Seibundo Shinkosha. Its unique structure connects the past, present, and future of Japanese scent culture in a way that is unprecedented in similar publications.