Baieido
Encyclopedia
Baieidō （Japanese language
: 梅栄堂） is a Japanese incense
company established in 1657, located in Sakai
, Osaka Prefecture
.
. He named his store "Jinsaku" as an abbreviation of his name. In the Meiji period
(1868–1912), the store name was changed from "Jinsaku" to "Nakata Baieidō".
The name "Baieidō" is derived from the three characters Bai, Ei, and Dō.
s made by Baieidō. Their staple incense is "Kōbunboku" （好文木）. Several of the other incenses are based on this incense.
(also called aloeswood). http://www.japanese-incense.com/aloeswood.htm Agarwood
refers to a resin that develops from some trees in the Aquilaria
genus that are infected with a fungus
. The tree produces a resin
to protect itself against the fungus. This resin is agarwood
. Japanese incense
often uses 2 common terms for agarwood
: jinkō （沈香） and kyara （伽羅）. Jinkō refers to any kind of agarwood. Kyara refers to one specific type of agarwood.
Japan
has been using raw woods in incense
since the Kamakura period
(1185–1333). http://www.japanese-incense.com/aloeswood.htm Incense ceremonies are mentioned in The Tale of Genji
in the early 11th century. Much later, possibly in the Edo period
(1603–1867), different agarwood
s began to be labeled with different names. The different agarwoods were given the category name "Rikkoku" (六国), literally meaning "Six Countries". Kyara is one of these 6 kinds of agarwood.
Kyara is thought to have originally come from Vietnam
.
It is unknown where in Southeast Asia
the original Manaban agarwood came from.
The original location of Sasora agarwood is also unknown. It possibly came from Assam
, India
.
Rakoku was from somewhere in modern Thailand
or Laos
.
Sumontara came from Sumatra
, Indonesia
.
Managa came from Malacca
, Malaysia.
Most incense companies that make sets of "Rikkoku" replace these traditional agarwoods with available agarwoods that have similar scent properties to the original agarwoods. Baieidō has named the following agarwoods that are used in their incenses.
This agarwood
is from Indonesia
. It is used in "Byakudan Kokonoe Kō" incense.
This agarwood
comes from Vietnam
. It is used in "Kaden Kōbunboku" and "Kai Un Kō" incense.
Ogurayama agarwood
comes from Vietnam
. It is used in "Shū Kō Koku" incense.
Hakusui agarwood
also comes from Vietnam
. It is used in "Tokusen Shū Kō Koku" and "Tokusen Kōen" incense.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
: 梅栄堂） is a Japanese incense
Japanese incense
Japanese incense has a long history. It came to Japan from China, along with Buddhism, in the year 538 CE. From that point on, incense would become an important facet of Japanese culture. Initially, it was only imported from China, until eventually Japan began to make its own...
company established in 1657, located in Sakai
Sakai, Osaka
is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the Medieval era.Following the February 2005 annexation of the town of Mihara, from Minamikawachi District, the city has grown further and is now the fourteenth most populous city in...
, Osaka Prefecture
Osaka Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
.
History
In 1657, a man changed his name to "Jinkōya Sakubei" and started to sell incenseIncense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
. He named his store "Jinsaku" as an abbreviation of his name. In the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
(1868–1912), the store name was changed from "Jinsaku" to "Nakata Baieidō".
The name "Baieidō" is derived from the three characters Bai, Ei, and Dō.
- Bai means "Plum Tree"
- Ei means "Prosperity"
- Dō means "Shrine or Store"
Traditional Incense
The following are the main incenseIncense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
s made by Baieidō. Their staple incense is "Kōbunboku" （好文木）. Several of the other incenses are based on this incense.
| Title | Description | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| Kōbunboku | Expression of the Plum Tree | 好文木 |
| Tokusen Kōbunboku | Premium Kōbunboku | 特選好文木 |
| Kaden Kōbunboku | Family Secret | 家伝好文木 |
| Bikō Kōbunboku | Delicate | 微香好文木 |
| Bikō Kōbunboku | Delicate (Smokeless) | 微香好文木（煙ひかえめ） |
| Jinkō Kōbunboku | Agarwood (Smokeless) | 沈香好文木（煙ひかえめ） |
| Byakudan Kōbunboku | White Sandalwood | 白檀好文木 |
| Sawayaka Kōbunboku | Cinnamon | さわやか好文木 |
| Kai Un Kō | Good Fortune | 開運香 |
| Shū Kō Koku | Gathering of Fragrant Countries | 聚香国 |
| Tokusen Shū Kō Koku | Premium Shū Kō Koku | 特選聚香国 |
| | | ||
| Jinkōya Sakubē Series | 沈香屋作兵衛 | |
| Byakudan Kokonoe Kō | Incense of the Imperial Palace | 白檀九重香 |
| Jinkō Hōryu Kō | Phoenix & Dragon | 沈香鳳龍 香 |
| Gokujyō Jinkō Kunshō Kō | Rising Scent | 極上沈香薫昇香 |
| | | ||
| Premium Series | ||
| Tokusen Kokonoe | Premium Byakudan Kokonoe Kō | 特撰九重 |
| Tokusen Hōryu | Premium Jinkō Hōryu Kō | 特撰鳳龍 |
| Tokusen Kunshō | Premium Gokujyō Jinkō Kunshō Kō | 特撰薫昇 |
| Tokusen Kōshiboku | Timbers of Confucius | 特撰孔子木 |
| Tokusen Kōen | Garden Incense | 特撰香苑 |
| Kyara Kokō | Ancient Scent | 伽羅古香 |
Agarwood
Baieidō also pioneered research into the history of agarwoodAgarwood
Agarwood or oodh is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees when they become infected with a type of mold...
(also called aloeswood). http://www.japanese-incense.com/aloeswood.htm Agarwood
Agarwood
Agarwood or oodh is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees when they become infected with a type of mold...
refers to a resin that develops from some trees in the Aquilaria
Aquilaria
Aquilaria is a genus of fifteen species of trees in the Thymelaeaceae, native to southeast Asia. They occur particularly in the rain forests of Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Northern India, the Philippines, Borneo and New Guinea. The trees grow to 6-20 m tall...
genus that are infected with a fungus
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
. The tree produces a resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
to protect itself against the fungus. This resin is agarwood
Agarwood
Agarwood or oodh is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees when they become infected with a type of mold...
. Japanese incense
Japanese incense
Japanese incense has a long history. It came to Japan from China, along with Buddhism, in the year 538 CE. From that point on, incense would become an important facet of Japanese culture. Initially, it was only imported from China, until eventually Japan began to make its own...
often uses 2 common terms for agarwood
Agarwood
Agarwood or oodh is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees when they become infected with a type of mold...
: jinkō （沈香） and kyara （伽羅）. Jinkō refers to any kind of agarwood. Kyara refers to one specific type of agarwood.
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
has been using raw woods in incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
since the Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
(1185–1333). http://www.japanese-incense.com/aloeswood.htm Incense ceremonies are mentioned in The Tale of Genji
The Tale of Genji
is a classic work of Japanese literature attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century, around the peak of the Heian period. It is sometimes called the world's first novel, the first modern novel, the first psychological novel or the first novel still to be...
in the early 11th century. Much later, possibly in the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
(1603–1867), different agarwood
Agarwood
Agarwood or oodh is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees when they become infected with a type of mold...
s began to be labeled with different names. The different agarwoods were given the category name "Rikkoku" (六国), literally meaning "Six Countries". Kyara is one of these 6 kinds of agarwood.
- Kyara
Kyara is thought to have originally come from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
- Manaban
It is unknown where in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
the original Manaban agarwood came from.
- Sasora
The original location of Sasora agarwood is also unknown. It possibly came from Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
- Rakoku
Rakoku was from somewhere in modern Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
or Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
.
- Sumontara
Sumontara came from Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
- Managa
Managa came from Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
, Malaysia.
Most incense companies that make sets of "Rikkoku" replace these traditional agarwoods with available agarwoods that have similar scent properties to the original agarwoods. Baieidō has named the following agarwoods that are used in their incenses.
- Kokonoe no Kumo （九重の雲）
This agarwood
Agarwood
Agarwood or oodh is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees when they become infected with a type of mold...
is from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is used in "Byakudan Kokonoe Kō" incense.
- Tsukigase （月が瀬）
This agarwood
Agarwood
Agarwood or oodh is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees when they become infected with a type of mold...
comes from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. It is used in "Kaden Kōbunboku" and "Kai Un Kō" incense.
- Ogurayama （小倉山）
Ogurayama agarwood
Agarwood
Agarwood or oodh is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees when they become infected with a type of mold...
comes from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. It is used in "Shū Kō Koku" incense.
- Hakusui （白水）
Hakusui agarwood
Agarwood
Agarwood or oodh is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops trees when they become infected with a type of mold...
also comes from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. It is used in "Tokusen Shū Kō Koku" and "Tokusen Kōen" incense.