Kumiko - Kumiko

A nose-sensing competition that began in the Muromachi period, in which participants guess the names of incense. In the old style of Jitchuko, the fire starter's incense main asks the participants to listen to three incense names in turn, then makes a complex combination called Shishu Jufuku. The incense that has not yet been tried is called the "guest," and the first guest is called the second guest, the third guest, and so on. There were 200 to 300 types of kumiko, including horse racing incense and Genji incense. Monko originated from the Oie school of Sanjonishi Sanetaka, and there were schools such as the Shino school, Takebe school, and Yonekawa school, and kumiko also had outside incense that was passed down in each family, but most of these fell into disuse at the end of the Edo period. Note that the Meikoawase incense-matching competition, which has been around since the Heian period, is a competition to see who has the best incense quality, and is different from kumiko.

[Inokuma Kanekatsu]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

室町時代より始まった香名をあてる鼻識の競技。古い作法の十炷香(じっちゅうこう)は、火元の香本は、3種の香名を参加者に順次聞かせ、次に四種十封などとよばれる複雑な組合せをする。まだ試していない香を「客」とし、初客、二客、三客とする。組香の種類には競馬香、源氏香など200～300種あった。聞香は、三条西実隆(さねたか)の御家(おいえ)流を祖とし、志野流、建部(たけべ)流、米川(よねかわ)流など流派が分かれ、組香も各家に伝わる外組の香があったが、多くは江戸末期に廃れた。なお、平安時代よりある薫物合(たきものあわせ)の名香合(めいこうあわせ)は、香質の良悪を競うもので、組香とは異なる。

［猪熊兼勝］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例