Incense ceremony

Japanese: 香道 - こうどう

It is a branch of aesthetic education that aims to develop a person by burning fragrant wood and appreciating its fragrance. Therefore, it is not just a game, but includes ethical and artistic behavior and is performed according to a certain set of rules.

[Sanjonishi Kimiyoshi]

history

Jinko (kyara) was introduced to Japan along with Buddhism in the 6th century (Asuka period). At first, it was used mainly by monks in temples as incense offerings to purify altars, following Indian customs, and among monks it was also used as incense lining to purify the mind and body. Then, in the latter half of the 7th century (Nara period), it became popular among the upper aristocracy, especially at the imperial court, and the practice of burning incense (including incense) in rooms and on clothing, known as soradakimono (empty incense), became popular. For example, burning incense on clothing, which was popular around the 10th century (Heian period), would involve burning incense in a fire-carrying pot, covering it with a basket, and then hanging the clothing over the basket to allow the fragrance to permeate the clothing. Later, the basket was made of metal, and a set with a fire-catching incense burner was invented. This is called a fire-catching mother (hitorimo). As time passed, the custom of burning incense on clothes began to spread among the general public as well. Instead of a basket, a wooden stick was used, and this was called a fusego. This change occurred as clothing shifted from formal attire to Japanese clothing (kosode).

Furthermore, the incense used to burn on clothing is primarily incense paste (nerikou), not fragrant wood. It is an artificially created and prepared aromatic substance. Therefore, subtle differences can occur depending on the senses of the preparer. Representative recipes include "Jowa no Kata," "Hachijo no Kata," and "Kanin Sadaijin no Kata," and are considered the standard for incense preparation.

Since incense has subtle differences like this, on the one hand, these differences were also incorporated into the world of games. This was called Takimono Awase, and it gained an important position among the Heian aristocracy as a part of culture. Since it was a game as a part of culture, it was customary to have a knowledgeable and experienced person act as a judge. If no suitable candidate could be found, the participants would decide on the superiority by consensus. This judgment is called Shugihan. The judge mainly judges the skill of the incense preparation, the suitability of the name, and the quality of the aroma. Since it is a competition of superiority, two types of incense are needed for each session, and the number of times it is held is called how many types of incense are used. For example, the Rokushu Kunmono Awase is a system in which 12 different types of incense are prepared and held six times. Around the 15th century (Muromachi period), this came to be held with aloeswood, and it is called Meiko Awase. The famous Meikogo event held on May 29, 1501 (Bunki 1) by Shino Soshin and a dozen other people is well known. Takitsugiko is an offshoot of this Meikogo. Applying the principles of Renga verse, which was popular at the time, Takitsugiko was an interest in how the incense names were linked, and the excitement of this leap was at the heart of the fad. Even in these pastimes, we can see signs that people's feelings were beginning to shift away from a spirit of competition to a peaceful world of literature. It is impossible to overlook the fact that interest was shifting towards realizing a peaceful world of poetry. This trend led to the emergence of literary Kumiko.

Kumikoh began appearing in documents under the name Jitchukoh from around the end of the 14th century, but as it became popular after Bokekikoh, it would be appropriate to see it as a game of the next generation after Bokekikoh. It is characterized by the use of two or more types of fragrant wood and the development of a game under a certain title. It offers a freshness not seen in traditional incense games, and here the focus of interest is not on competing over which is better, but on whether the title is adequately expressed through the fragrance.

On the other hand, Kumiko is superior to traditional games in that it allows for creativity. Due to the creativity involved, there are approximately 1,000 types of Kumiko that have been passed down to the present day, and among these, the most famous are known as the Thirty Kumiko, which are frequently performed. Of the Thirty Kumiko, the ten groups that were created up until around the 16th century are known as the Kotokumi, those created in the 17th century as the Nakajugumi, and those created in the 18th century as the Shinjugumi, and are considered representative works. The ancient ten groups are Ten Sticks Incense, Kagetsu Incense, Ujiyama Incense, Small Bird Incense, Hototogisu Incense, Small Grass Incense, Family Tree Incense, Genpei Incense, Combined Ten Sticks Incense, and Toriawase Incense. The middle ten groups are Famous Places Incense, Genji Incense, Horse Racing Incense, Three Sticks Incense, Arrows Incense, Kusamoku Incense, Bugaku Incense, Shicho Incense, Sumiyoshi Incense, and Smoke-Fighting Incense. The new ten groups are Kagun Incense, Kokin Incense, Goetsu Incense, Sanyaku Incense, Kemari Incense, Uguisu Incense, Rikugi Incense, Hoshiai Incense, Cockfighting Incense, and Combined Kagetsu Incense.

Just as the titles of these Kumiko are different, the way they are played is also different. In other words, they are created by different organizations. To explain it in an easy-to-understand way, let's talk about "Ujiyamako." "Ujiyamako" is a Kumiko based on the poem by Kisen-hoshi, "My hut is in the capital, and people call the world Ujiyama, the place where I live." It has been well known among incense masters since the 16th century. The title Ujiyamako comes from the poem, "The world is Ujiyama," and the organization separates each line of the poem and uses them as its components. Therefore, there are five elements. Different types of incense wood are allocated to each of these. In later times, the amount of incense wood allocated is a small piece of about 2 millimeters square, but the earlier it was, the smaller pieces were used. It was said that "incense is the treasure of the country," and it was used with great care.

In Ujiyamakoh, two small pieces of incense wood are prepared in advance and placed in an incense bag. One is called the test incense bag and the other is called the main incense bag. The name of the incense is written on the front of the test incense bag and on the back of the main incense bag, for example, "Waga hut is" (My hut is) and is the name of the incense. In this Kumikoh, the five test incense bags are burned in the order of the lines of the waka poem, and when it is time for the main incense, the bags are mixed well and one is taken out and burned, and the participant is asked to answer what the incense bag was. In other words, the participant should answer "Waga hut is" or "Shikazo dwelling". The person who writes down the answers of the participants on a piece of paper in the order of seating is called the writer, and the person who burns the incense is called the incense originator. When the record is completed, the incense originator announces what incense was burned. This is basically the end of the game, but while the writer is creating the record, the participants are left with various questions about the incense that was just burned. For example, let us suppose that the incense burned was "my hut" and that it was aloeswood. Since aloeswood is the finest incense used in the art of incense-smelling, its use in "my hut" should tentatively be interpreted as indicating whether the hut in question was fine or whether it was a favorite of Kisen-hoshi.

On the other hand, some people believe that aloeswood is not suitable for expressing the hermitage of a monk in an uninhabited place, and therefore Mananban or Sumotara would be better instead of Kyara. This is where the higher nature of Kumiko lies. For this reason, those who make incense groups (those who make incense) take great pains to choose the incense to be used for the components of the Kumiko, and this is what makes it so enjoyable. Furthermore, the inscription of the incense must also be appropriate. This is because the inscription plays a supporting role to the components. For example, the inscription "Rattataru Yado" (a ruined inn) would be inappropriate for a newly built hut; it would be safer to use "Yamagaya" (mountain cottage). The above is a discussion of one element of "Ujiyamako," but the same can be said for the other elements.

The play with incense began as the art of incense appreciation at the end of the 16th century. The play with incense, which had previously been held mainly among the nobles at the Imperial Court, began to spread among the general public, and as a result, Sanjonishi Sanetaka, who also served the Imperial Court's incense office, and Shino Munenobu, who served the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, were each revered as the founders of a school of incense appreciation. The school founded by Sanetaka is called the Oie school, and the school founded by Munenobu is called the Shino school, and both schools continue to play an important role in this art to this day. Other important schools include the Yonekawa school, founded by Yonekawa Johaku, and the Oeda school, founded by Oeda Ryuho, but both were temporary in existence. Among individuals, Takebe Takakatsu, Fujino Sensai, Seki Chikayoshi, Eda Yokyo, Iyoda Katsuyoshi, Katsui Kinsui and others were well known for their deep knowledge of this art.

[Sanjonishi Kimiyoshi]

"Appreciation of Kumikoh, by Sanjonishi Kimiyoshi (1965, Risosha)" ▽ "The art of incense - history and literature, by Sanjonishi Kimiyoshi (1971, Tankosha)" ▽ "The History of the Art of Incense, by Isshiki Risato (1968, Ashi Shobo)" ▽ "The Art of Incense, by Sugimoto Buntaro (1969, Yuzankaku Publishing)" ▽ "The History of Incense, by Hayakawa Jinzo" (included in Tradition and Modernity, Vol. 10, 1969, Gakugei Shorin)" ▽ "Illustrated Guide to the Etiquette of Incense and Kumikoh, edited by Nagayuki, revised and enlarged edition (2000, Yuzankaku Publishing)" ▽ "Incense and the Art of Incense, edited by the Society for the Study of Incense Culture, revised and enlarged edition (2002, Yuzankaku Publishing)" ▽ "Encyclopedia of the History of the Art of Incense, by Jimbo Hiroyuki (2003, Kashiwa Shobo)" ▽ "Invitation to the Art of Incense" by Kitakoji Noriaki and Kitakoji Shigeko (2004, Tankosha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

香木(こうぼく)を焚(た)き、その薫りを鑑賞することによって人間形成を図る情操教育の一分野である。したがって、それは単なる遊びではなく、その内容には倫理的・芸道的行為を含み、一定の作法のもとに行われる。

［三條西公正］

歴史

日本には6世紀（飛鳥(あすか)時代）に仏教とともに沈香(じんこう)（伽羅(きゃら)）が伝わり、最初の間は僧侶(そうりょ)によってもっぱらインドの風習に倣って、仏前を浄(きよ)めるための供香(そなえこう)として寺院で用いられ、僧侶の間では心身を浄めるための塗香(ずこう)としても使用された。やがて7世紀（奈良時代）の後半ごろになると、宮廷を中心として上流貴族階級でも実用とし、部屋や衣服に香（薫物(たきもの)を含む）を焚きしめる空薫物(そらだきもの)（空炷物、空香）が流行する。たとえば、10世紀（平安時代）ごろ盛んに行われた衣服に香を焚きしめる場合には、火取(ひとり)に香を焚き、その上を籠(こ)で覆い、その籠に衣服をかけて、香気を衣服に浸透させる。のちには籠が金属製になり、火取香炉とセットになったものが考案された。これを火取母(ひとりも)とよんでいる。なお衣服に香を焚きしめる風習は、時代が進むにつれて一般庶民の間にも普及し始めた。籠のかわりに木の棒でつくったものを用い、これを伏籠(ふせご)とよんだ。この変化は、衣服が装束から和服（小袖(こそで)）に移行したために出現したのである。

　また衣服に焚きしめる場合に用いる香は、主として薫物（練香(ねりこう)）であって、香木ではない。人為的に創作調製された芳香物質である。したがって調製者の感覚でそれぞれ微妙な相違ができる。代表的処方に「承和の方」「八条宮の方」「閑院左大臣の方」などがあり、薫物方の規範とされている。

　薫物にはこのように微妙な相違が生まれるので、一方ではその差違が遊びの世界にも取り入れられた。それを薫物合(たきものあわせ)とよんで、平安貴族の間に教養の一具として重要な地位をつくりあげた。教養の一具としての遊びであるから、そこでは博識経験豊かな人を判者として催されるのが常道である。もし適者を得られない場合には、参加者全員の合議で優劣を判定する。この場合の判定を衆議判(しゅうぎはん)という。判者は薫物の調製の巧拙、銘の適・不適、たちかた（香り）の良否などを主として判定する。優劣を競うので1回に2種の薫物が必要で、その回数に従って何種薫物合とよばれたのである。たとえば六種薫物合といえば、12種のそれぞれ異なる薫物が用意され、6回行われる仕組みである。これが15世紀（室町時代）ごろには沈香木で行われるようになり、名香合(めいこうあわせ)とよばれるのである。1501年（文亀1）5月29日に志野宗信(そうしん)ほか十数人で催した名香合は有名である。この名香合から派生したものに炷継香(たきつぎこう)がある。これは当時流行していた連歌の法則を応用して、香銘の連絡の仕方に興味の重点が置かれ、その飛躍のおもしろさが流行の中心となっていたのである。優劣を競う精神と比べて、平和な文芸世界に人々の気持ちが移行し始めた兆候が、こうした遊びの面でもうかがえるのである。平和な詩の世界の実現に興味が移っている点を見逃すことはできない。こうした気運が文芸的な組香(くみこう)の出現を全うしたのである。

　組香は14世紀末ごろから十炷香(じっちゅうこう)という名称で文献に現れてくるが、その流行期は炷継香ののちになるから、炷継香の次の世代の遊びとみるのが妥当であろう。2種以上の香木を使用して、一定の題名のもとに遊びが展開されるところに特徴がある。従来の香遊びにはみられなかった新鮮味があり、ここでは優劣を競うのではなく、題名を十分に香気で表現できたか否かに興味の焦点が絞られるのである。

　また一方では、組香が創作できる点にも従来の遊びより優れたものがある。創作ができるゆえに組香として今日に伝わっているものは約1000種にも及ぶが、そのうちで有名なものをとくに三十組組香とよび、しばしば行われている。三十組組香は、16世紀ごろまでに成立しているもの10組を古十組(ことくみ)、17世紀に成立したものを中(なか)十組、18世紀に成立したものを新(しん)十組と称し、代表的作品としている。古十組とは、十炷香、花月香、宇治山(うじやま)香、小鳥香、郭公(ほととぎす)香、小草香、系図香、源平香、焚合十炷香、鳥合(とりあわせ)香のこと、中十組とは、名所香、源氏香、競馬香、三炷香、矢数香、草木香、舞楽香、四町香、住吉香、煙争香のこと、新十組とは、花軍(かぐん)香、古今香、呉越(ごえつ)香、三夕香、蹴鞠(けまり)香、鶯(うぐいす)香、六儀(りくぎ)香、星合香、闘鶏香、焚合花月香のことである。

　これらの組香は、その題名が異なるように、遊び方もそれぞれ違う。すなわち、異なる組織で創作されているのである。わかりやすく解説するために「宇治山香」を述べてみよう。「宇治山香」は喜撰(きせん)法師の「わが庵(いほ)は都のたつみしかぞ住む世を宇治山と人は云(い)ふなり」という和歌を典拠としてつくられた組香で、16世紀ごろから香人の間にはよく知られていたのである。宇治山香という題名はもちろん和歌のうちにある「世を宇治山と」からつけられたもので、その組織は和歌の各句を独立させ、これを構成要素としている。したがって要素は五つになる。これにそれぞれ異なる種類の香木を配分する。配分される香木の量は、後世では2ミリメートル四方くらいの小片であるが、初期にさかのぼるほど、小さく削ったものを使用していた。「香は国の宝なり」といわれ、きわめてたいせつに使用されたものである。

　宇治山香では、あらかじめ香木の小片を2個ずつつくり、それを1個ずつ香包に入れる。一つのほうを試香包、他の一つを本香包という。試香包は表面に、本香包は内面の奥に、たとえば「わが庵は」と書き記して香の名称とする。この組香では試香五包を和歌の句の順序で炷き、次に本香となった場合には、香包をよく混ぜてから一包を取り出して炷き、その一包がなんであったかを答える仕組みである。すなわち「わが庵は」とか「しかぞ住む」と答えればよいのである。連衆の答えを一枚の紙に席次順に記入する者を執筆といい、香を炷く者を香元(こうもと)という。記録ができあがったとき、香元がたいた香がなんであったかを発表する。だいたいこれでこの遊びは終わるのであるが、執筆が記録を作成する間に、連衆には、いま炷かれた香について種々の問題が残されているのである。たとえば、炷かれた香が「わが庵は」であったと仮定し、それが伽羅であったとする。伽羅は香道で使用する香の最上のものであるから、それが「わが庵は」に用いられていることによって、その庵がりっぱなものであったか、それともその庵が喜撰法師の気に入りの物であったかを示しているといちおう解釈すべきである。

　しかしまた一方では、世捨人の僧侶の草庵(そうあん)で、人も住んでいない所の庵を表現するのにはふさわしくないので、伽羅のかわりに真南蛮(まなんばん)か寸聞多羅(すもたら)のほうがよいなどの意見が生まれてくるところに、組香の高次性が存するのである。それゆえに香組をする者（出香者）は、組香の構成要素に配する香の選び方に苦心するし、楽しさもわくのである。そのうえ、香の銘も適当でなければならない。なぜかといえば、その銘が構成要素に対して補助的役割を帯びているからである。たとえば、新築したばかりの庵に対して、「荒れたる宿」という香銘では不適当で、それよりは「山家」などを用いたほうが無難であろう。以上「宇治山香」の一要素について述べたが、同様のことが他の各要素についてもいえる。

　香遊びが香道として発足したのは16世紀末以来のことである。従来宮廷を中心として公家(くげ)の間で催されていた香の遊びが、一般に普及し始めた結果、公家では宮中の御香所にも奉仕していた三条西実隆(さんじょうにしさねたか)と、武家では将軍足利義政(あしかがよしまさ)に仕えていた志野宗信(そうしん)が、それぞれ一流派の始祖と仰がれ、実隆を流祖とするものを御家(おいえ)流、宗信を流祖とするものを志野流と称し、今日まで斯道(しどう)に重きをなしている。このほか、重要な流派に米川常白(よねかわじょうはく)を流祖とする米川流、大枝流芳(おおえだりゅうほう)を流祖とする大枝派があるが、いずれも一時的存在であった。また個人では建部隆勝(たけべりゅうしょう)をはじめ、藤野専斉、関親卿、江田世恭、伊予田勝由、勝井錦水らが斯道に造詣(ぞうけい)が深いので有名である。

［三條西公正］

『三條西公正著『組香の鑑賞』（1965・理想社）』▽『三條西公正著『香道――歴史と文学』（1971・淡交社）』▽『一色梨郷著『香道のあゆみ』（1968・芦書房）』▽『杉本文太郎著『香道』（1969・雄山閣出版）』▽『早川甚三「香の歴史」（『伝統と現代』10所収・1969・学芸書林）』▽『長ゆき編『図解　香道の作法と組香』増補改訂版（2000・雄山閣出版）』▽『香道文化研究会編『香と香道』増補改訂版（2002・雄山閣出版）』▽『神保博行著『香道の歴史事典』（2003・柏書房）』▽『北小路功光・北小路成子著『香道への招待』（2004・淡交社）』