Seikado Japanese Incense

The island of Awaji, off the coast of Osaka, is considered to be the place where the tradition of incense was born in Japan. A trunk of aromatic wood washed ashore for the first time in the third year of the reign of the emperor Suiko (597), probably high quality agarwood had arrived on this shore by accident. The tradition of incense was born, and has developed over the centuries.

The island of Awaji was easily affected by the westerly winds that formed between the mountains of Chugoku and the production area of Shikoku, which was extremely beneficial for the manufacture of incense, which required drying during the production process. During the Edo period (Tokyo's former name), incense production flourished thanks to the favourable conditions for transporting raw materials and products by boat to this region. This is still the case today, and Osaka is home to many incense manufacturers.