The story of Awaji Island and incense

"Incense seems kind of difficult, and it's a bit too much for me..."
Do you think so? In fact, while the world of incense is deep and diverse, it is also fascinating and can be enjoyed easily even by beginners.

Awaji Island, which has been attracting particular attention in recent years, is a place where a culture of fragrance thrives, nurtured by its rich nature and history.
This time, we will introduce the world of incense, which is deeply connected to Awaji Island, in an easy-to-understand manner even for beginners.
We will share with you all the charm of the fragrances of Awaji Island, so please read to the end and we hope you will find a special fragrance for you.

Awaji Island and its deep history of fragrance

The year is 595, and Awaji Island is hit by a driftwood the size of a man's arms.
When the islanders lit the tree on fire, a wonderful fragrance spread all around. (Nihon Shoki, Volume 22)

This driftwood is called submerged agarwood, the most valuable ingredient in incense.
In the world of aromatherapy and perfume, it is referred to as agarwood or oud.

This driftwood is still worshipped by local people as the sacred object of worship at Kareki Shrine, where it is said that fragrant wood was first introduced to Japan.
If you head south from Kareki Shrine on the west coast of Awaji Island, you will come across something called Incense Street.

As soon as you enter this area, the faint smell of incense fills the air inside your car, even if you are driving through with the windows closed.
This episode shows that Awaji Island has had a deep connection with Japan's fragrance culture since ancient times.
Its long history is closely linked to its abundant nature.

Awaji Island's History and Fragrance Culture

Awaji Island is an island with such a long history that it even appears in Japanese mythology.
Its name is recorded in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, and it has been revered as a sacred place where the gods descended.
Awaji Island is a special island that was first created in Japan when Izanagi and Izanami stirred up the earth with Ame-no-Nuboko, in other words, the island that was born from the nation and is blessed with abundant nature.

The episode in Volume 22 of the Nihon Shoki marks the beginning of incense in Japan.
It is said that when the islanders discovered this fragrant wood and experienced its wonderful scent, they presented it to Prince Shotoku.
It is said that at that time, Prince Shotoku already knew that it was a submerged agarwood.

There are probably many theories, but if you search for Awaji Island and incense, you will find that incense has been popular on Awaji Island since ancient times and has been made from plants grown on the island, but I have never heard of such a record even within the incense industry.
I heard that the connection between Awaji Island and incense reappeared after the war.

Why did the fragrance culture develop on Awaji Island?

Currently, approximately 70% of the incense sold in Japan is produced on Awaji Island.
Broadly speaking, there are three reasons why incense developed on Awaji Island.

1. Climate: Dry and well-ventilated, perfect for making incense

• Dry Climate

  Awaji Island is relatively dry throughout the year, making the climate ideal for drying the raw materials for incense.
  The process of drying the ingredients is extremely important in incense making, and Awaji Island's climate is ideal for carrying out this process efficiently.

• Well-ventilated environment

  Awaji Island is surrounded by the sea and has a well-ventilated environment.
  Not only does it dry the ingredients, but it also blows air evenly over them to produce incense of better quality.
  The winds blowing in from the Seto Inland Sea are said to be particularly suitable for this area, and many incense makers set up their workshops on the west coast of Awaji Island.

2. History: Technical traditions from Sakai, development of cottage industries

• Technical traditions from Sakai

  During the Edo period, when the technology for making incense sticks was introduced from China, Sakai in Osaka was known as a production area of ​​incense.
  Sakai flourished as a trading port and imported fragrant wood from China, which led to the development of incense-making techniques.
  After the war, the techniques for making incense were transmitted to Awaji Island.

• Development of cottage industries

  Fishing was once a thriving industry on Awaji Island, but there were periods during the winter when people could not go out fishing.
  As a result, incense making developed as a cottage industry, and many craftsmen were born.

3. Economy: Contributing to the revitalization of the local economy

• Revitalization of the local economy

  Incense making played an important role in revitalizing the local economy on Awaji Island.
  It created many jobs and developed into a local industry.

Due to the combined effect of these factors, Awaji Island developed as a producer of incense, and today it boasts the largest production volume in Japan.
Bridge and Blend's incense cones are also carefully crafted one by one by skilled incense makers on Awaji Island.

Awaji Island and Bridge and Blend

I, an incense producer, first encountered incense in 2015 when the priest who recited sutras at my parents' house to mourn my mother who had passed away always burned a different scented incense. When I asked him about it, I found out that he changed his own incense depending on the season and his feelings.
So I decided to try making incense myself and took part in a workshop in Japan from Singapore, where I was living at the time.
I have been involved in the world of fragrance for a long time and understood the principles of fragrance, but I really enjoyed making incense using my nose and hands, so I started my own incense-making workshops.
At the same time, I began to study incense and learned about the story of Awaji Island and incense.

This was before Bridge and Blend was launched as an incense brand.
I moved from overseas to Japan in the summer of 2017, and two years later I had the opportunity to visit Awaji Island.
First, we visited Kareki Shrine, where the first recorded agarwood washed up on Japan is said to be enshrined as a sacred object, and then walked down Incense Street, visiting several incense manufacturers.

A year later, as we were preparing to start our own incense brand, a supplier of incense ingredients introduced us to a Koh-shi on Awaji Island, and we were able to create incense that was 100% natural, handmade, and sustainable.

Summary | Enjoy a relaxing time with incense from Awaji Island

This time, we introduced you to the world of incense, which is deeply connected to Awaji Island.
Incense, nurtured by the rich nature and history of Awaji Island, provides healing to the mind and body and creates a rich experience.

Using this article as a guide, try out different types of incense to find the scent that suits you best.
We hope that the scents of Awaji Island will help you to enrich your daily life.

In particular, the incense that has become popular in recent years uses essential oils and is far removed from traditional incense, so if you want to awaken to the true scent of Japan and experience traditional incense, we recommend you try Bridge and Blend products.
Taking the time to soothe your mind with incense made using traditional methods on Awaji Island using carefully selected aromatic ingredients shipped to Japan from all over the world is sure to soothe you.