Baieido Miyoshi White Incense Ash for Kōdō

Baieido Miyoshi White Incense Ash is a fine Japanese ash for the traditional Kōdō incense ceremony and other forms of Japanese incense burning. It is made from white rice husk ash and is characterised by its fine, soft texture.

The white incense ash is used as a base in an incense burner. Unlike ordinary sand, its loose structure allows good air circulation. This enables incense charcoal or trails of Makko laid in the ash to smoulder evenly.

Use in Kōdō

White ash plays an important role in the preparation of the incense burner in Japanese incense culture. In Kōdō, it is traditionally placed in a Kōro and carefully shaped. A glowing piece of Japanese incense charcoal is embedded in the ash and covered with more ash. A small mica plate known as Gin-yo can then be positioned above it.

Small pieces of precious fragrant woods such as agarwood, or Jinkō, and sandalwood are indirectly heated on this plate. The wood does not come into direct contact with the charcoal. The controlled heat makes it possible to appreciate its aromatic qualities without burning the wood directly in a flame.

Versatile incense ash

Miyoshi incense ash is suitable not only for the traditional Kōdō ceremony. It can also be used as a base for incense sticks, incense cones, pieces of aromatic wood and Nerikō. It is equally suitable for burning Makko in a prepared incense trail.

For these applications, the ash is preferably placed in a suitable ceramic or porcelain incense burner. Traditional Kōdō often uses three-legged Kōro, whose raised form separates the vessel from the surface beneath it.

Kōdō – the Japanese Way of Fragrance

Kōdō, the “Way of Fragrance”, is one of the classical Japanese arts. Its development is associated, among other things, with the historical practice of Kō-awase, in which different fragrances and incense compositions were compared with one another. Over time, such courtly fragrance practices developed into a highly ritualised art centred on the appreciation of fragrant woods.

Baieido is closely associated with this Japanese incense culture. At the long-established company’s headquarters in Sakai near Osaka, Kōdō ceremonies and courses are practised in the tradition of the Misono-Goryū school.

Product information

• Product: Miyoshi White Incense Ash
• Brand: Baieido
• Material: white rice husk ash
• Fine, soft texture
• For Kōdō and traditional Japanese incense practices
• Suitable for incense charcoal and Gin-yo mica plates
• Also suitable for incense sticks, incense cones, fragrant wood, Nerikō and Makko trails