Incense Utensils Koh-Dogu

Incense Utensils

This tool set is perfect for Koh-do: the way of incense, also known as Kōdō (香 道).

In kōdō, a small piece of fragrant wood is heated on a small mica plate (Gin-yo), which is heated from below by a piece of charcoal surrounded by ash. All of this is stored in a small ceramic censer that can look like a cup. It is not common for wood or incense sticks to be burned, as that would cause smoke; only the essential aromatic oils may be released from the wood by the heat underneath.

ha i-oshi 灰 押: an aid for preparing the ashes of an incense burner.

koji 火 箸: A tool for moving charcoal and preparing ashes.

ginyo-basami 銀 葉 挾: An aid used in handling the mica plate.

gin-yo 銀 葉 (2 pieces): place the silver leaf on the ashes. It acts as a separation between the fragrant incense and the heat of the coals or ashes.