Given the recent discussion on oud and agarwood, I thought it might by informative to discuss an unusual kind of perfume style from Japan: zuko. Zuko means "body incense" in Japanese. Instead of being burned, it's rubbed on the skin. It is used primarily for religious purification, or for tasks that require mental concentration, and is associated with Shingon, the esoteric form of Buddhism practiced in Japan.
So this is the form of incense I tried recently, Shoyeido's Johin. The word Johin 上品 means "refined", and is made from the Chinese characters for "superior", 上, and "stuff", 品. This refers to the grade of materials used in producing the incense. It's not expensive and only costs about 10 dollars for about 15 grams, being the least expensive in Shoyeido's line.
I've only used this a few times, being curious about the effect it would have being used instead of burning incense in meditation. The scent is actually reminiscent of Pinaud's Bay Rum (lots of clove and cinnamon), but it has a strong camphor note up front, giving it a medicinal character. In fact, this perfume is fairly potent, only requiring tiny pinches to be detectable. However, unlike modern perfumes, it doesn't have alot of projection, and it's really meant for personal use, and not the enjoyment of others. When it "dries down", there is more harmony and integration in the scents, and it just has a clean, spicy aroma.
Rather than strong wood notes, I get hints of patchouli. The smell is reminiscent of a Japanese incense I have tried, Koukando Sennenko, which is a gentle, less-smoke sandalwood-patchouli-spice type meant to be an everyday type incense. These kinds of subtle incenses are very popular in Japan.
There's also hints of a musky, marine note, perhaps there is a small amount of onycha in the mixture. One reviewer, perhaps unfamiliar with Asian incense, compared it to B.O., and while I think that perception is a bit off, it does have a faint musky heaviness beyond the cinnamon and clove spiciness.
So this incense is used primarily for spiritual purposes, and not usual perfume use. So how does it perform? Well, the fragrance is frankly a bit jarring to me far as incenses go, because it's so intensely medicinal. But the incense mixture does have the effect of being calming and centering, so I would say it fulfills the intended function. I am curious now to try a more expensive form of zuko.
So this is the form of incense I tried recently, Shoyeido's Johin. The word Johin 上品 means "refined", and is made from the Chinese characters for "superior", 上, and "stuff", 品. This refers to the grade of materials used in producing the incense. It's not expensive and only costs about 10 dollars for about 15 grams, being the least expensive in Shoyeido's line.
Amazon.com: SHOYEIDO Fine Quality Incense Body Powder - Johin: Home & Kitchen
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I've only used this a few times, being curious about the effect it would have being used instead of burning incense in meditation. The scent is actually reminiscent of Pinaud's Bay Rum (lots of clove and cinnamon), but it has a strong camphor note up front, giving it a medicinal character. In fact, this perfume is fairly potent, only requiring tiny pinches to be detectable. However, unlike modern perfumes, it doesn't have alot of projection, and it's really meant for personal use, and not the enjoyment of others. When it "dries down", there is more harmony and integration in the scents, and it just has a clean, spicy aroma.
Rather than strong wood notes, I get hints of patchouli. The smell is reminiscent of a Japanese incense I have tried, Koukando Sennenko, which is a gentle, less-smoke sandalwood-patchouli-spice type meant to be an everyday type incense. These kinds of subtle incenses are very popular in Japan.
Amazon.com: Koukando Classical Japanese Incense Sticks Sennenko - Small Pack - 5.5 inches 275 sticks - Made in Japan: Beauty
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There's also hints of a musky, marine note, perhaps there is a small amount of onycha in the mixture. One reviewer, perhaps unfamiliar with Asian incense, compared it to B.O., and while I think that perception is a bit off, it does have a faint musky heaviness beyond the cinnamon and clove spiciness.
So this incense is used primarily for spiritual purposes, and not usual perfume use. So how does it perform? Well, the fragrance is frankly a bit jarring to me far as incenses go, because it's so intensely medicinal. But the incense mixture does have the effect of being calming and centering, so I would say it fulfills the intended function. I am curious now to try a more expensive form of zuko.
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