Baieido
Baieidō （Japanese language: 梅栄堂） is a Japanese incense company established in 1657, located in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture.
History
In 1657, a man changed his name to "Jinkōya Sakubei" and started to sell incense. He named his store "Jinsaku" as an abbreviation of his name. In the Meiji period (1868–1912), the store name was changed from "Jinsaku" to "Nakata Baieidō".
The name "Baieidō" is derived from the three characters Bai, Ei, and Dō.
- Bai means "Plum Tree"
- Ei means "Prosperity"
- Dō means "Shrine or Store"
Traditional Incense
The following are the main incenses made by Baieidō. Their staple incense is "Kōbunboku" （好文木）. Several of the other incenses are based on this incense.
| Title | Description | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| Kōbunboku | Expression of the Plum Tree | 好文木 |
| Tokusen Kōbunboku | Premium Kōbunboku | 特選好文木 |
| Kaden Kōbunboku | Family Secret | 家伝好文木 |
| Bikō Kōbunboku | Delicate | 微香好文木 |
| Bikō Kōbunboku | Delicate (Smokeless) | 微香好文木（煙ひかえめ） |
| Jinkō Kōbunboku | Agarwood (Smokeless) | 沈香好文木（煙ひかえめ） |
| Byakudan Kōbunboku | White Sandalwood | 白檀好文木 |
| Sawayaka Kōbunboku | Cinnamon | さわやか好文木 |
| Kai Un Kō | Good Fortune | 開運香 |
| Shū Kō Koku | Gathering of Fragrant Countries | 聚香国 |
| Tokusen Shū Kō Koku | Premium Shū Kō Koku | 特選聚香国 |
| Jinkōya Sakubē Series | 沈香屋作兵衛 | |
| Byakudan Kokonoe Kō | Incense of the Imperial Palace | 白檀九重香 |
| Jinkō Hōryu Kō | Phoenix & Dragon | 沈香鳳龍 香 |
| Gokujyō Jinkō Kunshō Kō | Rising Scent | 極上沈香薫昇香 |
| Premium Series | ||
| Tokusen Kokonoe | Premium Byakudan Kokonoe Kō | 特撰九重 |
| Tokusen Hōryu | Premium Jinkō Hōryu Kō | 特撰鳳龍 |
| Tokusen Kunshō | Premium Gokujyō Jinkō Kunshō Kō | 特撰薫昇 |
| Tokusen Kōshiboku | Timbers of Confucius | 特撰孔子木 |
| Tokusen Kōen | Garden Incense | 特撰香苑 |
| Kyara Kokō | Ancient Scent | 伽羅古香 |
Agarwood
Baieidō also pioneered research into the history of agarwood (also called aloeswood). Agarwood refers to a resin that develops from some trees in the Aquilaria genus that are infected with a fungus. The tree produces a resin to protect itself against the fungus. This resin is agarwood. Japanese incense often uses 2 common terms for agarwood: jinkō （沈香） and kyara （伽羅）. Jinkō refers to any kind of agarwood. Kyara refers to one specific type of agarwood.
Japan has been using raw woods in incense since the Kamakura period (1185–1333). Incense ceremonies are mentioned in The Tale of Genji in the early 11th century. Much later, possibly in the Edo period (1603–1867), different agarwoods began to be labeled with different names. The different agarwoods were given the category name "Rikkoku" (六国), literally meaning "Six Countries". Kyara is one of these 6 kinds of agarwood.
- Kyara
Kyara is thought to have originally come from Vietnam.
- Manaban
It is unknown where in Southeast Asia the original Manaban agarwood came from.
- Sasora
The original location of Sasora agarwood is also unknown. It possibly came from Assam, India.
- Rakoku
Rakoku was from somewhere in modern Thailand or Laos.
- Sumontara
Sumontara came from Sumatra, Indonesia.
- Managa
Managa came from Malacca, Malaysia.
Most incense companies that make sets of "Rikkoku" replace these traditional agarwoods with available agarwoods that have similar scent properties to the original agarwoods. Baieidō has named the following agarwoods that are used in their incenses.
- Kokonoe no Kumo （九重の雲）
This agarwood is from Indonesia. It is used in "Byakudan Kokonoe Kō" incense.
- Tsukigase （月が瀬）
This agarwood comes from Vietnam. It is used in "Kaden Kōbunboku" and "Kai Un Kō" incense.
- Ogurayama （小倉山）
Ogurayama agarwood comes from Vietnam. It is used in "Shū Kō Koku" incense.
- Hakusui （白水）
Hakusui agarwood also comes from Vietnam. It is used in "Tokusen Shū Kō Koku" and "Tokusen Kōen" incense.
See also
External links
- Baieidō's Website
- Rikkoku ("Six Countries" of agarwood)
- Baieido USA
- Japanese Incense by Kyozaburo Nakata & David Oller