Japanese incense has played a fundamental role in spiritual and cultural traditions across the world, particularly in Japan, where it is used in Buddhist rituals, ancestral offerings, and even for personal enjoyment. Unlike in the West, where incense is often associated solely with religious or meditative purposes, in Japan, it has been both a refined art form and a mark of aristocratic sophistication for over a millennium. During the Heian period (794–1185), Japanese incense
