An original sampler set from our store featuring one stick each of five varieties from the Shuju series: Rakoku, Manaban, Manaka, Sumotara, and Sasora. *Shuju Kyara is not included in this set. *The incense sticks may slide out; please handle with care when opening. Among the many types of aromatic wood, those in which resin accumulates in the tree are called aloeswood trees, and the resinous portions are known as jinko (sinking fragrance). Jinko is broadly classified into six categories — Kyara, Rakoku, Manaban, Manaka, Sumatora, and Sasora — collectively called "Rikoku" (the Six Woods), each with its own unique fragrance. These fragrances are described through "Gomi" (five tastes: sweet, sour, spicy, salty, and bitter), and the finest fragrances are those in which all five are harmoniously balanced. While the full depth of these scents is best appreciated in the art of koh-doh (incense ceremony), Shuju incense sticks are crafted using the finest aromatic woods to recreate those fragrances as closely as possible. *Due to fluctuations in raw material availability, kyara-based incense may not always be in stock.
