Nara kadzidła

Nara, a small, peaceful Japanese town, is full of magnificent temples and shrines. It is also home to a park famous for its freely roaming deer. The charming, century-old Nara Hotel, beloved by dignitaries, offers a friendly haven. We lose ourselves in the delight of the winding streets of the city. The air is filled with the beautiful scent of sandalwood. This warm, soothing aroma is enriched with a hint of sweet and sensual jasmine.

Thanks to the favorable climate of Awaji Island, located off the coast of Kobe, the best incense comes from there. Local perfumers, koh-shi, prepare incense according to a thousand-year-old tradition passed down from father to son. They have perfected four stages of production. First, they prepare and mix ingredients - all of natural origin - including exotic wood, plants and herbs, plant resins and perfumes. They knead these ingredients to form a uniform paste and leave it for two weeks to combine with the perfumes. From this paste, they form long strips, which are then cut to the desired length and left to dry for three days in the western wind. The finished incense is gathered in bundles. Each box contains about 125 incense sticks, each burning for 30 minutes.