This episode looks at how the Japanese have interacted with fragrances. The Japanese have come up with various ways to enjoy these invisible things. Kodo or the "Way of Fragrances" is the art of appreciating various rare and exotic fragrant woods sourced from outside of Japan. It evolved in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), and is still going some 500 years later. Environmental degradation means some of these woods are no longer attainable. In May 2022, the Shino School, the oldest extant school of Kodo, conducted a ceremony offering incense to the spirit of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), the first Tokugawa Shogun, using a particularly treasured piece of wood known as Ranjatai.
