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Tokugawa Ieyasu, the third and final unifier of Japan, had a passion for jinkō. One of his earliest actions as shōgun was to send "red-seal" ships throughout the South Pacific, trading sought after Japanese silver for luxuries like aromatic spices and fragrant woods. Of the 350 red-seal ships sent over the first thirty five years of the Tokugawa shōgunate, more than one-third traveled to the port of Hoi-an in Vietnam, a center for Southeast Pacific trade rich in high quality aloeswood. Letters exchanged between the Tokugawa shōgunate and rulers of central Vietnam showed Ieyasu’s keen interest in rare fragrant wood. Aloeswood from Vietnam was considered the highest of precious gifts and was listed first among those exchanged in diplomatic relations. Highlighting this rich fragrance of Vietnamese aloeswood, in Umeshoin, Gyokushodo highlights the highest quality select Vietnamese aloeswood like that sought after by the Tokugawa found in Hoia-an in a classic aloeswood sandalwood blend.
Umeshoin is the flagship incense of Gyokushodo's Traditional Fragrance series which uses abundant amounts of the finest aromatic ingredients and precious fragrant woods that are aged for many years to enhance their deep rich fragrance. Described as "filled with the finest Vietnamese aloeswood," Umeshoin blends the rich earthy fragrance of high-grade sinking aloeswood with Indian sandalwood and borneol" in a robust square stick to emphasize the fragrance of its rare Vietnamese aloeswood base.
Umeshoin's unlit stick is khaki green, cool, and square in shape. There is a sharpness to the unlit stick's spiciness that blends with its coolness, providing an interesting green plant note akin to spiced matcha tea. A slight sweetness is also present in the spice, but this is more distant and reserved, awaiting its turn to shine during burning.
Alight Umeshoin begins warm, soft, and mellow. Earthy notes of leather, moss, and aged wood mix with a light spicy sweetness and distant floral overtones. A wonderful light musky sweetness smooths the sharper tones, adding depth to the sweetness provided during the square stick's burn. Earthy slightly bitter aloeswood tones are softened with the mellow sweetness of sandalwood to form a rich, smooth, woody base reminiscent of aged wood polished by use.
As its fragrance builds, a coolness arises on top of the spicy earthy notes of the early burn. The sweetness of the stick shifts from a passive role to one that is more active, alive, and vibrant, blending floral overtones with its spicy sweetness. Together the two notes meld to create an almost fruity sweetness with light hints of citrus. Together they drift within Umeshoin's growing coolness like early spring blooms of a distant fruit tree. Taken all together, the earthy, woody, and floral tones combine with this breezy coolness to form a traditional fragrance that is addicting in its beauty.
As the burn continues, Umeshoin develops a distinct spatial quality, building as it fills the space of its burning until the listener exists within its fragrance. Drifting within its soft redolence, Umeshoin's fragrant bubble is peaceful, calming, and thoroughly enjoyable. This would make an excellent stick for mindfulness work or sitting in mediation, as the fragrance envelopes the listener allowing a deep relaxing calm that at times can be trance like.
Umeshoin's excellent after note continues those of the burn, adding an even more mellow comfortable quality like that of a favorite shirt that has been softened through wear. Both the spicy and floral notes remain, only now softer, more subtle, and gentle. In time a cool breeziness adds to this a transparency that again creates an enjoyable and magical space for the listener to exist within. Umeshoin's exceptional after note is long lasting, remaining hours after the stick has been consumed, leaving a pleasantly earthy sweetness with hints of fruity sourness in its wake.
A refined example of the fragrance of Vietnamese aloeswood with outstanding contours and an exceptional and long lasting spicy after-note, Umeshoin is a delightful fragrant experience. Woody, floral, sweet, and earthy notes blend together in a elegant fragrance ideal for contemplation, meditation, or enjoyment. It is no wonder that Tokogawa Ieyasu had such a fondness for Vietnamese aloeswood, sending one third of his red-seal ships to retrieve it.
Sea spray freezing
like glass upon the boughs.
Thoughts of spring blossoms warm me.
****
Learn more about the aloeswood trade and "Red-Seal" ships of the Tokugawa shōgunate in the book: The Fragrant Path: A Guide to the Japanese Art of Incense. Filled with practical suggestions, useful tips, and an exploration of the history, selection, use, and appreciation of this uniquely Japanese art form, The Fragrant Path offers a rare, comprehensive look into the Japanese art of incense in the first in-depth English-language book on the subject in nearly three decades.
