Okuno Seimeido was founded by Jinkoya Kyujiro in the Kyoho era, which started in 1716, so that's the date given for when the company started. The company is based in Sakai, in the Kansai region - the historic heart and cultural centre of Japan. Ginsen Kunsui, one of the original recipes by Jinkoya, was first reproduced in 1999 by Jinkoya Kujiro, the eighth generation head of Okuno Seimeido, and continues to be sold They make several incenses with the name Kunsui. Kunsui is an alkaline substance, first found on the shores of a Mongolian lake, which is used in noodle making. Not sure if that is the same substance related to this incense, nor what it would do to the scent of the agarwood. I'm also puzzled by "Ginsen". I don't think it's ginseng, especially as the company call the incense "a ginsen" style. Unravelling incense is like playing with a wooden puzzle box.
I have seen this incense listed as "Okuno Seimeido Ginsen Kunsui Aloeswood" and "Okuno Seimeido Ginsen Kunsui Agarwood". Though the company list it simply as "Okuno Seimeido Ginsen Kunsui", so that's how I'll present it. Aloeswood is another name for agarwood, such as eaglewood and oud. There is no difference, and I'm not sure why one form is sometimes used in preference to the other. I note that I tend to use oud/oudh instead of agarwood when the incense house is aiming for an Arabian vibe.
I have seen this incense listed as "Okuno Seimeido Ginsen Kunsui Aloeswood" and "Okuno Seimeido Ginsen Kunsui Agarwood". Though the company list it simply as "Okuno Seimeido Ginsen Kunsui", so that's how I'll present it. Aloeswood is another name for agarwood, such as eaglewood and oud. There is no difference, and I'm not sure why one form is sometimes used in preference to the other. I note that I tend to use oud/oudh instead of agarwood when the incense house is aiming for an Arabian vibe.
I like this incense. On the burn there's a delightful blend of fruit and soft, dark wood. It's a rich, dark fruit - like plum or fig. It's kind of neutral, but also kind of sweet - a balanced, deep, rich sweetness, like honey. It's a friendly and engaging scent. Inviting, approachable, almost irresistible; and very warm and engaging. Over time the wood becomes the dominant fragrance - musty, mildly spicy, with notes of cedar, and a hint of pine. One stick I found to be plenty - it gave off plenty of scent with no off notes, and the approx 25 minute burn was enough. I was quite satisfied by that time, and wouldn't have wanted more. I was a little disappointed that it didn't develop much, and that the fruit notes gradually diminished. And I would have welcomed more joy, passion, light, and sweetness. Though there were sweet notes at the start, the abiding impression was of dryness. A sombre dryness. And there was a general lack of adventure or modernity about it. Even with the fruits at the start, it was mainly a fairly mono-scented, almost boring wood note. My excitement and enjoyment at the start was not what I felt at the finish. Good, clean, well made, but a little too dry, boring, and old-fashioned for my taste. Having said that, I liked it a lot, and enjoyed burning it. And I can see myself wanting to burn this at certain moments - not as a room freshener so much as something to create a focused mood. Perhaps when I want to study or concentrate. This is not an incense that is going to distract me or rouse me - this is an incense that will settle me into a serious frame of mind.
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| The large box - approx 390 sticks |
Available in large boxes on eBay (UK) for £63, postage free, or as a 5 stick trial pack for £2.79 plus postage. The sticks are just over five inches. They are cleverly posted inside strips of corrugated cardboard, so they are nice and safe. I poke them out with an incense stick bamboo splint. Available in the US for $15 for 150 sticks, or $36 for the large box (approx 390 sticks). Available in Europe for 84 Euros.
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