Events › Kōdō Japanese Incense Ceremony

Join us for a special evening gathering to engage your senses and learn about kōdō, the Japanese Way of Incense, with The Dōjin Japanese Arts Society.

At this intimate session in the beautiful Yosef Wosk Poets’ Corner, participants will be led in the practice of kumikō - a form of incense appreciation developed in Japan more than 500 years ago. Enjoy and compare several types of naturally aromatic woods in a game that incorporates seasonal and literary references and focuses your full attention on exercising the sense of smell.

This session will be held in the ryūrei 立礼 style -- seated at long tables.

-

About the Presenter

Maiko Myōkō Behr has worked as a Japanese-to-English translator, curator, and consultant specializing in Japanese arts for over 20 years. She is the founder and Executive Director of Dōjin Japanese Arts Society and the owner of SaBi Tea Arts, where she teaches chanoyu (Japanese tea tradition) in the Omotesenke lineage and kōdō (Japanese incense tradition) in the Senzan Goryū lineage.

The Dōjin Japanese Arts Society is dedicated to providing meaningful opportunities to experience and learn about the traditional arts of Japan in contextualized ways. You can read more about the society on their website: dojinarts.org

-

This event is part of our 2025 Uplift Asian programming.

Explore more about this practice through our collection: The Book of Incense