“This carefully protected art form is deeply connected with Japanese aristocratic culture, classical poetry and literature, tea culture, and many of the most influential political and cultural leaders in Japanese history,” she adds.

With a keynote lecture from Nishigiwa Jhōyo, headmaster designate of Kyoto’s Senzan Goryū School of Kōdō, the event provides cultural and historical context for the Kōdō experience – one that deepens the understanding towards tradition.

Carefully protected art

The word Kōdō itself is made of two Kanji characters, meaning ‘incense’ or ‘fragrance’ and ‘the way.’ In this context, ‘the way’ can be understood as a ‘path’ or a ‘way of life.’ When translated to English, Kōdō is “way of fragrance.”

Behr notes the word ‘incense’ often brings to mind “blended incense sticks or cones,” burning and releasing smoke. However, it has much deeper significance in traditional Japanese culture, associated to a ceremony that invites attendees to slow down, reflect and appreciate traditional culture and the environment.

“With Kōdō, the sophisticated integration of Japanese waka poetry and the elevation of a simple sensory experience of scent to a complex art form fascinate me,” she reflects.

Behr has practiced another traditional Japanese art – Chanoyu or Japanese tea tradition – for about 30 years. Her work with Kōdō allowed access to a “different but equally distinctive” part of Japanese culture.

For Behr, the event’s cultural experience – public incense ceremonies – makes it a special opportunity.

“By focusing our attention on our sensory perceptions of products of the natural world, I feel that the art of Kōdō can encourage a greater appreciation for subtlety and nuance and the quiet beauty of nature that are undervalued in today’s society,” she adds.

Japanese history and values

Similar to other traditional Japanese art forms, Kōdō can provide the context for a wider audience to learn about Japanese history and aesthetics; it also engages with Japanese values and attitudes toward nature. For Behr, these attitudes include, “[the] respect for other people and cultures through personal connections.”

“[It offers] endless avenues for learning about the rich culture of associational networks of poetic, seasonal, and historical references that have distinguished Japanese aristocratic culture for more than a millennium,” she adds, speaking of the Kōdō tradition.

For Karah Foster, president of the Dōjin Japanese Arts Society’s board of directors, the event is a rare opportunity to experience this art form.

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be involved with Dōjin Arts to offer locals this unique experience to formally appreciate the natural fragrance of precious woods in the tranquil setting of Nitobe Garden’s Ichibōan tearoom,” says Foster.

Foster points out that having master Nishigiwa Jhōyo’s presence at the event is an honour for the community.

“While the practice of Kōdō is little-known in Canada and outside of Japan, its contemplative qualities can be enjoyed by all without any prior knowledge of traditional customs,” Foster adds.

Behr also sees the Nitobe Memorial Garden as the ideal venue for sharing these traditional arts. For her, the garden’s “authentic space,” such as the Ichibōan teahouse, provides a tranquil setting that emphasizes “respect for the natural environment.”

“We hope the public will enjoy the opportunity to slow down and appreciate a sensory experience focusing on scent in the tranquil setting of the Nitobe Memorial Garden,” says Behr.

The symposium will also feature lectures from Yano Tamaki, professor emeritus at Kyoto’s Dōshisha University and Yotsutsuji Hideki, curator ermeritus at Nagoya’s The Tokugawa Art Museum. Before the symposium, attendees are also invited to a special viewing of recently aquired Edo-period poem cards, narrative illustrations and calligraphic works from UBC Library Rare Books and Special Collections.

The event begins with a symposium, Kōdō: The Art & Culture of the Japanese Way of Incense, May 23 at UBC’s Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, followed by public incense ceremonies on May 24 and 25 at the Nitobe Memorial Garden and UBC Asian Centre.

For more information, see www.dojinarts.org/upcoming-programs/experience-kodo-2025