Kawasaki Daishi 🇯🇵

Kawasaki Daishi & Japanese Culture 🇯🇵

At Kawasaki Daishi, many people waft the smoke from the senkō (incense) over themselves because of a traditional Buddhist belief that the purifying smoke brings blessings and healing.

In Japanese, this is called "okō no kemuri" (お香の煙) or "jōkō" (常香炉, incense burner).

The custom is:

Waft the smoke over your head → for wisdom, good memory, and academic success.

Waft it over a sore or injured part of your body → for healing and good health.

Waft it over your whole body → for purification and protection from illness or bad luck.

The belief is that the smoke carries the merits and blessings of the Buddha, so people symbolically direct the smoke to where they seek improvement.

Iwata Japan Shop 🇯🇵