tea-making (cha-no-yu or cha-no-e),(1) and the etiquette of
incense-parties (ko-kwai or ko-e). Incense-parties were invented
before the time of the Ashikaga shoguns, and were most in vogue
during the peaceful period of the Tokugawa rule. With the fall of
the shogunate they went out of fashion; but recently they have
been to some extent revived. It is not likely, however, that they
will again become really fashionable in the old sense,--partly
because they represented rare forms of social refinement that
never can be revived, and partly because of their costliness.

In translating ko-kwai as "incense-party," I use the word "party"
in the meaning that it takes in such compounds as "card-party,"
"whist-party," "chess-party";--for a ko-kwai is a meeting held
only with the object of playing a game,--a very curious game.
There are several kinds of incense-games; but in all of them the
contest depends upon the ability to remember and to name
different kinds of incense by the perfume alone. That variety of
ko-kwai called Jitchu-ko ("ten-burning-incense") is generally
conceded to be the most amusing; and I shall try to tell you how
it is played.


The numeral "ten," in the Japanese, or rather Chinese name of
this diversion, does not refer to ten kinds, but only to ten
packages of incense; for Jitchu-ko, besides being the most
amusing, is the very simplest of incense-games, and is played
with only four kinds of incense. One kind must be supplied by the
guests invited to the party; and three are furnished by the
person who gives the entertainment. Each of the latter three
supplies of incense--usually prepared in packages containing one