It has been often stated that incense and Buddhism were simultaneously introduced in Japan. Therefore, Buddhism and odors are inseparable. Shotoku-Taishi has been considered as the father of the prosperity of Buddhism in Japan, and Japanese people hav...
It has been often stated that incense and Buddhism were simultaneously introduced in Japan. Therefore, Buddhism and odors are inseparable. Shotoku-Taishi has been considered as the father of the prosperity of Buddhism in Japan, and Japanese people have worshiped him as a Buddhism saint (Bodhisattva). In view of these facts, it is inevitable that Shotoku-Taishi has been linked with odors for a long time. I concretely examine the manner in which the image of Shotoku-Taishi had been linked with odors in the Taishi-den texts of the Nara and Heian eras in Japan. Moreover, I clarify how Shotoku-Taishi and odors were related to the religious thoughts prevailing at that time.