Incense shaped into human outlines evokes memories of dearly departed’s favorite activities

Source: PR Times

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Obon and incense in Japan

Now that August has arrived, many Japanese people are checking their incense stocks to make sure they are prepared for Obon. A Japanese Buddhist custom, 盆 Bon (or お盆 Obon) takes place for three days in the middle of August, at which time ancestors' spirits are believed to visit household altars. Many Japanese people return to their family homes to visit and clean their ancestors' graves and burn incense sticks.

Although Obon is the most important time devoted to honoring ancestors, Japanese people burn votive incense sticks at household altars and ancestral graves throughout the year.

While they come in different colors and fragrances, until now, the only shape of incense designed to honor the spirit of one's deceased loved ones has been the straight stick shape. But now, candle and incense manufacturer Kameyama Corporation has released the world's first incense in the shape of a human outline.

Incense of Memories

A new concept in votive incense, あの日のおもかげ線香 (ano hi no omokage senkō | Incense of Memories) comes in four different shapes designed to evoke happy memories of loved ones' favorite hobbies or activities such as hiking, surfing, playing golf and reading books.

Incense sticks are usually burned in a special ash-filled incense pot at the household altar. However, due to their unconventional shape, Incense of Memeories is more suited to burning somewhere else in the home, not necessarily inside the altar. For example, as suggested in the image below, it can be placed on a table or cabinet surface, along with a photo frame of the deceased.

.... read the original article on the grape Japan website:

https://grapee.jp/en/207163