As summer softens into autumn, chrysanthemums come into bloom. Admired for flourishing into cooler weather, they carry wishes for longevity, clarity, and quiet resilience. This turning of the season invites a simple ritual: pause, notice autumn’s arrival, and welcome it through fragrance.
Chrysanthemum, autumn, and the September 9 festival
Across East Asia, the “double ninth” has long been an autumn observance. In China and Korea, it falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month; in modern Japan, Chōyō no Sekku (重陽の節句) is marked on September 9 as one of the five traditional seasonal festivals.
Chrysanthemum is closely associated with the occasion. Blooming as the air cools, the flower has come to express longevity, composure, and resilience. Incense offers a quiet way to enter that seasonal mood: a measured pause, a fragrant room, and a moment of attention.
Li Qingzhao: autumn arriving through scent
In 醉花陰 (Drunk in the Shade of Flowers), Song-dynasty poet Li Qingzhao (李清照, 1084–1155) lets autumn arrive through scent: borneol glowing in a censer, chrysanthemum fragrance clinging to a sleeve, and the first coolness of the season entering the room.
瑞腦消金獸。佳節又重陽。
“Borneol incense fades in the golden beast-shaped censer; the Double Ninth Festival has returned.”東籬把酒黃昏後，有暗香盈袖。
“After wine by the eastern hedge at dusk, a subtle fragrance fills the sleeves.”
Read 醉花陰 in translation at the Stanford Sourcebook.
Two chrysanthemum incenses for the turning season
Oedo-Koh Choju Kikuka
Oedo-Koh Choju Kikuka offers a refined, gently powdery floral fragrance inspired by chrysanthemum in bloom. Light one stick on a quiet September evening and let scent mark the change of season.
Explore Oedo-Koh Choju Kikuka →
Shikunshi — Four Gentlemen Incense Set
The connection between Li Qingzhao’s poem and incense lives beautifully in Kousaido’s Shikunshi set. Its chrysanthemum fragrance combines sandalwood with borneol—the very “瑞腦” named in the poem—alongside plum blossom, orchid, and bamboo fragrances.
Shipping pause: September 4–October 4
DARABARA will be away from September 4 through October 4. Our online store will remain open, but all orders placed during this period will begin shipping after October 4.
Beginning September 4, enjoy 10% off with code AWAY as our thank-you for your patience.
