Kodo (literally translated as way of incense), or the Japanese ceremony of appreciating incense; involves using incense under a specific set of rules. The kodo ceremony, much like a tea ceremony also covers all of the essential tools of the ceremony. Kodo was a popular event among the samurai and aristocracy; having a similar kind of popularity to the tea ceremony.
Kodo began to be recognised as one of the refined arts or geido and as time moved on, and formalities began to develop within the ceremony. Geido are arts and ceremonies that should be performed to specific rules. Kodo began to spread from the Samurai and aristocracy to intellectuals such as writers, artists merchants and landowners. Incense began to have a growing influence on literature and calligraphy, as well as the tea ceremony, and became an important spiritual asset for the time period.