After thousands of miles' journey all the way through continents and ocean, Koh finally reached the soil of Japan . As it was brought to be burned in Buddhism prayer, Koh was regarded as a part of religious practice in ancient city of Yamato ( Nara ) in periods from Asuka to Tenpyo. In the course of years, the purpose of Koh burning gradually shifted from the original to something peculiar to Japan . In the Heian period, Koh burning turned into an elegant practice for pleasure of court nobles.

Japanese aptitude to develop what is originally brought from abroad, and turn it into something peculiar to Japan, is again proved with Koh burning practice. Koh, as one of Japanese peculiar cultural phenomena, started its history in Japan in Heian period. Being a part of education for court nobles, how to practice Koh proved their level of intelligence and sensitivity. Also, it is a way of their esthetic expressions.

The Tale of Genji, one of the oldest and the greatest novels in the world was written by a court lady during Heian period. The novel describes “The Tale of Koh�Ewhen you read more attentively on how Koh appears in the stories. Koh is an important subject as well as instruments to portray the characters in the novel.

A typical example is shown in Uji-Jujo, the last ten chapters of the fifty-four volumes of The Tale of Genji. They are stories about the next generation of Hikaru Genji, the protagonist of The Tale of Genji. The chapters are generally called Uji-Jujo. Their setting is in Uji, the recesses of the city of Kyoto . They provide a very good picture of human relationships. The main protagonists are Kaoru, the son of Hikaru Genji, and Niounomiya, Genji's grandchild.