線せん香こう代だい

noun

incense money; funeral offering

Money brought to a funeral or wake, traditionally intended to cover incense costs. Often placed in a special envelope and offered at the altar.

• お通つ夜やに線せん香こう代だいを持もっていく。

  I bring incense money to the wake.

noun

geisha fee; geisha time charge

Historical term for the fee paid for a geisha's time, often calculated per incense stick burned. Now largely obsolete; modern geisha fees use other terms.

• 昔むかしは芸げい者しゃを呼よぶと線せん香こう代だいがかかった。

  In the old days, hiring a geisha incurred a fee called incense money.