Refers to aromatic material burned for fragrance, often in religious or meditative contexts. The reading こり is obsolete.
See also: お香
I burn incense at the temple.
The room was quietly filled with the scent of incense.
The pleasant scent of incense is drifting through the room.
When I entered the temple, I could smell incense.
香 refers to burned aromatic incense, while 香水 is liquid perfume worn on the skin, not burned.
本 is used for 香 when referring to stick-shaped incense such as 線香, since 本 counts long, thin objects.
perfume; scent
fragrant; aromatic; savory-smelling; appetizing
fragrance; aroma; sweet scent
flavoring; spices · fragrance; perfume; incense · condolence gift
incense stick
spice; condiment
scented insert; perfumed paper for letters
condolence gift; funeral offering; incense money
flavor and aroma; smell and taste
Standard kanji spelling for incense.
The kanji 香 originally depicts grain and a mouth, suggesting fragrant grain, and came to mean fragrance or incense. The reading こう is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi.
benzoin
burning incense; offering incense
incense burner; censer
pickled vegetables; pickles
perfumed oil; pomade; balm
fragrant wood; aromatic tree
fragrance; aroma
fragrance; subtle scent
frankincense; olibanum
traditional incense-smelling ceremony; art of incense
incense set; incense paraphernalia · incense components; incense ingredients
pickled vegetables
musk
agarwood; aloeswood; eaglewood · aquilaria tree; lign aloes
incense box
incense
clove (spice)
lingering scent; lingering odor
fine incense; high-quality incense
rubbing incense on a person or statue for purification
incense; incense powder