incense maker; perfumer
Historical occupation; refers to a person who makes incense or perfumes. Rare in modern usage.
In the Edo period, incense makers blended precious fragrances.
stallkeeper; street vendor; street performer; hawker
Refers to a person who runs a stall at a festival or fair, or a street vendor/performer. Can carry a slightly rough or old-fashioned nuance; sometimes used for peddlers or hucksters.
See also: 香具師 (やし)
At the festival, a stallkeeper was running a goldfish-scooping booth.
A street vendor is demonstrating and selling kitchen knives on the street.
露天商 is a more formal term for a street vendor or open-air stall operator, without the historical or rough nuance of 香具師.
The kanji 香 (incense), 具 (tool/ingredient), and 師 (master/specialist) literally mean 'incense-tool master', referring to the historical occupation of incense maker. The reading こうぐし is the standard on'yomi-based reading. The extended meaning of stallkeeper or street vendor likely developed from the association with itinerant merchants who sold incense and other goods at festivals.