Kuumba

FRANK151: Why did you start to make incense sticks?
Kuumba: Because we smell. As you can see, because of the way we look, nobody would hire us, so we started our own business. It didn’t have to be incense, it could have been anything. Suddenly thirteen years have passed since we started. This is our calling. Making okou is our life.

F151: Is it true that you also run a catering business?
K: We take cooking seriously as well. We never ever eat out. We never eat food that we don’t know where it came from or who made it. Food is the most valuable thing which gives us energy to live. Most people don’t care enough about the food they eat. McDonald’s is out of the question. You can eat foie gras or salmon roe and die from apoplexy. We make our own food here everyday. We make our own tsukemono in the middle of Harajuku! The most essential elements are fresh water, clean air, and healthy food.

F151: Why is there a barber’s chair in your shop?
K: Rasta is the name of our barbershop. It doesn’t make sense, but we think of our shop as a community. We don’t cut hair, but a barbershop is necessary for a community.
People can chill out here while talking to their friends, like “I got infected disease and fell itchy after having a sex with that girl”. Then they buy their favorite fragrance of incense and ride their bike home.

F151: Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
K: We are being allowed to live. You have to understand your life is an extension of thousands and millions of years of history. It’ll be a disgrace to your ancestors if you don’t live up to your life. The carpenters or the tofu makers who are true to themselves are okay. But what the fuck is I.T. or stock? They are too much for the world.

We are tour guides who introduce people to the world of incense, we are the Samurai still living. We would travel forever until we feel uncomfortable. There are good days and bad days, but every day is special. One thing you should not forget is that love is the best spice. Nothing beats that.