he aristocrats of old Japan heavily scented their clothing with their favourite combinations of incense. So strong was the perfume, in fact, that in the dimness of the Heian house, it was usually possible to identify people by their personal scent alone (Kaoru in the Tale of Genji is found out this way once). It was also common for a lover to leave behind an article of clothing as a keepsake after spending the night with a woman so she would have both the article and a reminder of his personal fragrance.