Japanese Mosquito Repellent – Katori Senko

Posted on 06. Sep, 2006 @ 9:08 am by harvey in Culture Views: 1,480

I’m sure people living in Japan have seen this Japanese mosquito repellant called “Katori Senko” It’s like a green swirly device, that you set on fire… It’s slow burning, and the smoke it emits stinks, and keeps mosquitoes and newspaper salesmen at a distance.

I think I did this right… You set the incense part on top of this white glass paper and just burn it. The glass paper gets burnt a little, but it’s reuseable. This katori senko pack had 30 in there so it better be! Then when the incence is all burnt up, you just toss out ashes and set it up again for another day. Good stuff. It seems to have worked.

I have even seen what are called “keitai katori senko” that you can actually wear on your person and carry around. Useful for when you are treking through the jungle and don’t want to get itchy mosquito bites. Usually they are electric, rather than burning the actual incense. Which makes sense as you wouldn’t want to set your self on fire now would you.

I can’t find a picture of the keitai katori senko now, if I do, I’ll post it!

- Harvey

karthik

hey harvey!

This kind of mosquito repellent is very common in india too…just that it doesnt come with the box, you get a small stand which you pierce in the middle.
VERY useful esp in places where there is no power and lots of mosquitoes….
but the smoke from this kind of reppelent drives out much more than mere mosquitoes!!
Chivey

蚊取り線香携帯用↓

http://www.kincho.co.jp/seihin/01/line_ka.html

There are so many versions.
Clive

I grew up with them in Papua New Guinea and North Queensland. I actually LIKE the smell. :)
Clive

oops I hit submit too early.

Our mozzie coils were like the ones karthik described. They just has a small tin stand in the middle where that indent is.
http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

Wow you said MOZZIE!

Is that how they say mosquito in Papua New Guinea?
Craig

Mozzie :)

Those simple ones sond cool but oh man… Japan does it again :) . I think I’ll rename Japan “The land of the well made product” :) .
http://zensekai.blogspot.com zen

You are most likely too young to know this, but we had the same thing in the states for MANY years

Mekugi

Zen is absolutely right in saying “we had the same thing in the states for MANY years” because in fact Japan originally imported the plant used in making it from the United States! It was called “Pyrethrum”. In Japan the Katori Senko was originally produced in bars, the spiral came about later on because it took longer to burn. FACT: The smoke isn’t what kills the insect, it’s the gas that escapes seconds before the smoke lifts. So in fact the gas and the smoke are a product of the burning. The gas is called “pyrestroid” and it is harmless to humans unless it has been chemically condensed to toxic amounts, which is just extracting nothing but the essential chemical from the plant. Even then it is relatively harmless. The smoke from the Katori Senko is no more harmful than burning a stick of Joss incense.

http://nacente.net スロ

In Greece we bought one xD
Vince

Interesting. I would take that most tropical places have a version of this. I wonder if they really work, and how big is the area that they cover.
http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

zen, we had those in the states??

I had no idea.

I’m 27.
http://zensekai.blogspot.com zen

Yup, I remember them as a kid, and in my teens. That was pretty much all we had back in the day. Hahaha
http://zensekai.blogspot.com zen

Oh yeah, not boxed though. It was like in India. You put it on some kind of stand that held it in the middle.
http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

I wonder how they engineered that smell… Is it the smell that keeps the bugs away? Or is it some chemical in the smoke? I have no idea how this stuff works.

howstuffworks.com katori senko.

ないか。
Clive

Harvey,
I’m an Aussie so it’s Mozzie. heh
Clive

Here’s a pic of the no frills ones we used in the good ol’ days.

http://www.camping-gear-outlet.com/images/product/5_31004.jpg

I like your Japanese version better. Less mess and I guess a broken coil would not be such a major pain in the butt.
http://zensekai.blogspot.com zen

Yup just like that!
http://zensekai.blogspot.com zen

I guess the Japanese took it to the next level and made it stylist :-)
http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

I just wish the mozzies would leave me alone!
mike h

I wonder if they would work in Minnesota. The home of the mosquito in the USA.
Haojie

Hey Harvey!

Haojie here, We have those mosquito repellents in Singapore. It is most commonly used when I was serving the army!! To keep those mosquitos away while doing guard duty or out in the field!
coconut

These mosquito coil are usually toxic, and heavy burning of it is equivalent to 110 cigarettes being burned at the same time.

No wonder the mosquito get suffocated and die so easy…
Alcohol on skin and DEET mosquito repellent is most effective…
Most mosquito repellent effective for mostly 4- 8 hrs. While the mosquito patch are usually last 20 minute or so.

Latest product in the market used by army, is mosquito repellent solution that soaked the clothing in. Repel all insect.
http://agotaku.deviantart.com Agotaku

Here in Argentina have the same but without the “box”
we sell only the spiral
Agitated

I just returned to the states from Japan where I burned these all the time. They work great!!! I wish I could fnd them in a package of more than six. I don’t think they contain any harmful chemicals as they are derived from the chrysanthemum (sp?). As far as being equal to 110 cigarettes. Please. Thats ridiculous. I would definitely recommend these for an evening on the patio before I saturated myself with DEET.

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Japanese Mosquito Repellent – Katori Senko

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