Details

H11 x W6.5cm

White Bamboo, Black Thread, Senke Style

Create a creamy and delicious bowl of matcha with the Hachijyuppondate's fine and flexible tines. This is a 80 tines whisk made with shiratake (white untreated bamboo) and black thread. This chasen was crafted from a single piece of locally grown bamboo in Takayama, Nara Prefecture. Takayama village is famed for its high-quality chasen and other wooden products. The bamboo growing, drying and shaping processes require many years and a high level of skill. The result is a beautiful tea utensil that is a pleasure to use and will make many bowls of tea.

Story

Recently when we got to visit Japan, we were lucky enough to meet Yasaburo Tanimura, the master chasen maker. It takes 15 years to become a high level maker and Yasaburo Tanimura is the 25th generational descendant of a family who has been producing chasen for over 530 years.

Every one is individually hand made from bamboo that is dried in the snowy winter air of Japan for over three years. Each step to transform the dried bamboo into a working chasen is incredibly intricate and takes a long while to complete. When cut to size the maker will slice into one hollow end of the cylinder to divide the the sections into thinner and thinner bristles. They then will shave said bristles to make them thinner still as well as to produce the desired curl. The bristles are threaded to seperate and shape them into the matcha whisk shape you know and love.