Superior Japanese Green Tea
MAIKO TEA SHOP



Item#
NK-102
Name
Tool for Matcha
Kisen Chasen Shin
Takayama Ikoma Nara Japan
Size
W 55 X H 110 mm
Weight
47 g (1.66 oz)
Shipping weight
Price
4,725 yen
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Kisen Chasen Shin (Takayama Ikoma Nara, Japan):
This chasen is used by teachers of the Urasenke school in Japan.
This masterpiece of the Takayama bamboo whisk makers is a delight for the eyes of every tea lover. One can easily tell that it is beautifully made by very skillful expert hands.
How to take care of your chasen  About whisk maker Kizou Nakata




Introducing the process of the bamboo whisk production

1. The raw bamboo (genchiku)

The ash bamboo (Hachiku) which has lost its stickiness and was smoothened out by intensely cold winters is cut and stored after 2-3 years growth.

As for the ash bamboo the surface is even and its fiber very gentle; both qualities make it an outstanding material to work with.
2. Basic shape (Hegi)

First the upper half of a whisk-sized bamboo piece will be peeled.
Then it will be divided with a sharp knife into 16 equal parts (12 for thinner pieces and 18-24 equal partitions for thicker bamboo)
3. Finer cut (Kowari)

The 16 parts are divided into 10 equal tines thus creating
a whisk with 160 equal tines. In case of " 80pon date chasen"
those 10 tines are then divided alternately collecting 5
in the centre of the whisk and leaving 5 tines to for the
outer circle.
4. Shaving (Ajikezuri)

The bamboo tines are dampened in hot water and than shaved to become thinner from the bottom to the top.
When they are suitably thin, they are ironed and shaped.
This method of shaving varies with the shape of the whisk.
It is said that even the taste of maccha depends on this most difficult process of shaving.
5. Molding (Mentori)

Each tine of the chasen is now shaved individually to produce angles on its sides.
This helps the powdered tea not to stick to it.

6. Inner and outer compilation (shitaami,ueami)

Using a thread the tines are now separated into an inner and outer compilation.
7. The waist is arranged, (koshinarabe)

A bamboo spoon is pushed in between the inner and outer compilation, thus deciding height and interval bewteen the tines.
8. Finish

The order of the tine tip is corrected and the shape is arranged, the height of the tines and spaces between them are corrected to make them all equal.
Every 1st + 3rd Sunday at the Takayama bamboo forest garden (Ikoma city) you can witness a public demonstration of bamboo whisk making.
Here is the address of Takayama bamboo forest garden:
Nara prefecture, Ikoma city Takayama Cho 3440 / TEL. 0743-79-3344
(please inquire about the demonstration time)


About the Takayama whisks ( Nara Prefecture, Ikoma City)

Around the middle of the Muromachi era, Sousetsu, the second son of Raiei, owner of the Takayama castle, asked his close friend Murata Juko, superior of temple Shomeidera, to produce a bamboo whisk. This is said to be the start of the Takayama whisks' production.
Note about the whisks ( chasen ) :

Commonly the Japanese word for tea whisk is written with the two
Kanji
= cha and= sen. It is only in Takayama (Nara prefecture)
that the Kanji
= sen is used. Only Takayama chasen are known to be the 'perfect' whisks

See various maccha tools ( whisks, spoons, containers)


Nakata Kizo, whisk maker and bamboo craftsman

Nakata Kizo was born 1940 in Takayama, Ikoma, Nara prefecture.
Though he was the son of a rice farmer, at the age of 14 he was sent to acquire skillful hands by learning to make whisks at an apprentice public service.
After 6 years of study, he continued to learn various remaining techniques before becoming independent at the age of 25.
In 1975 he founded the Nakata Kizo cooperation.
Presently, about half of Japan's whisks are produced by his company.

Other maccha bowls
Other tea ceremony ware
Maccha teaware sets
Maccha
Easy visual instructions How to prepare maccha



Please note that we order certain matcha tools from various suppliers and will ship them as soon as they have been delivered to us.

Please do not use a dishwasher, microwave oven or electric oven.

About your chasen:
A bamboo whisk is a very delicate tea utensil that might have to be replaced when the tines wear off or break.
When left moist it might also produce mold. Please replace your whisk if
you detect mold on it or if several tines are broken.



Shopping Guide How to order

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Genmaicha

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Kyobancha / Konacha

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Mizudashicha

Dream Set

Matcha Chocolate

Matcha Milk Jam

Matcha Cakes

Traditional Candies

Matcha Cookies

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Food items

Filter in Bottle

Enjoy tea life ! Gyokuro tea ware

Enjoy tea life ! Sencha tea ware


Enjoy tea life ! Matcha Bowl


Enjoy tea life ! Various teaware for Matcha
     



Preparation of various

Gyokuro

Maccha

Sencha

Shiawasecha



 
About Japanese Tea
Chako's Tea Exploration Adventure
1.Let's go to Maikonocha
2.Tea Picking
3.Tea Processing
4.Tea Varieties
5.Serving Tea
Maccha Gyokuro
Sencha
6.Tea and Health

Proper Tea Storage

About Company
MAIKONOCHA-HONPO
2-1 Kamidaimon Fugenji Kyotanabe Kyoto JAPAN 610-0322

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MAIKONOCHA-HONPO 2-1 Kamidaimon Fugenji Kyotanabe Kyoto JAPAN 610-0322
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