This shiratake (白竹) white bamboo Shin Chasen (matcha whisk) was made in Takayama, Nara by Ikeda Iki (池田壹岐).

The shin (真) shape is one of the most popular due to its elegant curves, and is preferred by students of both Urasenke and Omotesenke schools of tea ceremony (though the dark bamboo is more popular with Omotesenke). Having roughly 64 tines, the shin chasen sits in between dedicated usucha chasen which have lots of thin tines, and dedicated koicha chasen, which have fewer but thicker tines. This makes shin-type chasen suitable both for whipping up a fine, foamy usucha and kneading a thick, rich koicha.

Born in 1949, Ikeda Iki (池田壹岐) is a 7th generation chasen-shi, and is one of the only 16 or so remaining chasen masters. He makes chasen along with his wife, daughter, son-in-law, who is set to succeed him as chasen-shi. As is common in chasen crafting, the Ikeda-san cuts and shapes the bamboo, and his wife weaves the threads separating the inner and outer tines and does the final shaping. These whisks are made from locally grown bamboo in the small village of Takayama (高山) in northwest Nara prefecture, famed as the only chasen making village in Japan.

Unlike mass-produced matcha whisks, these chasen are entirely handmade, without the use of machines or chemicals to expedite the bamboo growing, drying, or shaping processes, requiring immense time and skill to craft. As such, Takayama chasen have finer, more flexible tines and a greater attention to detail, which not only makes them more beautiful, but also easier and more enjoyable to use and more durable in the long run.

After use, be sure to clean your chasen by whisking it in a bowl of water or running it under the tap, using your fingers or a cloth to remove any matcha that has stuck to the tines. Avoid soaps as these can damage the porous bamboo. Stand the whisk up and let it air dry thoroughly. This will ensure that the tines keep their shape longer and prevents mold growth. To further reshape the tines, you can use a kusenaoshi, or matcha whisk shaper.

Due to the organic nature of bamboo and handmade teaware, there may be slight variations in size, capacity, and appearance.

Dimensions:

6.1cm (2.4in) - width
11cm (4.3in) - height

Condition: New

This Japanese item ships from the United States.