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.
