Chikumeido Sabun Takayama Chasen: Masterful Bamboo Whisks
In 1975 tea whisk making was designated a traditional craft in Japan. Nearly every tea whisk used in the tea ceremony in Japan is created in the Takayama region of Ikoma city in Nara prefecture - accounting for approximately 90% of domestic production
The tea whisk, or chasen in Japanese, is one of the most important tools needed for the tea ceremony. It is used to mix green tea matcha powder with hot water. The shape and fine needles of the tea whisk are needed to optimally mix air into the green tea, adding sweetness and creating a pleasant-looking foam on the surface of the tea.
Chasen making in the Takayama area is a traditional industry that dates back to the Muromachi period (1336-1573). Legend has it that a priest Murata Juko, a Nara local credited as the developer of the Japanese tea ceremony, asked his friend, Takayama Sosetsu, the son of the lord of Takayama Castle, to craft a tool to stir the water of his tea. And so it was that Takayama Sosetsu created the first chansen bamboo tea whisk.
Many details are lost to history, but we do know that some tea whisks were presented to the Emperor of the time, Go - Tsuchi Mikado, who was delighted by them. The lord of Takayama Castle then entrusted the production of the whisks to his vassals, who swore an oath to keep the crafting process a secret. To help maintain secrecy, the vassals would make the whisks only during the night after finishing their regular daily tasks.
The custom of crafting the whisks at night is still going on in some workshops today and keeping the method a secret is also regarded with great importance, leading to the passing of the knowledge being largely restricted to father and son
Chikumeido Sabun is one of the most honored Tea-whisk manufacturers in Japan, with traditions and expertise that stretch back over 500 years.
The present head of the household is the 24th generation, Kubo Sabun. Kubo Sabun has presented his craft internationally at the Louvre in Paris, the United Nation.