Suikaen Chashaku

A chashaku, also known as a matcha tea scoop, is the traditional utensil used to scoop matcha in the chanoyu practice. This beautiful piece is crafted from white bamboo.

The "white" bamboo, 白竹, used to make the whisk is henon bamboo (hachiku 淡竹) that has had its color removed through traditional, centuries-old techniques. A specific type of bamboo, grown in the Kinki region of Japan (Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, Wakayama, etc.), is harvested in the winter after 2-3 years of growth. It is boiled to remove oil in the plant, dried in the cold winter air, then aged for another 2-3 years. 

 Suikaen in Takayama traces its roots back to the 16th century and is one of the few studios preserving the tradition of whisk crafting. The head of the studio is a 25th generation master craftsman, Tanimura Yasuburo.