Bamboo Tea Whisk (Chasen)

Hand-carved bamboo whisks from Nara for matcha preparation.

The chasen (bamboo tea whisk) is an essential utensil for preparing matcha in the Japanese tea ceremony, almost exclusively produced in the town of Takayama, Nara Prefecture, which supplies over 90% of the world's handmade chasen. Crafted from a single piece of bamboo that is split into 16 to 120 fine tines using only a small knife, each whisk is shaped with meticulous care passed down through designated craft families since the 15th century. The chasen embodies the tea ceremony's devotion to precision and mindful craftsmanship.