The chasen [Bamboo Tea Whisk] can be considered matcha’s most essential partner. In this article, we explore the charm and traditional craftsmanship of Chikusendou, the maker of Takayama chasen, which have a 500-year history and have received numerous awards in Japan.

Takayama, Nara: The Birthplace of Chasen Tea Whisks

Around five hundred years ago, during the time of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the chasen was born in Takayama of Yamato Province. Murata Jukō, the head priest of Shōmyō-ji Temple in Nara and regarded as the founder of wabi-cha, devised the practice of grinding tea leaves into a powder to drink. 
Jukō then asked Minbunojo-nyudousouzei, the second son of the lord of Takayama Castle, who governed the area at the time, to create a tool for whisking the tea. After much trial and effort, this led to the creation of the chasen. The ingenious idea and meticulous craftsmanship were reportedly recognized by Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado. Minbunojo-nyudousouzei then brought the technique back to his hometown of Takayama, where it became a secret formula of the Takayama family.

Chikusendou, a maker of Takayama chasen, was founded by Keizō Kubo, who trained under his father-in-law, Sabuni Kubo, the 23rd-generation head of a family of chasen craftsmen. According to them, what matters most in chasen making is understanding individuality. Each piece of bamboo is unique—differing in thickness, hardness, and density—and factors such as the maker’s condition and the climate change from day to day. Achieving consistently high quality requires not repeating the same method, but crafting each chasen in harmony with the bamboo and the moment.

Only three chasen can be crafted from a single raw bamboo stalk

The bamboo used to make chasen is harvested between November and December, after which it undergoes oil removal and is sun-dried for approximately one month. The bamboo is then left to mature for two years, allowing craftsmen to select only those pieces suitable for processing into chasen. Bamboo that is too hard will crack, while bamboo that contains too much moisture and is too soft will wither. Even the slightest damage, such as tiny chips at the tips that occur during processing, disqualifies a piece from being shipped as a product. Ultimately, when traced back to a single raw bamboo stalk, only about three chasen pass the final inspection and are deemed fit for sale.

The Elegant Form and Exceptional Functionality of Takayama Chasen

A chasen must possess both soft tips that do not damage the tea bowl and sufficient flexibility—meaning firmness—to whisk matcha effectively. For this reason, bamboo with good resilience is gradually thinned toward the tips. If the middle section is made too thin, the whisk may break at that point; if the tips are not thinned enough, the chasen becomes too stiff and difficult to use for whisking matcha. Takayama chasen embodies both perfected beauty and functionality. While it may be relatively easy to imitate their appearance, creating a chasen that is easy to whisk with and durable requires highly refined traditional techniques. 
Are the tips shaved down to 0.05 mm or 0.1 mm? Are the best bamboo pieces carefully selected and processed according to their individual characteristics? Although chasen are also made outside Japan, even if they look similar, the whisking experience and lifespan of Takayama chasen are unmatched. Almost all Japanese-made chasen are produced in Takayama, where the entire process—from raw bamboo cultivation and selection to chasen crafting—is carried out as a community effort, supporting Japan’s traditional culture.