茶筅 Chasen — Bamboo Matcha Whisk

The chasen (茶筅) is a bamboo whisk made from a single stave of white bamboo (shiro-dake) that is split and shaped by hand into 80 or 100 fine tines, curved inward at the tips. It has been made in Takayama, Nara Prefecture, by specialist craftspeople for over 500 years — there are approximately 25 chasen-making families in Takayama, and the technique is taught within family lines. A single chasen takes 30–40 minutes to make by hand. The chasen's function is to bring matcha powder into full suspension in the water without clumping, and simultaneously to whip air into the mixture and create a stable microfoam. The tines are fine enough and numerous enough to break down every particle of matcha powder. A fork or electric frother does not replicate this: they create larger bubbles, incomplete suspension, and a different mouthfeel. The 80-prong (hachiju hon date) is the standard format for usucha (thin matcha). The 100-prong (hyaku hon date) has finer, more closely-set tines that produce an even finer, longer-lasting foam. Worldwide delivery.