Regarding the chasen by Kubo Komakichi Shoten

Starting March 10 at 19:00 (JST), we will release a limited-edition colored-thread chasen (Matcha whisk), Shin grade, by Kubo Komakichi Shoten, inspired by the colors of Samurai Japan.

Along with this release, we would like to share an important update regarding chasen.

At present, the raw material used to make chasen—hachiku bamboo —is facing an extremely difficult situation nationwide, and beginning with this new arrival we will need to adjust our pricing.

The hachiku used for chasen is already a limited type of bamboo, and only a very small portion of each bamboo stalk is suitable for making a whisk. From a single bamboo approximately 1.5 meters long, only about two chasen can be produced. After harvesting, the bamboo must undergo processes such as oil removal and drying, and then be aged for several years before it can even become usable material. Bamboo is also extremely delicate, and it can easily crack during the production process. Behind every finished chasen lies a great deal of invisible labor and careful material selection.

In addition, a rare phenomenon is currently occurring across Japan in which bamboo is flowering simultaneously in many regions. Bamboo is said to flower roughly once every hundred years, and when it does, the entire root system connected underground often dies off. Because bamboo spreads through a shared rhizome network, once flowering occurs, the entire grove connected by that root system declines at the same time. This phenomenon now appears to be happening in many places at once, making white bamboo increasingly difficult to secure, while black bamboo has also seen sharp price increases.

Although bamboo groves are said to regenerate naturally from seeds after they die, this is a once-in-a-century event, and it is unclear how long it will take for them to return to their previous state. Furthermore, young bamboo is too soft to be used for chasen, meaning it will take many years before suitable material becomes available again.

There is another challenge as well. The traditional craft of Takayama chasen is now maintained by only a little more than a dozen craftsmen in Takayama, Nara. Today, these craftsmen are working together and traveling across the country in search of bamboo suitable for chasen.

Even the tools used to make chasen have become difficult to obtain. Many of the metalworkers who once produced specialized tools have stopped making them, and Mr. Kubo now continues his work by crafting many of his own tools himself.

At the same time, due to the global boom in matcha, demand for Takayama chasen has been rising rapidly. However, the combination of material shortages and rising costs has made the situation increasingly difficult for the craftsmen.

For these reasons, Kamatotsuchi will also be adjusting the price of chasen starting with this shipment. In truth, the current circumstances would justify even higher prices. However, chasen are also tools meant to be used daily in tea, and we hope to keep them accessible enough that they can continue to be used regularly.

Each whisk is born from limited natural materials and the hands of a skilled craftsman.

We would be very grateful if you could use them with care.