Shiratake Kazuho Chasen - White Bamboo Matcha Whisk

This shiratake (白竹) white bamboo Kazuho Chasen (matcha whisk) was made in Takayama, Nara by Yasaburo Tanimura (谷村弥三郎) of Suikaen. The kazuho (数穂) shape is the most basic style of chasen. Compared to the shin/shin kazuho (真・真数穂) it has straighter tines that are tightly curled at the tip. Like the shin, the kazuho has roughly 64 tines, and sits in between dedicated usucha chasen which have lots of thin tines, and dedicated koicha chasen, which have fewer but thicker tines. This makes kazuho-type chasen suitable both for whipping up a fine, foamy usucha and kneading a thick, rich koicha. Unlike mass-produced matcha whisks, these chasen are entirely handmade, without the use of machines or chemicals to expedite the bamboo growing, drying, or shaping processes, requiring immense time and skill to craft. As such, Takayama chasen have finer, more flexible tines and a greater attention to detail, which not only makes them more beautiful, but also easier and more enjoyable to use and more dur