Our First Visit to Suikaen: Discovering Takayama Chasen Craftsmanship

From our first visit to Suikaen. We have continued visiting the workshop every year, and these photographs and video preserve the beginning of that ongoing connection.

A bamboo whisk can look deceptively simple until you meet the people who make it. On our first visit to Suikaen in Takayama, Nara, we had the opportunity to learn about the materials, handwork, and history behind the chasen we carry at LunaMatcha.

This is a record of that first encounter: a chance to look beyond the finished whisk and understand more of the work that goes into it.

Meeting the Makers Behind Our Chasen

Suikaen makes Takayama chasen, the bamboo whisks used to prepare matcha. Visiting the workshop gave us a closer view of a craft that can be difficult to appreciate from a product photograph alone.

The finished tool is light and delicate, but the process behind it involves careful material selection and skilled work. That connection between the maker's decisions and the tool in our hands became the focus of our visit.

The History We Encountered in Takayama

Takayama is a district of Ikoma in Nara Prefecture. Its tea-whisk tradition stretches back roughly 500 years. Local accounts trace its beginnings to a request from the tea practitioner Murata Jukō to a member of the Takayama ruling family during the Muromachi period.

The craft was historically guarded and passed down within families. Local histories also describe how sixteen retainers received permission to make and sell the whisks. That historical account should not be confused with a current count of workshops.

For us, this background helped explain why the craft remains so closely connected to the place and the people who practice it.

The Work Begins Long Before Carving

One of the most memorable subjects from the visit was bamboo preparation. The material is not simply cut and immediately turned into a whisk.

Suikaen describes a process involving selected bamboo, oil removal, sun-drying, and extended seasoning before manufacture. Winter bamboo drying is a distinctive part of the Takayama landscape. Material preparation takes time before the detailed carving can begin.

This gave us a different way to look at the finished chasen: its story begins well before the artisan makes the first fine cuts.

Watching the Fine Work of Shaping a Chasen

A chasen is carved from a single piece of bamboo. Creating its fine tines requires more than dividing the material into narrow strips: their thickness and shape need careful attention.

Suikaen identifies ajikezuri (味削り), the fine shaving stage, as one of the most demanding parts of production. This work helps determine how the tines flex and perform when preparing tea.

The video below preserves a moment from our first visit.

Why We Keep Returning

We have continued to visit Suikaen every year. This first visit remains important to us because it marks the beginning of learning about the workshop firsthand.

Returning gives us opportunities to keep learning and to share the people and work behind the tools with our customers. These original photographs remain part of that story, even as our understanding grows.

Bringing That Connection to Your Matcha Routine

Whether you whisk a bowl of matcha with water or prepare the base for a latte, a chasen connects an everyday action with a specialized craft. Our first visit to Suikaen helped us appreciate that connection more fully.

We are grateful for the opportunity to learn from the makers and to share this early record of our visits with you.

Explore Suikaen Takayama Chasen →

For practical advice, read our guide to choosing, using, and caring for a bamboo matcha whisk.

Historical and craft background: Suikaen and Ikoma City Takayama Chikurin-en. The photographs and video document LunaMatcha's first visit.