Please note: this personalized matcha tea whisk is available and produced only on order with a lead time of 1 to 2 months.

If you would like to order a personalized matcha tea whisk, click on the green "add to basket" button, then complete your order and I will contact you to confirm the details with you: thread colours, bamboo colour. Thank you.

According to Hirata-san's father, a master artisan of chasen (matcha tea whisks),

"The taste and enjoyment of matcha tea depends on the quality of the chasen. If the chasen is of high quality, then the matcha will have an excellent flavour."

This whisk is made entirely by hand by Hirata-san and his father.

Together, they can only make 10 per day, while demand for their master artisan whisks exceeds their capacity in Japan alone.

Their knowledge is passed down from generation to generation. Hirata-san has been making matcha whisks by hand for 20 years, and his father for over 50 years.

They use the same craft techniques as 500 years ago.

Hirata-san invites you to enjoy choosing your matcha tea utensils. Because an excellent whisk will produce a flavoursome matcha.

This whisk is actually a precious and rare work of art.

In the video above, Hirata-san's father shows us one of the secrets of an artisan matcha tea whisk: the "shinari".

Shinari means "to be bent" or "flexibility." Achieving shinari cannot be accomplished by a machine; each strand must be worked by hand, one by one.

What is the difference between a "conventional" matcha whisk made in China and an artisanal piece by Hirata-san?

As I visit my partner farmers and artisans every year, I will see Hirata-san and his family again.

Please send me your comments and reviews so that I can pass them on to him. He will be very pleased and proud that his chasen are being used by the matcha community in France.

Use and preparation of matcha

Follow the instructions in our matcha tea preparation guide to use this matcha whisk.

Be sure to always keep this delicate piece dry and wipe it with a dry cloth after use.

I highly recommend using a whisk holder to store your whisk after use so that it retains its shape, as shown in this photo:

How to care for your handmade matcha whisk?

Hirata-san gave me several tips and answers:

• The bamboo used to make an artisanal bamboo whisk is naturally very hard, and it is inevitable that at some point it will break.
• Under the best conditions, your matcha whisk will not break for 2 to 3 years, or even much longer.

Here are several tips to maximize its lifespan.

• Do not expose to direct sunlight.
• Do not expose to drafts (wind, air conditioning) or temperature changes (near an oven or heat source, radiator, etc.).
• Use regularly (at least once a week or slightly less) to ensure that a little moisture is present.