Ocha & Co., based in Hokkaido, Japan, recently commissioned a limited-edition matcha tea whisk (more properly known as a chasen) for sale at the company’s online store. All proceeds will go directly to UNICEF to help with humanitarian relief efforts in war-torn Ukraine.
The whisks are hand crafted from single pieces of seasoned bamboo by certified Master Craftsman Inoue Wakasa, and they’re intricately secured with yellow and blue threads – the colors of Ukraine’s flag. Only 50 whisks are available, and they’re expected to sell quickly.
Returned Orders from Kyiv Spark Inspiration, Support
Gary Lawson, the British ex-pat owner of Ocha & Co., a resident in Hokkaido, said he was inspired to raise funds for humanitarian relief in Ukraine after losing touch with some of his regular customers, and imagining what they must be going through as the conflict rages on.
“I had some returned orders from customers in Kyiv and Kharkiv at the start of the war,” shared Lawson. “Post from Japan was not getting through. I sent out messages asking about my customers’ well-being, informing them that their orders had come back to Japan and that we would reship once normality returned to the region. Having a parcel addressed to Kyiv sitting on my desk addressed to someone I was familiar with was the catalyst to do something and contribute in a small way. They have been selling steadily and we will be looking to get some more made once they have sold.”
Ocha & Co. has a global customer base and, over the years, Lawson and his team have come to think of them as a kind of family – diverse but united by their love of green teas and the moments of peace and reflection they give us all.
Ocha & Co. has been selling their teas to matcha drinkers across Ukraine for nearly a decade, and they’ve loved reading their emails, their reviews and tea stories in return. Sadly, and for reasons the whole world knows, they’ve lost touch with all their Ukrainian friends and customers since the end of February.
How the Bamboo Matcha Whisks Are Made
According to Wakasa and Ocha & Co., the craft of making authentic bamboo matcha whisks has been handed down through generations of artisanal Japanese families for many centuries, and there are just 18 recognized Dentou Kougeishis (or Master Craftsman) chasen makers left in Japan today; among them is Wakasa, who creates the whisks sold by Ocha & Co.
In Japan, certification as a Master Craftsman takes 20 years to obtain, and Wakasa himself spends a significant amount of time teaching his skills to a new generation of whisk makers. He currently has three deshi (apprentices) studying under him – all women, which is a break in Japanese tradition.
Wakasa says different styles and sizes of bamboo matcha whisks have developed over time to serve different ceremonies and suit regional traditions, but the fundamentals of making a bamboo matcha whisk is fairly universal.
To make chasens, it all begins with a winter harvest of mature bamboos. The individual canes are carefully stored to season for up to three years. When they’re deemed ready to work with, the bamboo is peeled and then cut into hunks of 10 to 12 cm.
Leaving room for a handle, each hunk of bamboo is expertly sliced with a razor-sharp knife into between 20 and 120 thin prongs – often referred to as tines – and this is where the real craftsmanship comes into play.
The rule of thumb is that a whisk of anything up to 80 tines is best suited for making koicha (thick matcha), while a 100 plus pronged whisk is best for preparing a really frothy usucha (thin matcha).
Back in the workshop, that piece of bamboo begins to look like a whisk, and then the tines are dipped into hot water, shaved, ironed and shaped. The prongs are shaved again to taper them, and the ends of each bristle is curved.
For Wakasa – a third generation whisk maker – the final stages of producing a chasen involves the tricky and intricate weaving of a black thread in and out of the individual whisk tines to ensure the chasen keeps that sculptural shape. When completed, half of the tines are tied to join the inner circle, while the remaining tines spread out to form the springy outer ring.
The handcrafted special-edition whisks from Ocha & Co. – which make a subtle but powerful statement of support for Ukraine with the country's flag colors – are available now while supplies last.
To learn more, visit OchaAndCo.com.
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