More Matchaware questions...

[Geekgirl]

I saw somewhere a little horn shaped item called a tea whisk keeper. Unlike the little egg shaped chasen stand, this one is meant to put the chasen inside the keeper, presumably so it can be safely transported. Looks way snazzier than my plastic container...

Speaking of the plastic container, I purchased my whisk in one of the tea shops here, (don't remember which one, or maybe Uwajimaya,) and it is stamped with the "made in Japan" sticker. It was about $16-17, and I think I remember seeing that the Japanese made chasen are quite a bit more? Any way to know if this is one of those China to Japan to USA Chinese made fakers? Not that it really matters at this point anyways, just curious.

Also, how on EARTH do people whisk in those great tall "winter" bowls?

[olivierco]

A Chasen zutsu is not very handy to transport your chasen, unless you have the chabako (the wooden little box where you can store all your accessories.



Moreover the both I own are designed for smaller chasens.

I use the chasen stand and the plastic box the whisk is sold with if I have to transport it.

[Geekgirl]

Thanks for the visual! That just looks silly. Heh.

[Buzz Fledderjohn]

Also, how on EARTH do people whisk in those great tall "winter" bowls?

I believe you tilt the bowl, then whisk.

You'll have to wait for chamekke to verify that though.

[britt]

Speaking of the plastic container, I purchased my whisk in one of the tea shops here, (don't remember which one, or maybe Uwajimaya,) and it is stamped with the "made in Japan" sticker. It was about $16-17, and I think I remember seeing that the Japanese made chasen are quite a bit more? Any way to know if this is one of those China to Japan to USA Chinese made fakers? Not that it really matters at this point anyways, just curious.?

The Japanese version should last longer, as they are better made. If this one starts to fall apart sooner than normal, it is probably a Chinese-made whisk. Some Japanese companies have their whisks made in China, but presumably to higher standards than are normally found there.

Also be aware that the Chinese whisks cut corners in other areas, such as the proper drying of the bamboo the whisk is made from. Rumor has it that they spray fungicide on the whisk when they cut the drying step short. Japanese products are more expensive for many reasons, not just labor costs.

Also, how on EARTH do people whisk in those great tall "winter" bowls?

This is just a guess but I've seen some very long-handled whisks for the narrow diameter outdoor bowls. I would guess they'd work just as well with the very tall winter bowls. I've seen a few winter bowls that have similar dimensions to a fairly large teacup, about 4" tall and 3 1/2" in diameter. I can't imagine attempting this with a standard size whisk.

[Buzz Fledderjohn]

Also, how on EARTH do people whisk in those great tall "winter" bowls?

I knew I read it somewhere...here it is from a tea master's site:

We have four seasons in Japan and February is usually one of the coldest months.

So, we use tsutsu chawan( 筒茶碗、a cylindrical type of tea container) to keep the macha tea hot. I use a tsutsu chawan with a standing crane design to prepare the tea.

The procedure for making tea with the tsutsu chawan is a little different from the normal style.
In order to achieve the desired quality of tea, I have to whisk the tea at a 45-degree angle due to the restriction of the cylindrical container.

Here is a link to the site: (the part above is under the heading, February)
http://www.yoshian.com/contents/English/chanoyuP.html

[chamekke]

I haven't yet made matcha in a tsutsujawan, but I do know that you use a special longer, narrower chasen (whisk) for that purpose. Tsutsujawan are really a specialty chawan because they are used in January and February - traditionally considered the coldest months in Japan. The tall, thin shape is supposed to retain the heat of the tea better during the cold weather. However, a lot of tea people choose not to use tsutsujawan even then. (My sensei doesn't seem to care for them.) There is a special temae, procedure, used with tsutsujawan alone.

The chasenzutsu (chasen holder) that you're talking about is used as part of the chabako set during chabako-demae, to protect the chasen inside the chabako box. This type of chasenzutsu isn't used in any other context. It's usually part of a set of three matching lacquered pieces, the other two being the natsume (thin-tea caddy) and kougou (incense container). As has been noted, the chasen used for this temae is smaller than usual.

There is also a "chasenzutsu" which is a simple, two-piece holder for the chasen used in a nodate set. This is a portable set, for preparing tea on the go; it's stored inside a fabric drawstring bag with a woven bamboo base. The set includes a smaller-than-usual chawan (kojawan), a smaller-than-usual natsume, and as you might expect, the chasen also is smaller than usual. Presumably the same dimensions as the one used in chabako.

The chasen-naoshi (chasen "shape") is a form on which the wet chasen is placed after use, to help it keep its shape. They are usually made from wood or porcelain. It is never seen outside the mizuya (preparation room).

[britt]

Standard chasen 4.25 inches in length:





Special chasen 6.00 inches in length:

[chamekke]

Chasen-naoshi (also called kusenaoshi) - to help the chasen keep its shape:



Chasen-zutsu for nodate ("open-air tea ceremony") kit. Often comes with a hinged (folding) chashaku or tea scoop:



Chasen-zutsu for chabako (at far right). Here you can see the matching lacquered pieces:



Chabako kit in its entirety:

[fmoreira272]

A Chasen zutsu is not very handy to transport your chasen, unless you have the chabako (the wooden little box where you can store all your accessories.

I got a chabako box but has not been able to find a chasen holder for it. any ideas where i can buy a affordable one? thanks in advance.

[chamekke]

(oops - duplicate post - see below)

[chamekke]

I got a chabako box but has not been able to find a chasen holder for it. any ideas where i can buy a affordable one? thanks in advance.

Typically, if you want to buy a completely new one, you'll get it as part of a chabako accessory set, such as this example (found on the Tea-Circle site):



Otherwise, you can sometimes find second-hand chasenzutsu on eBay. It's not uncommon for the sellers to split up the chabako sets, though, so that the matching chasenzutsu, natsume (tea caddy) and kougou (incense holder) are sold separately.

[fmoreira272]

thanks a lot chamekke...thats what i was looking for. a little pricey but looks worth it.