The purpose of the Chawan is simple: to house the prepared tea for drinking. For Matcha, the same Chawan is used for preparation and presentation. If the description of Chawan sounds akin to the description of a cup, it is because the Chawan functions as a cup. But the Chawan is more than just a vessel; Being central to the history of Japanese ceramics and playing an important role in the Japanese Tea Ceremony, it can be said that the Chawan is a symbol of the Japanese tea-culture itself. (For more information regarding the aesthetic of Japanese tea-culture, please see our Philosophy of Japanese Tea page.)

A small spatula-like spoon used for measuring out Matcha powder. In the days when Matcha was only able to be enjoyed by the elite, Chashaku were used as poison detectors. Being made of silver or ivory, they would react to arsenic by changing color. Nowadays, Chashaku are usually made from bamboo or other wood native to Japan.

A finely carved whisk of bamboo, used for the preparation of Matcha. The Chasen blends Matcha powder and water together to create a smooth, well-blended tea. Quality Chasen can be purchased from Rishouen Tea for 3,000 yen, as we consider them indispensible in the creation of Matcha.

A tea that has been blended contains the leaves of teas from different tea fields, meticulously selected to provide a refined taste of one’s choosing. Blending is truly an art form, with several different purposes: akin to the use of different grapes for wine, flavors can be enhanced and new more complex flavors obtained through the precise alchemy of the tea master. Furthermore, tastes and smells of a chosen tea that may not be readily available can be reproduced in a form that closely resembles the original. Lastly, teas of particular aromas and flavors can be described by the customer, and blended to order by the tea master. Of course, at Rishouen Tea, we provide such a service with pleasure. We are also happy to provide the origin of each tea with which we use in our blends upon request. Please see our definition of non-blended tea for a comparison.

Tea picked in the later harvests of the year is known as Bancha. As it is harvested later, the leaves are more mature. It is also harvested from the lower leaves of the tea tree as well, having been less exposed to direct sunlight. Thus, from a purely scientific perspective, we consider Bancha to be a lower quality tea than its relative, Sencha. But Bancha is produced in many different ways, some quite unique and exciting. A prime example of such a Bancha is the specialty of Kyoto, Iribancha.

In a matter of speaking, all tea starts as Aracha before it is sorted. After the cleansing process, this unrefined tea matter is separated according to the shape of the tea leaf, and the desired kind of tea it is to become.