Takano Chikko

Located in Kyoto, Takano Chikko has spent years dedicated to creating high-quality products, deeply rooted in the traditional craft of Japanese tea ceremony tools. Over time, this has evolved to include a variety of natural materials beyond bamboo. Takano Chikko’s artisans, skilled in various techniques, meticulously craft each product from raw materials to the final coating, ensuring the highest quality. Engaging with diverse materials, including ancient wood from temples and shrubs from environmental conservation efforts, Takano Chikukou breathes new life into a wide range of products, from tea ceremony tools to everyday items. As a company rich in history and deeply embedded in Kyoto's culture, Takano Chikukou has carved a unique path in the art of bamboo craft, producing a diverse array of products from tea ceremony tools to daily necessities.

The Resilience and Potential of Bamboo

Bamboo is widespread in warm regions, particularly in Asia, and has been used in Japan since the Jomon period, influenced greatly by the tea ceremony culture. Known for its strength and potential, bamboo is a material with great promise. However, with decreasing cultivation areas, bamboo resource conservation has become crucial. Takano Chikukou utilizes local bamboo groves and practices environmentally conscious manufacturing processes. Bamboo's rapid growth and excellent regenerative abilities, maturing in just 3-5 years and regenerating from the root, make it a sustainable resource. Its resilience to pests and diseases also makes it an ideal material for eco-friendly construction. The sustainability of bamboo involves not just the material itself but the entire supply chain, necessitating detailed consideration.

Traditional Techniques and Bamboo Utilization

Takano Chikko engages in both product creation and bamboo forest management, with their craftsmen selecting bamboo and collaborating across departments to optimize use of each stalk. Harvesting, done from August to December to minimize pest impact, is followed by 2-3 months of drying and oil removal. Their Kyoto-based workshop, in an area with temperature variations ideal for quality bamboo, maintains these groves, emphasizing local bamboo use and recycling bamboo and wood waste back into the groves for environmental sustainability.

Manufacturing Process

Bamboo matures in 4-5 years, undergoing processes from natural drying and oil removal to extended warehouse storage, crucial for quality and managed from forest selection to transportation. Harvested from September to November, the bamboo is pruned, transported, and treated to remove surface oil using heat and wiping techniques. Finally, the bamboo, sun-dried and stored for years, is cut into long stalks for production purposes.

Environmental Consideration

Using local (Kyoto) bamboo minimizes transportation-related environmental impact. Processing waste from bamboo and wood is recycled and reused as fertilizer. Unwanted bamboo is chipped and returned to the bamboo groves. Takano Chikko is committed to environmental preservation and sustainable resource use in every step of the manufacturing process, resulting in high-quality, eco-friendly bamboo products.

Bamboo Sake Set & Cups