The oldest existing chopsticks in Japan were used during the late Yayoi period and were originally sacred instruments for offering sacrifices to the gods.
At that time, they were not the pair of two sticks widely used today but were made from a single piece of thinly shaved bamboo, folded into shape. There are various theories, but it is said that the kanji for chopsticks (箸) includes the bamboo radical because the original chopsticks in Japan were made of bamboo.
For these reasons, both historically and functionally, THE chopsticks have decided to be made of bamboo.
The chopsticks we use casually every day perform a variety of functions according to the shape, size, and softness of food, such as pinching, clipping, cutting, stabbing, splitting, fluffing, and mixing. Bamboo is strong and flexible, allowing for fine tips to be made, enabling these actions to be performed effortlessly without much force.
Furthermore, bamboo grows to several tens of meters in height within just three months, making it a sustainable natural resource worthy of being the material for THE chopsticks.
The only drawback of bamboo is its absorbency, which makes it susceptible to mold. To overcome this, a lacquer coating has been applied. The topcoat is not sprayed but brushed on carefully one by one.
In fact, bamboo chopsticks are made with the stronger outer surface facing up, and there is a correct orientation for each stick. By aligning the outer surface correctly, the pair of chopsticks fit together without gaps, designed for easy handling of food. A small notch is cut into the top surface of the outer side to quickly identify the correct direction.
The chopstick blanks are manufactured by Yamachiku Co., Ltd., a company specializing in bamboo chopsticks in Kumamoto. Using only hand-cut bamboo, this bamboo chopstick manufacturer handles everything from uniformly cutting bamboo of varying thicknesses to shaping and processing the final product in-house. The lacquer work is done by Urushirindou Co., Ltd., in the Kawawada area, famous for Echizen lacquerware with a history of over 1500 years. Since its establishment in 1793 (Kansei 5), they have preserved traditional techniques, finishing each piece by hand-brushing without using any chemical paints.
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