Chasen (tea whisk) is a bamboo tool used in a tea ceremony to whisk or knead powdered green tea. The upper part of a bamboo cylinder is split into numerous tines that are then curled towards the center to form a shape of an ear. Takayama area in Nara Pref. takes 90% share of the chasen market and is famous as “the village of chasen.” The history of making chasen in this area is dated back to the middle of the Muromachi period, when a son of domain lord ruling Takayama area first made chasen by request of Murata Juko, the founder of tea ceremony. Later when tea ceremony flourished with Sen no Rikyu’s teachings, the production of chasen was expanded. The making techniques of chasen have been handed down by isshi soden method (the transmission of techniques and principals to one’s heir by blood). Different chasen are used by different schools and for different purposes. There are over 120 kinds of chasen that differ in the kind of bamboo, the shape of ear, and the number of tines. In 1975, Takayama Chase was designated as a Traditional Art Craft by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Takayama Chasen has played an important part in the history of Japanese tea ceremony culture.