In the 15th century, Takayama Sosetsu created a bamboo whisk suitable to the new style of the Japanese tea ceremony. Matcha and the new style of bamboo whisk was presented to Emperor Gotsuchimikado who praised its beautiful shape and named it Takaho Chasen. Now, widely used in Japan and around the world, the eighth-generation Ikeda family still hand-make the tea and matcha whisks in the historic Takayama area, Japan. The process of crafting the Chasen takes two to three years using all natural materials. It begins by planting the bamboo. Bamboo is grown and selected by the craftspeople and whitened using natural sunlight.