The Heart of Rikyu /
Mountains are the Source of Life

Sen no Rikyu's shaping of "The Heart of the Tea Ceremony" and "The Height of Hospitality"

The history of Rikyu Chopsticks were originally invented by Sen no Rikyu in the Momoyama Period for use in the light meal eaten in the tea ceremony. In the morning before guests were to arrive, Sen no Rikyu would carve each chopstick with great care, fresh from the Red Cedar wood, Sugi brought from Yoshino.

Rikyu's desire for his guests to enjoy the fragrance of the freshly carved wood shows the depth of his hospitality.

We produce our Rikyu Chopsticks with the same thought and consideration held dear to the original maker.

Our chopsticks are made from high quality Yashino Sugi, Japanese Red Cedar trees. The wood does not interfere with the taste or aroma of food.

As for our splittable chopsticks, we want a straight grained wood that has beauty, a nice fragrance and good texture. Yoshino Sugi meets all of these specifications.

The heartwood of the "Red Cedar" is an especially good wood for this as long ago it was said to mellow the taste of Sake, thus Sake barrels are made from this wood.

The Red Cedar has a faint fragrance that does not alter the flavor or aroma of traditional Japanese cuisine, making it a top quality material for chopsticks.

We bring you chopsticks made only from the finest materials as mentioned above, such as Yoshino Sugi.

Disposable chopsticks = "Bad for the Environment",
is A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING!

Do you know about the connection between chopsticks and environmental protection? Cedar trees are planted and after 10 years, trees in bad condition are cut down. After 30 years then a periodic thinning of trees is conducted to keep proper spacing and making it easier for the trees to thrive.To cultivate good trees and a healthy mountain, this process is repeated.
Chopsticks make use of the wood that is logged during the periodic thinning.The manufacturing of chopsticks by no means adds to deforestation, but to the stimulation of mountain landscapes by making practical use of natural resources. We continue to make quality chopsticks from the blessings of nature, while protecting the mountains which are the source of life.

Revitalization of the mountains through effective use of resources

The first cut (near the bottom of a tree) and the second cut (next to the first cut) of a 100-year-old tree are considered to be the most suitable for chopsticks. When improvement cutting (removing unhealthy or low-value trees) at 10 years and thinning (selective removal of trees to improve the growth of the remaining trees) at 30 years after planting are undertaken, branches are cut off as well. Knots created by the pruning become smooth as years go by; therefore a 100-year-old tree is appreciated. To grow better trees, periodical thinning operation is continued after 100 years. Thinning is necessary to keep proper stand density and to promote healthy forestland.

Chopsticks are produced using the trees cut due to forest thinning. Red Cedar leftover scraps from sake barrels production turn into Rikyu chopsticks; it is efficient use of resources. To influence the growth and health of the mountains, it is important to repeat thinning and planting trees over many generations. With this effort, rivers and oceans can be kept clean. Mountains are important as centers of the global ecosystem.