We are very fortunate and proud to be the first Australian tea venue to represent and collaborate with the Tsuji Family by using and offering the Kanaami Tsuji hand weave tea strainer.
Kanaami Tsuji is a family-owned workshop established in Kyoto by 5th generation wire weaver Master Ken-Ichi Tsuji in 1985 and joined by his son Toru Tsuji 18 years ago.
The Tsuji family carry on the tradition of Kyo-Kanaami: the art of wire netting ware. It is said to have been born in Kyoto over one thousand years ago and traditionally used to make utensils for tea and the kitchen, such as making tofu. Kyo-Kanaami is cherished by chefs in Kyoto city today as it has been through the ages.
Each piece is hand-crafted by Master Kenichi Tsuji, his son, and their team of craftspeople. The first few steps to start a new strainer are crucial, and each artisan must be extremely focused as the slightest mistake could ruin the new utensil. Even slightly averting your eye and glancing aways can make the mesh uneven, so each artisan must work seamlessly from start to finish without blinking when creating the base—a true dedication to the craft and beauty of tradition.
Tension used in the fingers during the weaving is also fundamental; 70% of pressure from the left and 30% from the right are required to have good balance, so holding the base with the right hand and weaving with the left hand is a key to their craft.
Each utensil is hand weaved using either one or two original patterns: the Kiku-dashi(chrysanthemum) and kikko-ami (tortoiseshell) have earned Kenichi San an award from Kyoto City for his contribution to the promotion of traditional craft.
At its core, Kanaami-Tsuji uses the wisdom and experience of the past to produce handmade utensils for our contemporary lifestyle.