A gift for someone who loves matcha and the tea ceremony
By Mio.KShare
A good gift for someone who loves matcha and the tea ceremony depends on one thing more than anything else: what they already own. Someone who has just started needs the basic tools. Someone who has practiced for years usually has those, and is better given something that wears out, or something for the season.
The short answer: if they are new to matcha, give the three tools that matter, a bamboo whisk, a wide bowl and a scoop. If they already make matcha, give a fresh bamboo whisk, because it is a consumable that lasts a few months with daily use, or a sifter, a small tool that is easy to overlook. A bowl is the most personal gift and the one to choose with the most care.
I run Tomari (shoptomari.com), a small tea ceremony shop in Tokyo, and I study tea in the Urasenke school. Here is how I would think about it.
First, find out where they are
| If they… | Give | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Are curious but have never made matcha | A whisk, a bowl and a scoop together | They can make a proper bowl on the first day |
| Make matcha at home already | A new bamboo whisk, or a sifter | A whisk wears out in a few months of daily use; a sifter is easy to overlook |
| Study the tea ceremony | A whisk, or something for the season | They will have a bowl and a scoop they are attached to |
| You are not sure | A whisk | Everyone who makes matcha needs one sooner or later |
Why a whisk is the safe gift
A bamboo whisk (chasen) is used every time a bowl is made, and it does not last forever. With daily use it lasts a few months; the tines thin and break, and the foam gets coarser. So a second whisk is never wasted, even for someone who already has one. I explain the signs in how often to replace a chasen.
The bowl and the scoop are different. A scoop kept dry lasts for years, and a bowl lasts as long as it is not dropped. Those are the pieces people grow attached to, which is why they are harder to choose for someone else.
If you want to give a bowl
A tea bowl is personal. If you know their taste, choose something plain and wide enough to whisk in; if you do not, a whisk is the better choice. What to look for is in how to choose a matcha bowl.
Things that make a gift easier to give
- Check what arrives on the doorstep. Parcels from overseas can come with duty to pay on delivery. To the United States, Tomari includes the duty in the price and pays it before the parcel leaves Tokyo, so nothing is collected at the door.
- Leave the prices out. Ask the shop to leave the prices out of the parcel and add a handwritten card. At Tomari both are free; hand wrapping is a separate line, once per order.
- Allow time. Standard airmail from Japan usually takes one to two weeks.
Questions I get asked
What is a good gift for someone who likes matcha?
If they are new to it, a whisk, a bowl and a scoop. If they already make matcha, a fresh bamboo whisk or a sifter.
What do you give someone who practices the tea ceremony?
They usually have the tools they love. A new bamboo whisk is always useful, because it wears out with use.
Is a matcha bowl a good gift?
Yes, if you know their taste. A bowl is the most personal piece; if you are unsure, give a whisk instead.
Will they have to pay duty on a gift from Japan?
It depends on the shop and the country. For the United States, Tomari includes the duty in the price, so nothing is charged on delivery.
Where this fits
For someone starting out, the starter set has the 100-prong bamboo whisk made in Takayama, Nara, a Mino-yaki bowl and a bamboo scoop. For someone who already makes matcha, the whisk on its own, or a sifter. Gift details are on the gifts page.
Written by Mio.K, who chooses everything in this shop by hand in Japan.