I built a house when I was 24 years old.
Before starting the foundation work, professionals in charcoal making were invited from Kyushu to provide guidance, and several tons of charcoal were buried.
You will come to realize that choosing the right place to bury it is very important.

When I was 50 years old, I had barrier-free renovations done for my mother.
The carpenter peeled back the wall, and the bamboo used in the "etsuri" (an ancient weaving technique using bamboo) visible from inside the earthen wall was the fresh, vibrant green color of freshly cut bamboo.

Even the carpenter was surprised.
"This is the first time in my life I've seen a place where all the bamboo used is still the original from when it was newly built!"
In the autumn of my 57th year, I visited "Etsuri" again. I was once again surprised to see that both the first and second floors had retained the same light blue bamboo color.
I was also convinced that the exterior of the house had less damage compared to other houses built around the same time.

For the past 30 years, I have lived with Kishu Bincho-tan charcoal, using it for water purification, rice cooking, bathing, in every room, in the car, for the plants in the garden, and even carrying it with me when I go out. I truly feel that it has been a great experience to have charcoal as a part of my life.

The origin of Kishu Bincho-tan charcoal seems to be around 1200 years ago, when Kobo Daishi was involved in the charcoal-making method.
The production of Bincho-gan charcoal began in the Edo period by Chosaiemon Binchoya in Tanabe City. The Ume-gashi tree, the raw material for Kishu Bincho-gan charcoal, is the prefectural tree of Wakayama Prefecture. It is also the symbolic tree of Tanabe City.

Around the age of 40, I met a local Bincho-gan kiln owner and specially ordered only long pieces of charcoal.
That was the starting point, and after repeatedly approaching local kilns, we were able to regularly obtain rare, long charcoal for our sculptures every month. The diameter is 3-4 cm. The longest pieces are 175 cm, the shortest are around 5 cm, and the thinnest are about the size of chopsticks, so there is a lot of variety.

Grilling meat and seafood over Kishu Bincho-tan charcoal brings out the exquisite flavor.
I hear that it's recognized by celebrities overseas.

I felt that it was a real waste to only use such wonderful Kishu Bincho-tan charcoal for charcoal-grilled dishes.
(If you burn it, it becomes ash.) This ash can also be used as glaze by pottery artists...

The Goodness of Kishu Bincho-tan (Kishu charcoal)

• - Charcoal-grilled BBQ cooks the ingredients to a tender and juicy finish.
• - Kishu Bincho-tan charcoal is easy to handle even for professional chefs because of its strong firepower and long-lasting burn due to the far-infrared effect, its ability to retain moisture, the lack of odor when burned, and its ability to create a crispy surface while retaining flavor.
• - If you put tap water and Kishu binchotan charcoal in an empty bottle, the tap water will become smoother and more palatable after a few hours.
• - Water purification and filtration.
• - When placed in a rice cooker, it will cook shiny, fluffy rice.
• - When added to bathwater, it softens the water, making it gentle and moisturizing for the skin.
• - Also suitable as interior decoration.
• - Air purification effect, deodorizing effect.
• - Measures against electromagnetic waves.
• - Don't throw it away; use it to fertilize your potted plants to keep them thriving until the end.

Using the Ubagashi tree as a raw material, the charcoal is made by steaming and baking it at high temperatures, and then extinguishing the flames outside the kiln by applying ash called "Sōhai." This process produces high-quality charcoal with a fine texture.
The charcoal-making technique for Kishu Bincho-tan has been designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Wakayama Prefecture. During the carbonization process, countless small spaces are created, and as a physical characteristic of these spaces, a reaction occurs that adsorbs and purifies surrounding odor substances and impurities.
"Kishu Bincho-tan charcoal is highly trusted by chefs at charcoal-grilled restaurants all over Japan!" But that's not all. The future potential of Kishu Bincho-tan charcoal lies in its application to daily necessities, quasi-medicines, cosmetics, livestock and fish feed, supplements, and even medical applications in the future.

In an era that is constantly changing, there are things that continue to be updated without changing their essence, and that continue to be protected across time.
Binchotan charcoal, with its diamond-like black luster and purifying properties that break down harmful substances.
We want to bring true "beauty" and "health" to daily life by utilizing Japanese traditions and technology through binchotan charcoal.