Kishu binchotan charcoal

Kishu binchotan charcoal that is a national charcoal brand is an extremely hard white charcoal made of ubame oak and mainly produced in the Kinan area of Wakayama Prefecture
It has a hardness and heaviness that are incomparable worldwide, and is ultimate premium white charcoal that keeps a strong and stable fire lit for a long time.
With a 95% carbon content, it is similar to diamond and is extremely hard, producing a metallic sound when tapped. Charcoal with a hardness of 15 or higher is generally called binchotan charcoal.。
The charcoal-making techniques that are said to have been completed in the Edo period have hardly changed at all. The name ‘binchotan’ comes from Bicchuya Chozaemon, a charcoal wholesaler in the Kishu Tanabe Domain during the Edo period, taking the ‘bi’ from Bicchuya and the ‘cho’ from Chozaemon.

The features of Kishu binchotan charcoal were created through its unique charcoal-making process.
Ubame oak that grows slowly into very hard wood is slowly steamed in a charcoal kiln called a binchogama over several days. The kiln is opened right around the time the wood has finished carbonizing, instantly flushing the interior with air. This ignites the charcoal and volatile components inside the kiln and raises the temperature inside the kiln to over 1,000°C. Almost all impurities are burned off, leaving only the charcoal that continues to carbonize. This is called nerashi. When the time is right, the charcoal is pulled out of the kiln and the fire is quickly extinguished by covering it with a mixture of ash and sand called subai to cut off the air.
The mixture sticks to the surface of the charcoal and gives it an ashy-white color, which is why it is called white charcoal.

Because of its excellent properties, Kishu binchotan charcoal has a wide range of uses, such as water purification, deodorization, as a food additive, and even as wind chimes with a sound similar to that of a metallophone and expressive and beautifully sculpted objects of art.

Crafts

Tanabe has been nurtured by history, culture, and abundant nature over the years to produce traditional crafts that have passed down generations, furniture, daily commodities, nonessential goods, and other items created through Kishu craftmanship with materials that have been blessed by the Kishu natural environment.
Each item that has a simple, handmade feel, warmth, and excellent functionality brings richness and abundance to our lives.

Council members that sell Kishu binchotan charcoal and/or crafts

Council members that sell other crafts