 apanese people love drinking Japanese tea in everyday life. Around 800 years ago, Zen monk Yousai, the founder of Kenninji Temple, brought tea from China. He encouraged the cultivation of tea in Japan and is also recognized as the founder of the tea ceremony. Uji, located in the south of Kyoto where tea seeds were planted back then, is now one of the most prominent tea production areas in Japan.
As this story shows, Kyoto has a long tradition of drinking Japanese tea. However, in those times it was discipline learned by the nobles. It was just around 150 years ago when ordinary people started to drink tea like today. Tea dealers who transported a huge amount of tea leaves were looking for a new container the replace the bowls made of tin or jars made of china. It happened that at that time Kaikado had their eyes on tin plates, which had just been imported from England. Kaikado, established in 1875, is Japan?s oldest company of hand made tea caddies.
In a time before the invention of the refrigerator or any advanced preservation techniques available today, the airtightness of a container was the key to protection and preservation tea leaves from humidity. Kaikado?s tea caddies feature high airtightness that was made possible by their double-walled construction. The tea caddies, which closed tightly with great accuracy, received high acclaim and a rush of orders. The company produced tailor made tea caddies to the requirements and needs of tea dealers and hardware merchants alike.Each of Kaikado?s tea caddies is hand-made by their own craftsmen. Because of this, the maximum production is limited to around 10 caddies a day. The manufacturing method involves cutting a metal plate and crimping it to make a perfect form. Only well-experienced craftsmen can shape a perfect circle. By simply placing the lid on the top of the caddy, it closes slowly and automatically only by the weight of the lid. This ensures that two contrary functions, airtightness and easy opening/closing, are combined by the highly skilled manufacturing technique. Elaborate manufacturing true to Japanese craftsmanship is the key focus of Kaikado.In addition to being used for storing tea leaves, the caddies can also be used to store English or Chinese tea, as well as coffee, spices, pasta and grain. Not too tight and not too loose, the caddies maintain perfect construction that will impress you every time you open and close them.
Simplifying the form and pursuing the functionality, Kaikado also pays great attention to designing its products. Designers like Jasper Morrison and Gabriele Pezzini came to visit the company and praised the minimalistic design. Each time the caddy is handled, it develops a unique sheen specific to the type of material from which it is made. Witnessing the changes in color that develop over time will surely bring great joy to the person wishing to nurture their caddy over time. |
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| These containers are versatile and can be used for a variety of dry goods such as coffee, pasta, or grain. |
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The process for making our Kaikado tea containers hasn?t changed in 130 years.
Each step of the process is done by hand. |
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The styles have changed as years have goneby.
You can find the original tin-plated tea container on display at our store. We?ve also created several sizes for different uses. |
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TEL: +81-(0)75-351-5788 FAX: +81-(0)75-351-5801
Address: 21-5, Kamibetto-cho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto
Available languages: English, Japanese
Website: http://www.kaikado.jp/english/
Credit cards: Not Accepted (Cash Only) |
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