Nakanatsume Musashino Matcha Caddy – Gold Leaf

An elegant Nakanatsume (中棗) matcha tea caddy by Taien Yamashita (山下泰園), featuring the traditional Musashino (武蔵野) motif.

The Musashino design evokes the expansive autumn fields of Musashi, traditionally associated with susuki (Japanese pampas grass), autumn grasses, and the moon. The motif has long been cherished in Japanese art and tea culture as an expression of the quiet beauty of autumn.

Crafted with Mizume wood (水目) and an Ikkan (一閑) finish, the piece is further accented with delicate gold leaf, adding a subtle warmth and elegance to the seasonal design.

A refined natsume especially suited for autumn tea gatherings, Tsukimi (moon-viewing), and seasonal tea practice.

• Style: Naka-Natsume (中棗)
• Motif: Musashino (武蔵野)
• Material: Mizume Wood
• Finish: Ikkan
• Decoration: Gold Leaf
• Artisan: Taien (泰園)
• For Usucha (Thin Tea)
• Recommended Season: Autumn / Tsukimi Season
• Made in Japan

About Taien Yamashita

Taien Yamashita (山下泰園) is a Japanese maki-e lacquer artist based in Yamanaka, Ishikawa Prefecture, an area renowned for its centuries-old tradition of Yamanaka lacquerware.

Born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1961, Yamashita began his training after high school under maki-e master Takeo Sakashita (Yūhō). After five years of apprenticeship, he established himself independently and later continued his studies under Munehiro Dōjō, further refining his lacquer and decorative techniques.

His work is especially known for elegant tea ceremony utensils, including natsume and other lacquered tea caddies. Drawing inspiration from Japan’s changing seasons, his designs often feature traditional motifs such as cherry blossoms, green maple leaves, flowers, fireflies, and other elements of nature.

Through delicate maki-e, gold decoration, and occasionally raden (mother-of-pearl inlay), Taien’s work reflects the refined craftsmanship of the Yamanaka lacquerware tradition and brings a quiet sense of seasonal beauty to the tea room.

About Yamanaka Lacquerware

Yamanaka Lacquerware is a traditional Japanese craft from Yamanaka Onsen in Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture, with a history spanning approximately 450 years.

It is especially renowned for its exceptional woodturning techniques, which allow skilled artisans to shape wood with remarkable precision, creating beautifully refined and lightweight forms. Each piece is carefully finished with multiple layers of lacquer, giving it lasting durability, a smooth texture, and an elegant luster. Many pieces are further embellished with traditional maki-e, a decorative technique using gold or silver powder.

Yamanaka lacquerware natsume are highly valued as tea ceremony utensils, combining generations of craftsmanship with understated beauty and functionality.

About Natsume

A natsume (棗) is a traditional Japanese tea caddy used to hold matcha for usucha (thin tea). Its name comes from its shape, which resembles the fruit of the jujube tree, known as natsume in Japanese.

In the tea ceremony, a natsume is more than simply a container for matcha. Its form, lacquer finish, and decoration are carefully chosen to complement the season, the other tea utensils, and the theme of the gathering.

Balancing beauty and function, the natsume is one of the most recognizable and cherished utensils in the Japanese tea ceremony.