Binchotan has a long history and dates back to the Heian period, 1200 years ago. At that time, a charcoal called "Kumano charcoal" was burned in the villages of the Kumano region of Nankishu.
It is said that during the Edo Genroku era, the coal makers of the current Akizugawa River, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, improved Kumano Charcoal and devised Bincho Charcoal, which was then completed and popularized by Bintan Yacho Soemon, a charcoal wholesaler. I am.
Bincho charcoal, which is made of hard wood such as Ubamegashi, is considered to be the finest white coal. Ubamegashi, which is also a prefectural tree in Wakayama Prefecture, has a hard wood quality and the tree itself is not suitable as a material for construction or woodworking products, but it is hard enough to be cut even if it is sawtooth when baked as white charcoal with the method that has been inherited for many years Good charcoal is made.
The production of Bincho charcoal has been inherited in the warmer regions of the Pacific Ocean where Ubamegashi grow, mainly in Wakayama and Kochi prefectures, and today, Kishu Bincho charcoal, Tosa Bincho charcoal are named after their production areas. It is called "Hyuga Binchotan".
Kishu Bincho charcoal requires more than 10 days from kiln insertion to baking, during which the carver works only on the smell and color of smoke. It is said that while the kiln is being lit, you will not lose your mind during the day, night or even once. In particular, the kiln dashi work takes more than half a day, and in the summer, you must work in unprecedented heat in front of the kiln.
Kishu Binchotan's coal-making technology, which requires many years of experience and strong physical strength, was designated as an intangible cultural property in Wakayama Prefecture in 1974.
Bincho charcoal, which is currently active in every aspect of our lives, among them, Kishu Bincho charcoal is the finest product of charcoal produced by the skills and sensibilities of skilled coal makers.