Chakin (Matcha Cloth)
The chakin is the least glamorous object on a tea tray and the one most often left out of starter sets. It is a small rectangle of white cloth, dampened and wrung, used to wipe the chawan before and after matcha is made. In a formal setting the way it is folded and handled is prescribed in detail. At home it is a dish cloth with a lineage, and we will be honest about that.
The short answer
A chakin is a small white linen cloth, traditionally 30.3 × 15.2cm, used to wipe the inside of a matcha bowl before and after use. It is dampened and wrung out rather than used dry. Linen is standard because it dries fast and does not shed fibres. For home matcha it is entirely optional — its role is ceremonial rather than practical.
What it is
A rectangle of undyed white cloth, historically hemp or ramie and now most often linen. The standard size of 30.3 × 15.2cm is one shaku by five sun in traditional Japanese measurement. It is used damp, folded in a prescribed way, and kept in a small ceramic or lacquered holder called a kensui-adjacent chakin-zutsu in some schools.
Why it matters
In tea ceremony the chakin does real work: it warms and dries the bowl after the initial rinse, and wiping the rim after drinking is part of the etiquette of passing a shared bowl. The wipe is also functional — a bowl rinsed with hot water and wiped is warm and dry, which is a better starting point than a cold wet one. Whether that justifies a dedicated cloth at home is a fair question.
What to look for
Linen over cotton
Linen is the standard for good reasons: it dries much faster than cotton, sheds far fewer fibres, and does not go slimy when kept damp. Cotton chakin exist and are cheaper, but cotton holds water, dries slowly and leaves lint in the bowl — which is precisely what you are trying to avoid.
Standard dimensions, 30.3 × 15.2cm
One shaku by five sun. The size is not arbitrary — it is what folds correctly into the prescribed shape and fits comfortably in the hand while wiping a 12cm bowl. Cloths sold at other dimensions will not fold the traditional way.
Undyed white
Always plain white and undyed. Colour and pattern are not a stylistic option here; a coloured chakin is simply not a chakin. It also means you can see immediately when it is no longer clean.
Hemmed edges
The edges should be finished with a narrow hem rather than raw-cut or overlocked. Raw edges fray after a few washes and leave threads in the bowl.
Weight and weave
A medium-weight, plain-weave linen is right. Very fine linen tears at the hem within months of being wrung out repeatedly; heavy linen does not fold cleanly and holds too much water.
Buy several
They cost $5–15 each and need to be washed after use and dried completely. One chakin means either using it damp from yesterday or not using it at all. Three is a workable rotation.
How long it lasts
Six months to two years of regular use. A chakin fails at the hem first, from being repeatedly wrung out, and then discolours — a permanent yellow-green cast from matcha and minerals that no washing removes. Discolouration is the usual reason to retire one, since a chakin is meant to be conspicuously clean. Used occasionally and washed properly, a good linen cloth lasts years.
Where to buy, and the honest alternative
There are no real brands in this category — chakin are a commodity. We don't sell any of these and take no commission.
Japanese tea supply houses
Kyoto and Nara, Japan
Ippodo, tea ceremony suppliers and traditional retailers sell correctly sized linen chakin at $8–15. The straightforward option.
Ramie and hemp chakin
Japan
$15–30. The historically original materials, stiffer than linen and prized in formal practice. Overkill for home use.
Generic starter-set cloths
China
The cloth included in cheap matcha sets, if one is included at all. Usually cotton and usually the wrong size. Functional as a cloth, not really a chakin.
A clean linen tea towel
Anywhere
The honest home substitute. Cut to size and hemmed, a plain white linen towel does the identical job for a fraction of the cost.
Care
- Rinse in clean water immediately after use, then wring gently rather than twisting hard, which is what breaks the hem.
- Wash properly after each session — hot water, no fabric softener. Softener leaves a coating that transfers to the bowl.
- Dry completely and flat. A damp chakin left folded develops mould and a smell within a day.
- Never use it dry on a dry bowl. It is meant to be dampened and wrung out; used dry it just moves powder around and sheds fibres.
- Keep it away from the rest of the laundry, particularly anything that sheds colour. It has to stay white.
- Retire it when it stays discoloured after washing. A stained chakin defeats its own purpose.
Common mistakes
- Buying cotton because it is cheaper. Cotton sheds lint into the bowl and dries too slowly to use daily.
- Using it dry. A chakin is dampened and wrung — this is not optional detail, it is how it works.
- Owning exactly one, which means it is always damp from the last use.
- Washing it with fabric softener, which coats the fibres and transfers into the bowl.
- Leaving it folded while damp, which produces mould and an odour quickly.
- Feeling obliged to buy one for home matcha. It is genuinely optional and nobody's bowl tastes worse without it.
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Frequently asked
What is a chakin used for?
A chakin is a small white linen cloth used to wipe the inside and rim of a matcha bowl. In tea ceremony the bowl is rinsed with hot water and then wiped dry with a dampened, wrung-out chakin, which leaves it warm and dry before the matcha is added. Wiping the rim after drinking is also part of the etiquette when a bowl is shared.
What size is a chakin?
The standard is 30.3 × 15.2cm, which is one shaku by five sun in traditional Japanese measurement. The dimensions matter because they determine how the cloth folds into its prescribed shape and how it sits in the hand while wiping a 12cm chawan. Cloths sold at other sizes will not fold correctly.
Do I need a chakin to make matcha at home?
No. The chakin's role is ceremonial rather than practical, and no part of the flavour or texture of your matcha depends on it. If you like the ritual, a $10 linen cloth is a cheap way to have it. If you do not, a clean tea towel does the physical job identically and nobody will know.
Is a chakin linen or cotton?
Linen is the standard, and historically hemp and ramie were used. Linen dries fast, sheds very few fibres and does not become slimy when kept damp. Cotton chakin are sold and are cheaper, but cotton holds water, dries slowly and leaves lint in the bowl — which is exactly what the cloth is meant to prevent.
How do you clean a chakin?
Rinse it in clean water right after use, wring it gently rather than twisting hard, and wash it in hot water with no fabric softener after each session. Dry it completely and flat before storing — a chakin left folded while damp will smell within a day. Retire it when matcha staining no longer washes out.
