Takada Tawashi has been handcrafting brushes in Wakayama, Japan, since 1948, using fibres from the native windmill palm. Each brush is made by skilled artisans who carefully select and shape the natural materials to ensure durability, functionality, and quiet beauty.

Formerly, Wakayama was a major producer of windmill palm, a mainstay of the local economy. But production was dramatically curtailed by cheaper imported windmill palm and replacement products such as oil palm. With fewer and fewer farmers to tend to them, windmill palm forests have dwindled dramatically nationwide. Takada are taking the first steps toward preserving this traditional industry for future generations by protecting Wakayama’s existing windmill palm forests, nurturing this important natural resource and cultivating high-quality windmill palm.