Kamenoko: the tawashi brush that has cleaned Japanese kitchens since 1907

The Kamenoko tawashi has been manufactured by the same company, in the same Tokyo neighbourhood, using the same palm fibre, since 1907. The design registered in that year - a compact oval of tightly bound natural fibre with a rounded profile - has not been changed in over a century, and the reason is simple: it already does what it is supposed to do as well as anything designed since. The tawashi is one of those rare objects where the original solution was also the final one.

What tawashi is made from

Traditional Kamenoko tawashi uses fibre from the shuro palm, a species native to southern Japan and China. Shuro fibre sits at a specific hardness that allows it to scrub firmly enough to remove stuck-on food without scratching most surfaces. It is tougher than a soft sponge, gentler than a metal scrubber, and it does not hold bacteria the way a cellulose sponge does. The fibre is entirely natural and biodegradable.

Where it works best

Cast iron is the primary use case. Cast iron cookware should not be cleaned with soap - detergent strips the seasoning that takes months or years to build. Hot water and a tawashi is the correct method. The palm fibre removes food residue without chemical action, leaving the seasoning intact. The tawashi is equally excellent for scrubbing root vegetables: burdock root (gobo), lotus root and daikon can be cleaned quickly and the fibre reaches into crevices and irregular surfaces that a standard brush misses. Browse our full Kamenoko collection and cleaning supplies.

Why natural fibre outperforms synthetic

Synthetic scrubbing pads wear out and shed microplastics throughout their useful life. Their hardness is also less graduated than natural fibre - they tend to be either too soft or too abrasive for specific tasks. A shuro tawashi provides the right resistance for most kitchen cleaning without the environmental cost. When it eventually wears out, it composts completely. For anyone thinking seriously about sustainability in kitchen materials, replacing synthetic scrubbers with a tawashi is one of the most practical changes available.

How to use it

Wet the brush under hot water. Scrub in firm circular motions. For cast iron, do this while the pan is still warm - residue releases more easily from a warm surface. For vegetables, scrub under running water. After use, rinse thoroughly and set to dry upright or hanging so water does not pool in the base.

Explore more Japanese kitchen essentials: cast iron cookware and our full kitchen utensils collection.

Read next

• The beginner's guide to Japanese cast iron cookware, the seasoning a tawashi exists to protect
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• Wabi-sabi and the Japanese kitchen, on objects that improve with use