A 39-year-old ex-nurse and mother of a 10-year-old child, I live in the South of France.
I created the website "Le Vrai Binchotan" in 2018. 

Fascinated by Japan, eco-friendly and concerned about my health, I initially used the Japanese Binchotan from Kishu only for my personal consumption. 

Most of my friends were often surprised to find a piece of activated charcoal in my water jugs when they came home to eat, and they were quickly won over by its effectiveness.

They then pushed me to make it better known... and that's how one evening over a meal, the idea was born! 

I therefore decided to promote through this shop the know-how of the Japanese charcoal craftsmen with whom I work.

Today, a real relationship of trust binds us: I am proud to support them and help to make their products and traditions known beyond borders. 
 
The strengths of my business are   respect, trust and transparency towards my clients.
 

Japan produces very little Binchotan: only 13% of the world's coal production. Of this 13% of Binchotan made in Japan, only 20% is of sufficient quality to be able to purify tap water.
 

As a result, Japanese Binchotan for purifying water is an extremely rare product.

Activated carbons manufactured in other Asian countries are an easily available resource and the production volumes of which are much larger. Indeed, some Asian countries can produce up to 141,202 tons per year, while the Japanese region of Wakayama where my products are made can only supply 1,200 tons per year.

 
To date, I am the only one in France to have had my Japanese Binchotans tested for radioactivity, in order to guarantee the consumer a safe and healthy product. You will find this scan here.
 
I am also the only one in the world outside of Japan to offer my binchotans with their own stamp of authenticity. Indeed, there are a lot of "false binchotan" circulating, and I invite you to consult the section "counterfeits" to distinguish genuine Kishu Japanese binchotan from fake ones.
 
My ecological values are strong and I am happy to be able to share them with you through this online store, which aims to be as environmentally friendly as possible. 

The Binchotan sold on my site comes from forests that have been responsibly managed since the 16th century.   Japanese craftsmen do not practice any deforestation: they simply prune certain branches by rotating the plots to give the wood time to grow back. They can thus wait 20 to 25 years for the wood to grow back, which explains the rarity of Japanese Binchotan from Kishu. 

The famous wood from which it is made (Ubamegashi) grows naturally in southern Japan, without any added pesticides.
 
Once cooked, the charcoal is activated only with water vapour, unlike other Asian countries which generally activate their charcoal with chemical solvents that are very polluting for the soil. It is slowly cooled in ashes, while some other Asian countries cool their coal with water, which promotes mold growth.

Japanese Binchotan must meet very strict standards: its carbon content must be over 90%, unlike other Asian coals which rarely exceed 65%. Kishu's Binchotan has the highest carbon content in the world (95-96%), which makes it technically closer to diamonds than coal. 

The Binchotan that I offer is produced by hand by skilled artisans,   and I practice fair trade. Indeed, my Japanese partners set their own prices and conditions of sale. I adapt to them, not the other way around.

This is why I have very few products available in the shop since I adapt to the stocks of my artisans, depending on the renewal of the plots.

For shipping products, I regularly use second-hand materials (kraft, Japanese newsprint, boxes that have already been used, etc.) in order to limit my environmental impact.

 

The products are sent by post, which offsets 100% of its carbon emissions. If you live nearby, you also have the option of picking up your order in person at my workshop located in Vallauris (by appointment only).

I also offset the carbon footprint of each of my imports from Japan by supporting a local ecological project.

 

Thus, I sponsor a hive in the hinterland of Nice thanks to the association "a roof for the bees". Every year, I also organize a draw that allows you to win a few jars of honey from this hive.

 
I wish you a good visit on the site,

See you soon,

Pamela :) 

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