Umezawa Hinoki Rice Paddle Japanese Cypress Wood Rice Scoop

Umezawa is a small woodworking business local to Mie Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. Located in between Japan’s most famous timber-producing areas like Gifu and Nara prefectures, Umezawa is situated in an advantageous location for bringing customers high-quality wooden goods.

This shamoji or rice scoop from Umezawa is special because it is crafted from hinoki (Japanese cypress). It features a sleek flat shape, making it not only easy to scoop rice, but also comfortable to hold.

Using a wooden rice paddle over a plastic counterpart is useful because it will not cut the rice grains in half when scooping rice, and it will not damage the coating on your rice cooker or pot. Additionally, it is recommended to use this hinoki rice scoop with a wooden rice bowl, such as this wooden sushi oke bowl from Umezawa.