I founded the Charcoal People with my wife Deborah in 2007, initially selling bamboo charcoal natural water filters. Like many businesses it came out of personal experience: for some time we had been using bamboo charcoal at home to filter our tap water and one day, perhaps inevitably, I thought why not introduce it to the market?

Some say it was my mid-life crisis, but I insist it was a brainwave and a moment of inspiration. Whatever the true motivation, three years on, as the Charcoal People’s customer base steadily grows, I am pretty pleased that we are offering something that is old, yet new, a forgotten art and a beautiful thing.

Charcoal is very versatile. Its benefits are not limited to filtering water. It does some amazing things very quietly without shouting about its abilities. I love its modesty and simplicity. In the coming months we plan to add more exciting and intriguing charcoal products, so watch this space!

Michihiro Ishihara, founder of the Charcoal People

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