Captain StagJapanBargain, Japanese Binchotan White Lump Charcoals for Outdoor Indoor Hibachi BBQ Table Top Grill (2.2, Pounds)

So, I wavered between 4 and 5 stars for this review. Eventually, I settled on 5 stars, because I think the product I received is even better than pictured. Let me explain . . .I bought this to make sachets for my dresser drawers. I inherited some antique furniture for my bedroom that seems to be irreparably infused with someone else's body odor (fortunately, I am related to the original owner). A few years back I received some drawer deodorizers as a gift (in gifting, my family goes practical rather than frivolous). Those were the best deodorizers I ever encountered. They completely resolved the issue with the antique furniture without adding any perfume. They remained effective for a couple of years, too. Recently they pooped out, so I tried to find something similar online after discovering that the original product is no longer available. Similar items were too pricey for me, so I decided to find some bulk bamboo charcoal and make them myself.When the item arrived, I, too, noticed that it was from Mayanmar. Since I hadn't read the item description very carefully prior to purchase, I just figured I had ordered, "Japanese STYLE," charcoal. Technically, though, the product is described as, "Japanese," which it is not. This may not even be made from bamboo, which is what I had believed to be the factor that determined its efficacy of odor removal. I am not an expert of such matters.But what really struck me when I open the box was that the pieces are nice intact logs, not a bunch of oddly sized crumbles that appear in the picture. For my purpose, the oddly sized chunks I expected would have been fine, but for decorative purposes, these unbroken, long, slender pieces are better. The box I received contains miniature logs about 7" long and 1-2" in diameter (they are similar in size, but not completely uniform). I was pleasantly surprised, and, in fact, that is why I decided to review the item. If one wanted to display them around the house, these log-like pieces would be much more appealing than a bunch of broken pieces.Regardless of the country of origin or the shape and size of the pieces, for me this product worked well. I felt like I really got a bargain, 2 pounds for about $25, because the bamboo charcoal deodorizers I've seen are $15-25 each and contain about 1/10th of the activated product.I bought  B0054X2J02 Wedding Favor Jewelry Organza Gift Bags/Pouch , choosing a dark color knowing the contents would be black, at 19 cents each, and  B005JX0P4O Designer Organza Gift Bags for Weddings & Party Favors  at 75 cents each. I made quite a few cute little odor killers without much effort, since the favor bags have built-in drawstring closures.Disclaimer: After a quick review of my review, I must say that I do not come from a Stinky, Miserly family who gives unthoughtful gifts! I just don't want to completely lose credibility here ;)! B0054X2J02 Wedding Favor Jewelry Organza Gift Bags/PouchB005JX0P4O Designer Organza Gift Bags for Weddings & Party Favors

I have a little wooden container that has activated charcoal pieces in a mesh bag to absorb odors near my litter boxes. Since I bought it 6 months ago I figured I should replace the charcoal and this box of charcoal suited my purposes perfectly. It did take quite a while to arrive since it came from Japan but I am glad I ordered it. It has jagged pieces of all shapes and sizes so won't be good for anything decorative but if you're using it like I am, I wouldn't hesitate to order it.

I can taste the difference in my water when I use the charcoal. It tastes so clean and looks it too.

The product is binchotan-style charcoal and came well delivered and in a timely fashion. However the charcoal is not the true Japanese binchotan and for the price I would have expected it to be such. Instead it is manufactured in Myanmar and is perhaps more along the lines of the Chinese caliber of charcoal. Still better than the North American stuff but I was expecting real Japanese binchotan for the price. Might be fine for air or water filtration but for grilling it is not the same.

I placed a couple pieces in different rooms in a decorative arrangement. I have a cat and a dog so I wanted something natural to absorb the odors. I'm happy with the results and there are alot of other uses for this charcoal but you have to look it up on your own. Would be nice if it came along with a list of uses.