Tea Cups & Mugs
Why Japanese tea cups are smaller
Japanese tea cups tend to be smaller than the mugs we’re used to in the UK, and there’s good reason for it. Fine Japanese green tea is full of delicate flavour, and a small cup lets you enjoy it while it’s fresh and warm. Loose-leaf teas such as sencha can be brewed several times, with each infusion bringing out something new, so a small cup is the natural partner for a teapot you’ll top up again and again.
Size is also about hospitality. In Japan, tea is poured for guests in thoughtful, measured portions, so every cup feels like a small gesture of care. With less cup to hold, you notice its shape, weight and glaze, and the simple act of drinking tea becomes a pleasure in itself.
Choosing a Japanese tea cup or mug
The classic yunomi is a tall, handleless cup for everyday green tea. Japanese green tea is brewed with water below boiling point, so you can cradle the cup in both hands and feel its warmth without it ever being too hot to hold. Many of our cups in this range are Minoyaki porcelain – a tradition dating back to the 7th century, prized for its refined look and excellent heat resistance. Glazes range from speckled steel grey to deep indigo.
Sencha cups are wider and shallower than a yunomi, which shows off the bright green colour of the tea and lets it cool to drinking temperature a little sooner. If you’d rather have something to wrap your hand around, our Japanese mugs bring the same craftsmanship to a larger cup of hojicha, genmaicha or your morning coffee.
The Furutani pieces are truly something special. Each is handmade in Shigaraki, one of Japan’s oldest pottery towns, and finished with soft iron speckles, fine cobalt lines or carved detailing, so no two are quite alike. They come with and without handles, so you can choose the shape that feels right in your hand.
For matcha, you’ll need a bowl with enough room to whisk the tea into a smooth, velvety froth. Our Maple Leaf Matcha Tea Set arrives boxed with a bowl, bamboo whisk and scoop, ready for you to add your favourite matcha powder.
To complete the table, pair your cups with a kyusu teapot or choose a ready-matched Japanese tea set.
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