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Guide to Japanese Tea Cups (Yunomi)

Japanese tea cups, also known as yunomi cupshave been an important part of Japanese culture for centuries. As a tea lover, your mind might jump straight to the form of teacup used in formal tea ceremonies, but the yunomi teacup is a type of tea cup used by Japanese people for daily use.

Yunomi cups are Japanese tea cups designed for daily rather than ceremonial use.

Of the two main types of small cups used for tea, the yunomi teacup is the one that is used daily, while the chawan bowl is the one set aside for use in the Japanese tea ceremony.  

Below you’ll find a guide to choosing yunomi tea cups and how to incorporate them into your personal tea rituals. 

If you’re a tea drinker interested in a Japanese tea set for your own, read on to learn more about yunomi and their significance to Japanese culture.

What Is a Yunomi?

The yunomi is the most common type of Japanese teacup that can be found since these simple cups are designed for daily tea drinking. One of the ways they differ from Western tea cups is that they do not have a handle. 

This type of cup can take many different forms, from tall cylindrical cups made of ceramic material to Japanese porcelain handle-less teacup styles. Evidence of this common teacup goes back as far as the 16th century. 

What Does Yunomi Mean in Japanese?

The name yunomi in Japanese means, “a utensil for drinking hot water.” The name of this teacup describes its function since there are many different types of yunomi.

Individual yunomi types are usually referred to by their pottery style. From clay teacups with matching clay teapots to white porcelain, there are as many different styles of yunomi as there are kinds of Japanese tea.

yunomi tea cups Japan
Yunomi tea cups don’t have handles.

History of Yunomi

While no one knows exactly when this type of tea vessel was invented, yunomi have been used since the 1500s.

These informal but traditional Japanese tea cups come in a variety of different patterns and pottery styles. 

Types of Yunomi Cups

The biggest trait that distinguishes different types of yunomi cups is the design or pattern of the pottery used to create them. There are four main varieties of yunomi pottery styles that you’ll find in Japan:

    Hagi yunomi:

    These are teacups made from pottery that is traditionally created in the Hagi city of the Yamaguchi Prefecture. Two designs that are popular in hagi pottery are gohonte and kairagi, pottery styles that take advantage of flaws to use them as features.

    Shino: 

    Shino is a style of Japanese pottery that is characterized by its milky white glaze and the small pin holes that form in the glaze as it fires.

    Karatsu:

    Karatsu is a type of pottery that is traditionally created in Karatsu of the Saga Prefecture. Karatsu is distinguished by its iron-based underglaze and the brush-applied designs that are painted onto its surface.

    Mashiko:

    Mashiko is a style of yunomi tea cup that comes from Mashiko in the Tochigi Prefecture. Mashiko is recognizable by its distinctive red-brown local clay and its simple, rustic design.

    Functionally, all styles of yunomi tea cups accomplish the same basic goal of giving the drinker a container to serve their morning tea.  

    However, the artistic differences in pottery aesthetics between types of yunomi pottery have been cultivated in Japanese art history for centuries. 

    What Is The Difference Between Yunomi and Chawan? 

    The main differences between yunomi and chawan are in their shape and their use.

    Shape: Yunomi vs Chawan

    Yunomi and chawan tea cups can be immediately distinguished from each other by their shape. 

    Yunomi are cylindrical in shape, with a relatively narrow opening, while a chawan is shaped more like a bowl, with a wide opening.

    One trait that both yunomi and chawan tea cups have in common is that neither of these teacup styles has a handle. This is quite different from teacups found in the Western world. 

    chawan tea cups ceremony
    Chawan bowls are more shallow than yunomi.

    Usage: Chawan vs Yunomi

    Yunomi are made for casual use, while chawan are usually reserved for formal Japanese tea ceremonies. These ceremonies are common during religious rituals and formal social gatherings, like weddings.

    The more formal chawan tea bowl is a wide bowl that is used in Japanese tea ceremonies to mix matcha powder and hot water together with a bamboo whisk.

    Materials Used in Yunomi Cups

    There are two major types of materials used in making yunomi tea cups: 

    Stoneware:

    Many old-fashioned yunomi cups are constructed out of raw clay. In Japan, different types of clay are associated with different parts of the country and styles of yunomi pottery. These are the clay tea cups most commonly seen in Japanese art.

    Porcelain:

    The introduction of porcelain into Japan started in the 1600s. Porcelain yunomi is often used to display highly intricate painted artwork. 

    Even though stoneware and porcelain are the two materials traditionally used to construct yunomi, modern yunomi are made of other materials too, such as carved stone or glass. 

    What Is Meoto Yunomi?

    Meoto yunomi is a specialized set of yunomi tea cups that are traditionally gifted to husbands and wives as a wedding gift to bring good fortune to the new household.

    This style of yunomi features husband and wife cups that are gifted as a set. The “husband cup” is traditionally a bit larger than the “wife cup” in order to set them apart. 

    What Type of Tea Is Served in Yunomi?

    In Japan, yunomi is commonly used to serve green tea, black tea, or any other type of tea besides matcha tea.  Loose leaf tea is often served in yunomi cups, while a chawan matcha bowl is used to whisk matcha powder.

    Green tea and black tea come from the same plant. The main difference between green tea and black tea involves the processing steps. 

    guide to japanese tea cups
    Yunomi are cylindrical cups used for daily tea drinking.

    How to Use Yunomi Cups

    The most comfortable way to drink out of a yunomi cup is to use both hands since these cups don’t have a handle. 

    Luckily, most traditional yunomi mugs are designed to be thick enough that the tea shouldn’t burn your hands while you hold the cup. Japanese teas are also served at a lower temperature than Western teas, so you’ll be less likely to burn your hand since the tea’s water temperature is lower.

    In Japanese tea culture, it is recommended that you drink your tea slowly from the yunomi, savoring every drop. In Japan, this is considered to be cultivating mindful awareness. 

    Can You Put Yunomi Cups in the Dishwasher?

    Most traditional yunomi cups are not dishwasher safe since they’re constructed of porous stoneware, but some modern yunomi cups are designed out of materials that are dishwasher safe.

    If you’re using a traditional yunomi cup, your best bet is to hand wash the cup and put it away rather than using a dishwasher. 

    This could save your yunomi from chips, cracks, and other damage.

    Yunomi Cups Are a Beautiful Tradition

    While they might seem simple at first glance, yunomi cups are a delightful and rustic style of Japanese art that has been a part of the island nation’s culture for hundreds of years.

    Collecting yunomi cups as part of your tea-drinking hobby can make your everyday tea each morning feel that much more special. 

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