Japanese Teapots & Tea Sets

Teapots were introduced to Japan as early as the 9th century by a Chinese Buddhist monk. By the 1600s, Japan developed their own teapots and cups known as kyusu to amplify their experience of tea. Kyusu are most commonly made of natural clay and can be divided into three main categories: side-handled kyusu, rear grip kyusu, and handled kyusu.

The preparation of tea in Japan is taken very seriously in Japan, making the use of traditional Japanese teapots essential to the task of preparing and enjoying tea. Everything from the quality of the tea leaves to the material of the teapots and the shape and look of the teacups are considered in order to elevate one’s experience in drinking tea with another person.

The Japanese tea ceremony, also known as the "Way of Tea," is a practice in which matcha tea is served with significant attention to detail, including the teapot. This ritual has its roots in Buddhism, but later became a status symbol and, even later, a meditative and artistic practice in accordance with the Japanese Zen wabi-sabi principles.

Quick Facts

• Tea ceremonies are usually performed in a room that is covered with tatami mats. The kind of tea one receives as well as the arrangement of the tatami mats are all considered in response to the changing of seasons
• The ideal Japanese teapot is unglazed and made of clay with a high mineral content. This clay will not only accentuate the taste of the tea but also absorb the tea's flavors. This leads to an increased complexity of flavors over time
• In drinking matcha tea, there are at least five different components of the tea set. There is the chawan or tea bowl which is carefully and uniquely made, a cloth to wipe the chawan, a whisk to mix in the matcha powder with water, a scoop for the powder, and a caddy to carry the powder