Handbook › Glossary
The words that come up in our writing — wares and kilns, firing marks, motifs, vessels, and the days of the Japanese year. Each one links to the article it belongs to.
A
Aizome藍染
True indigo dyeing, which deepens with each dip and fades slowly with light.
Aka-e赤絵
Fine red overglaze linework, at its most delicate on Kutani and Arita pieces.
What Is Kutani Ware? A Textbook-Style Guide to Its Features, History, and Making →
Aochibu青粒
Kutani's blue stippling: rows of raised dots, even in size and spacing, laid across a ground.
What Is Kutani Ware? A Textbook-Style Guide to Its Features, History, and Making →
Ao-de青手
The Ko-Kutani manner in which green dominates and covers almost the whole surface.
Arare霰
“Hail” — the field of small raised dots most associated with Nanbu ironware.
Arita ware有田焼
Japan's first porcelain, made in Saga since the early 1600s.
Asanoha麻の葉
The hemp-leaf lattice, long stitched onto a newborn's first cloth.
Seasonal Patterns in Japanese Craft: Sakura, Momiji, Yukiwa & The Year Read in Motifs →
Atsukan熱燗
Sake warmed to the point where its scent opens.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
B
Banko ware萬古焼
Ware from Mie Prefecture, known for heat-resistant clay bodies used in teapots and donabe.
Japanese Pottery Styles: A Complete Guide to Regional Traditions →
Bidoroビードロ
Pools of natural glass on Shigaraki ware, formed where wood ash melts on the clay in the kiln.
What Is Shigaraki Ware? A Guide to Japan’s Rustic Stoneware →
Biriビリ
A rhythmic pattern cut into a Tokoname pot with a carving tool while it turns on the wheel.
Bizen ware備前焼
Unglazed stoneware from Okayama, where the surface is drawn by fire and ash rather than by glaze.
Botamochi牡丹餅
A pale round patch on Bizen ware, left where a small disc of clay shielded the surface during firing.
Botan牡丹
The peony, the fullest of the flowers, standing for honor and abundance.
Camellia, Peony, and Chrysanthemum: Three Flowers That Carry Japan’s Best Wishes →
C
Chawan茶碗
A bowl for whisked matcha, held in both hands.
Japanese Tea Gifts: How to Choose Yunomi, Kyusu, and Matcha Bowls →
D
Daiginjo大吟醸
Sake from the most highly polished rice of all.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Dami濃み
The filling of broad fields of color with a loaded brush, worked in one unbroken pass.
Dashi出汁
The stock beneath most Japanese cooking, drawn from kombu and dried fish.
Datsuzoku脱俗
A release from the ordinary and the expected.
What Is Wabi-Sabi? How to Bring Japanese Aesthetics into Your Home →
Donabe土鍋
An earthenware pot taken straight to the table, holding its heat as it empties.
Donburi丼
A deep bowl for rice dishes served in one piece, such as katsudon.
Enjoy Katsudon with Mino Ware — Crispy Pork Cutlet & Fluffy Egg Rice Bowl Recipe →
Doyo no Ushi no Hi土用の丑の日
The midsummer day on which grilled eel is eaten.
I Tried Supermarket Unagi on Doyo no Ushi no Hi — A Taste of Japanese Summer →
E
Echizen ware越前焼
One of Japan's oldest kiln traditions, in Fukui, making sturdy unglazed storage vessels.
Japanese Pottery Styles: A Complete Guide to Regional Traditions →
Edo Kiriko江戸切子
Cut glass from the old downtown of Tokyo, patterned by wheel-cutting into colored overlay.
Edo Kiriko: The Cut Glass of Tokyo’s Old Downtown — A Reading of the Patterns →
Ehomaki恵方巻
The uncut roll eaten at Setsubun, facing the year's auspicious direction.
Setsubun in Japan: Bean-Throwing, Oni, Ehomaki, and a Seasonal Table in Early February →
Eto干支
The Japanese zodiac: ten stems and twelve branches, turning together over sixty years.
What Is the Japanese Zodiac (Eto)? — A Friendly Guide for Global Readers →
F
Fukinsei不均斉
Asymmetry, preferred to balance because a form left uneven keeps the eye moving.
What Is Wabi-Sabi? How to Bring Japanese Aesthetics into Your Home →
Fuku mark福
The character for good fortune, painted by hand on the base of some older Japanese porcelain.
Hand-painted vs Printed Japanese Pottery: How to Tell the Difference and Choose with Confidence →
Furin風鈴
A wind bell hung where a draft will reach it in summer.
Let the Sound Bring Coolness — Nambu Ironware and Takaoka Copper Wind Chimes →
Furoshiki風呂敷
A square cloth tied to carry or to wrap a gift.
How to Choose a Meaningful Japanese Gift: A Guide to Occasions, Symbols, and Gift Etiquette →
G
Ginjo吟醸
Sake from more highly polished rice, lighter and more fragrant.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Goma胡麻
“Sesame” — the scatter of pale ash flecks across the surface of Bizen ware.
Guinomiぐい呑
A cup larger than an ochoko, taken in a mouthful rather than sipped.
How to Choose a Japanese Sake Cup: A Guide to Shapes, Materials, and Giving One Well →
H
Hagi ware萩焼
Pottery from Yamaguchi with a pale, crackled glaze that takes on color through years of use.
Hanabie花冷え
“Blossom chill” — sake served at around 10°C.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Hanami花見
Sitting under the blossom while it lasts.
Cherry Blossom Season in Kansai — A Guide to Hanami, History, and Japanese Craft →
Hanazume花詰
Kutani's flower-packed style, where blooms crowd the surface petal to petal with gold between.
What Is Kutani Ware? A Textbook-Style Guide to Its Features, History, and Making →
Hasami ware波佐見焼
Porcelain from Nagasaki, made in quantity for everyday tables.
Japanese Pottery Styles: A Complete Guide to Regional Traditions →
Hashi箸
Chopsticks, written 箸 but pronounced like 橋, a bridge, which is part of why they are given as gifts.
How to Choose Japanese Chopsticks as a Gift: Meanings, Sizes, and Pairs →
Hashioki箸置
A small rest that keeps the tips of the chopsticks off the table.
How to Choose Japanese Chopsticks as a Gift: Meanings, Sizes, and Pairs →
Hidasuki火襷
Scarlet lines across Bizen ware, left by rice straw wrapped around the piece before firing.
Hiiro火色
The soft orange blush that flame leaves on Shigaraki clay, never quite the same twice.
What Is Shigaraki Ware? A Guide to Japan’s Rustic Stoneware →
Hinamatsuri雛祭り
March 3rd, when hina dolls are displayed and peach blossom is cut.
Hinoki檜
Japanese cypress, light-colored and fragrant, used for boards, boxes and bath fittings.
Japanese Lacquerware: A Beginner’s Guide to Urushi, Modern Lacquer, and Everyday Use →
Hitoata-han一咫半
The traditional length for chopsticks: one and a half times the span from thumb tip to index tip.
How to Choose Japanese Chopsticks as a Gift: Meanings, Sizes, and Pairs →
Honjozo本醸造
Sake with a small addition of distilled alcohol, clean and easy to warm.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Honshiki本式
A formal juzu, made to the pattern of a particular Buddhist school.
Kyoto Juzu: A Guide to Japanese Prayer Beads — Meaning, Men’s and Women’s, and How to Choose →
Hon-urushi本漆
A piece finished in natural lacquer, as distinct from a modern synthetic coating.
Japanese Lacquerware: A Beginner’s Guide to Urushi, Modern Lacquer, and Everyday Use →
Hyotan瓢箪
The gourd, whose narrow neck keeps good fortune from escaping.
Seven Lucky Japanese Motifs Explained: Meaning, Symbolism & Gift Traditions →
I
Ichiju-sansai一汁三菜
One soup and three dishes: the plain frame a Japanese meal is usually built on.
How to Plate a Japanese Meal at Home — Vessels, Placement, and Space →
Ichimatsu市松
A simple checked pattern of alternating squares.
Imari伊万里
The port name under which Arita porcelain was shipped, and long used for the ware itself.
Imbe伊部
The part of Bizen city, in Okayama, where the kilns stand, and a name sometimes used for the ware.
Irikoいりこ
Dried sardines, used for a stronger, plainer stock.
Udon in Kagawa: Tamura / Ogataya / Tanigawa Beikokuten / Miyoshi Udon →
Iro-e色絵
Overglaze enamel painting, applied on top of a fired glaze and fired again at a lower heat.
What Is Kutani Ware? A Textbook-Style Guide to Its Features, History, and Making →
J
Jubako重箱
Stacking lacquered boxes, brought out for New Year and other occasions.
Cherry Blossom Season in Kansai — A Guide to Hanami, History, and Japanese Craft →
Junmai純米
Sake made from rice, water, koji and yeast alone.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Juzu数珠
Buddhist prayer beads, held in the hands at services and kept for a lifetime.
Beginner’s Guide to Juzu (Japanese Buddhist Prayer Beads): Meaning & Usage →
K
Kagome籠目
“Basket eye” — a cut-glass lattice of crossing diagonals.
Edo Kiriko: The Cut Glass of Tokyo’s Old Downtown — A Reading of the Patterns →
Kakiemon柿右衛門
An Arita kiln tradition known for spare red-and-white enamel painting on a milky porcelain body.
Arita Ware Patterns Explained: Meanings, Symbolism & Gift Ideas →
Kame亀
The turtle, said to live ten thousand, and the slower half of the same wish.
Seven Lucky Japanese Motifs Explained: Meaning, Symbolism & Gift Traditions →
Kan-nyu貫入
The fine crackle in Hagi glaze, and the path by which tea slowly works into the clay beneath.
Kanreki還暦
The sixtieth year, when the zodiac cycle returns to where a life began.
What Is the Japanese Zodiac (Eto)? — A Friendly Guide for Global Readers →
Kanso簡素
Simplicity: taking away until only what is needed remains.
What Is Wabi-Sabi? How to Bring Japanese Aesthetics into Your Home →
Kansuiかん水
The alkaline water that gives ramen noodles their spring, and which udon is made without.
Karakusa唐草
Scrolling vines that run on without a break, read as continuation.
Seven Lucky Japanese Motifs Explained: Meaning, Symbolism & Gift Traditions →
Karatsu ware唐津焼
Ware from Saga with a quiet, earthy surface, long valued in tea.
Katakuchi片口
A lipped serving vessel, used to chill or to pour sake.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Kiji木地
The body beneath the finish — in lacquerware, usually turned or joined wood.
Kikko亀甲
The tortoise-shell hexagon, another form of the longevity wish.
Arita Ware Patterns Explained: Meanings, Symbolism & Gift Ideas →
Kiku菊
The chrysanthemum, the flower of long life and of the imperial house.
Camellia, Peony, and Chrysanthemum: Three Flowers That Carry Japan’s Best Wishes →
Kiku-tsunagi菊繋ぎ
Small chrysanthemums cut edge to edge across the whole surface.
Edo Kiriko: The Cut Glass of Tokyo’s Old Downtown — A Reading of the Patterns →
Kindei / Gindei金泥・銀泥
Gold and silver applied as a paint-like paste, used for fine lines and fields.
Hand-painted vs Printed Japanese Pottery: How to Tell the Difference and Choose with Confidence →
Kinpaku / Ginpaku金箔・銀箔
Gold and silver leaf, laid on as sheet rather than painted.
The Zen of Gold: Bringing Sacred Radiance into Your Daily Life →
Kinsai金彩
Gold decoration applied over the glaze.
What Is Kutani Ware? A Textbook-Style Guide to Its Features, History, and Making →
Kizeto黄瀬戸
A quiet yellow Mino glaze, usually with small iron-green marks.
What Is Mino Ware? The Everyday Japanese Ceramic You Probably Already Own →
Koge焦げ
The scorched, ash-covered face of a wood-fired piece, also called haikaburi.
What Is Shigaraki Ware? A Guide to Japan’s Rustic Stoneware →
Kogei工芸
Craft made by hand to be used: the word that covers pottery, lacquer, metal and glass together.
Japanese Pottery Styles: A Complete Guide to Regional Traditions →
Koinobori鯉のぼり
Carp streamers flown in May, a fish that swims against the current.
Ko-Kutani古九谷
The seventeenth-century work at the root of Kutani ware, bold in color and still debated in origin.
Kombu昆布
Dried kelp, one of the two usual sources of dashi.
Komon小紋
Very small repeated motifs filling a border or a whole surface, a hallmark of careful Arita work.
Arita Ware Patterns Explained: Meanings, Symbolism & Gift Ideas →
Kumidashi汲出
A teacup wider and shallower than a yunomi, brought out for guests.
Japanese Tea Gifts: How to Choose Yunomi, Kyusu, and Matcha Bowls →
Kuro-nuri黒塗
A plain black lacquer finish.
Japanese Lacquerware: A Beginner’s Guide to Urushi, Modern Lacquer, and Everyday Use →
Kutani-gosai九谷五彩
The five Kutani colors: green, yellow, red, purple and Prussian blue.
What Is Kutani Ware? A Textbook-Style Guide to Its Features, History, and Making →
Kutani ware九谷焼
Painted porcelain from Ishikawa, known for its five colors and for gold.
What Is Kutani Ware? A Textbook-Style Guide to Its Features, History, and Making →
Kyo-yaki / Kiyomizu-yaki京焼・清水焼
The painted ceramics of Kyoto, made in the workshops around Kiyomizu.
Kiyomizu-dera — Kyoto’s Timeless Temple and the Spirit of Kiyomizu-yaki →
Kyusu急須
A Japanese teapot, classically with the handle set at a right angle to the spout.
Japanese Tea Gifts: How to Choose Yunomi, Kyusu, and Matcha Bowls →
M
Maki-e蒔絵
Pictures drawn in wet lacquer and dusted with gold or silver powder before they set.
Japanese Lacquerware: A Beginner’s Guide to Urushi, Modern Lacquer, and Everyday Use →
Mamemaki豆撒き
The bean-throwing of Setsubun, which sends misfortune out of the house.
Setsubun in Japan: Bean-Throwing, Oni, Ehomaki, and a Seasonal Table in Early February →
Mamezara豆皿
A very small dish, used for a pickle, a sauce, or a pinch of salt.
How to Plate a Japanese Meal at Home — Vessels, Placement, and Space →
Maneki neko招き猫
The beckoning cat, whose raised paw and color each carry a meaning.
The Story of Maneki Neko: Japan’s Beckoning Cat — Origin Legends, Paw Symbolism & Color Meanings →
Mashiko ware益子焼
Folk pottery from Tochigi, thick-walled and plainly glazed.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Masu枡
The square wooden measure, once used for rice and now sometimes for sake.
How to Choose a Japanese Sake Cup: A Guide to Shapes, Materials, and Giving One Well →
Meigetsu名月
The harvest moon, the brightest of the moon-viewing nights.
Moon Viewing — Appreciating the Beauty of the Harvest Moon →
Mentaiko明太子
Seasoned pollock roe, mild in heat and rich in the mouth.
Meoto-bashi夫婦箸
A pair of chopsticks in two lengths, given to a couple.
How to Choose Japanese Chopsticks as a Gift: Meanings, Sizes, and Pairs →
Minogame蓑亀
A turtle so old that algae has grown along its back and become part of it.
Seven Lucky Japanese Motifs Explained: Meaning, Symbolism & Gift Traditions →
Mino ware美濃焼
The ceramic of Gifu's old Mino province, and the most widely used tableware in Japan.
What Is Mino Ware? The Everyday Japanese Ceramic You Probably Already Own →
Miyabi雅
Refinement of the courtly kind: restrained, polished, unhurried.
Mogake藻掛け
A Tokoname technique in which seaweed is laid against the clay before firing, leaving faint markings.
Momiji紅葉
The turning maple, and the word for autumn color itself.
The Soul of Japan’s Autumn — The Art of Momiji and Seasonal Harmony →
Mono no aware物の哀れ
The tenderness felt towards things because they do not last.
Cherry Blossom Season in Kansai — A Guide to Hanami, History, and Japanese Craft →
N
Namazake生酒
Unpasteurised sake, kept cold and drunk young.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Nanako魚子
“Fish roe” — a dense stipple of tiny cut dots.
Edo Kiriko: The Cut Glass of Tokyo’s Old Downtown — A Reading of the Patterns →
Nanbu tekki南部鉄器
Cast ironware from Iwate, made in Morioka and Oshu since the seventeenth century.
Nejiri捻り
A twisted or furled form, used for small plates shaped like a plum or a leaf.
Seasonal Patterns in Japanese Craft: Sakura, Momiji, Yukiwa & The Year Read in Motifs →
Nenju念珠
Another name for juzu, used in some schools.
Kyoto Juzu: A Guide to Japanese Prayer Beads — Meaning, Men’s and Women’s, and How to Choose →
Nigoshide濁手
The milky-white porcelain body associated with the Kakiemon kilns of Arita.
Arita Ware Patterns Explained: Meanings, Symbolism & Gift Ideas →
Noren暖簾
A split curtain hung in a doorway, to mark a threshold rather than to close it.
Nuno-kise布着せ
A layer of hemp cloth wrapped around the wood and sealed under lacquer to strengthen the edges.
Japanese Lacquerware: A Beginner’s Guide to Urushi, Modern Lacquer, and Everyday Use →
Nuribashi塗箸
Chopsticks finished in lacquer, as distinct from bare wood.
O
Obonお盆
The summer days when ancestors are welcomed back to the house.
Rivers of Japan — The Pure Flow That Nurtures Culture and Life →
Ochokoお猪口
The small cup sake is usually served in.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Okakaおかか
Dried bonito flakes seasoned with soy, used as an onigiri filling.
Omamori御守
A charm kept for protection, in cloth, paper or craft.
Seasonal Patterns in Japanese Craft: Sakura, Momiji, Yukiwa & The Year Read in Motifs →
Onigiriおにぎり
Rice shaped by hand around a filling, and wrapped in nori.
Oribe織部
The copper-green Mino glaze named after the tea master Furuta Oribe.
What Is Mino Ware? The Everyday Japanese Ceramic You Probably Already Own →
Orinおりん
A small standing bell, struck once and left to sound.
How to Use a Rin Bell: The Calming Power of Buddhist Sound →
Otosoお屠蘇
Spiced sake taken in small cups on the first days of the year.
Oyadama親玉
The parent bead, larger than the rest, where a strand of juzu begins.
Kyoto Juzu: A Guide to Japanese Prayer Beads — Meaning, Men’s and Women’s, and How to Choose →
P
Ponzuポン酢
A citrus and soy dipping sauce, used to lift simmered food.
R
Raku楽焼
Low-fired ware shaped by hand rather than on a wheel, long associated with the tea room.
Rokuro轆轤
The potter's wheel, and the lathe a wooden body is turned on.
Ryakushiki略式
An informal juzu, usable whichever school a service follows.
Kyoto Juzu: A Guide to Japanese Prayer Beads — Meaning, Men’s and Women’s, and How to Choose →
Ryusui流水
Running water, drawn as a few unhurried lines.
Seasonal Patterns in Japanese Craft: Sakura, Momiji, Yukiwa & The Year Read in Motifs →
S
Sakazuki盃
A shallow, wide cup, used for ceremony and for the first cup of the year.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Sakura桜
The cherry blossom, chosen by Japan over a thousand years as the sign of spring.
Cherry Blossom Season in Kansai — A Guide to Hanami, History, and Japanese Craft →
Sakura zensen桜前線
The “blossom front”: the line of bloom moving north across Japan each spring.
Cherry Blossom Season in Kansai — A Guide to Hanami, History, and Japanese Craft →
Sangiri桟切
The cooler gray-blue passages of Bizen ware, formed where charcoal and ash settle late in the firing.
Sanuki udon讃岐うどん
The udon of Kagawa, firm enough that the chew is the point.
Udon in Kagawa: Tamura / Ogataya / Tanigawa Beikokuten / Miyoshi Udon →
Seigaiha青海波
Overlapping arcs of calm waves, read as peace that repeats.
Seven Lucky Japanese Motifs Explained: Meaning, Symbolism & Gift Traditions →
Seijaku静寂
Stillness, and the calm that comes with it.
What Is Wabi-Sabi? How to Bring Japanese Aesthetics into Your Home →
Sekku節句
A seasonal festival day, of which five are traditionally observed.
Sencha煎茶
The everyday Japanese green tea, brewed in a kyusu.
Japanese Tea Gifts: How to Choose Yunomi, Kyusu, and Matcha Bowls →
Setoguro瀬戸黒
The deep black Mino glaze, made by drawing the piece from the kiln while still hot.
What Is Mino Ware? The Everyday Japanese Ceramic You Probably Already Own →
Seto ware瀬戸焼
Ware from Aichi, so long established that “setomono” came to mean ceramics in general.
What Is Mino Ware? The Everyday Japanese Ceramic You Probably Already Own →
Setsubun節分
The turn from winter into spring in early February, and the small rites that mark it.
Setsubun in Japan: Bean-Throwing, Oni, Ehomaki, and a Seasonal Table in Early February →
Shabu-shabuしゃぶしゃぶ
Thin slices swirled briefly in hot broth and dipped before eating.
Shibui渋い
Quietly beautiful, with nothing asking to be noticed.
What Is Wabi-Sabi? How to Bring Japanese Aesthetics into Your Home →
Shigaraki ware信楽焼
Rustic stoneware from Shiga, coarse-grained and marked by the kiln.
What Is Shigaraki Ware? A Guide to Japan’s Rustic Stoneware →
Shino志野
A thick, warm white Mino glaze, often showing small pinholes and a faint scorch at the edges.
What Is Mino Ware? The Everyday Japanese Ceramic You Probably Already Own →
Shippou七宝
Overlapping circles named for the seven treasures, read as good relationships bound together.
Edo Kiriko: The Cut Glass of Tokyo’s Old Downtown — A Reading of the Patterns →
Shizen自然
Naturalness, in the sense of being without affectation.
What Is Wabi-Sabi? How to Bring Japanese Aesthetics into Your Home →
Shochikubai松竹梅
Pine, bamboo and plum: endurance, resilience and the first bloom, kept together.
Seven Lucky Japanese Motifs Explained: Meaning, Symbolism & Gift Traditions →
Shudei朱泥
Tokoname's vermilion clay, whose reddish-brown color comes from iron in the body, not from glaze.
Shu-nuri朱塗
A plain vermilion lacquer finish.
Japanese Lacquerware: A Beginner’s Guide to Urushi, Modern Lacquer, and Everyday Use →
Sometsuke染付
Blue-and-white painting: cobalt applied under the glaze, then fired.
Suiteki水滴
A small water-dropper used to release a few drops onto an inkstone.
Takaoka Metalwork — Where Temple Bells and Tea Vessels Are Born →
Sukiyakiすき焼き
A sweeter hot pot, simmered rather than swirled.
Suzu錫
Tin: soft, bright and quick to take on cold, which is why it is used for sake ware.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
T
Takaoka doki高岡銅器
The cast metalwork of Takaoka in Toyama: temple bells, statues, incense burners and tea vessels.
Takaoka Metalwork — Where Temple Bells and Tea Vessels Are Born →
Takarazukushi宝尽し
A scatter of treasures gathered on one surface, each a wish of its own.
Seven Lucky Japanese Motifs Explained: Meaning, Symbolism & Gift Traditions →
Tanabata七夕
July 7th, when two stars are allowed to meet and wishes are tied to bamboo.
Celebrate Tanabata — A Magical Japanese Summer Festival with Handmade Decor →
Tango no Sekku端午の節句
May 5th, now Children's Day, marked with carp streamers and helmets.
Tanuki狸
The Shigaraki raccoon-dog figure, set by a door as a welcome.
Shigaraki Tanuki Statues — History, Symbolism, and How to Choose the Perfect One →
Tegaki手描き
Hand-painted, as opposed to transfer-printed.
Hand-painted vs Printed Japanese Pottery: How to Tell the Difference and Choose with Confidence →
Tenmoku天目
A dark iron glaze that pools brown-black, often breaking to rust at the rim.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Teshio-zara手塩皿
A small personal dish set at each place.
Seasonal Patterns in Japanese Craft: Sakura, Momiji, Yukiwa & The Year Read in Motifs →
Tetsubin鉄瓶
A cast iron kettle with a fixed spout and handle, made to be heated directly.
Tokkuri徳利
The small flask sake is poured from, and warmed in.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Tokoname ware常滑焼
Ware from Aichi, best known for kyusu teapots with a built-in ceramic strainer.
Tomobako共箱
The plain wooden box made for a particular piece, often signed by the maker.
Handmade vs Factory-Made Japanese Tableware: How to Tell the Difference →
Tono東濃
The group of cities in Gifu — Tajimi, Toki, Mizunami and Kani — where Mino ware is made.
What Is Mino Ware? The Everyday Japanese Ceramic You Probably Already Own →
Tonsuiとんすい
The small hot-pot bowl, recognizable by a single projecting lip.
Tsubaki椿
Camellia, which flowers in the cold and drops its blossom whole.
Camellia, Peony, and Chrysanthemum: Three Flowers That Carry Japan’s Best Wishes →
Tsukimi月見
Moon-viewing in autumn, with offerings set out where the moon can be seen.
Moon Viewing — Appreciating the Beauty of the Harvest Moon →
Tsuki-usagi月兎
The rabbit read into the face of the moon, paired with autumn moon-viewing.
Seasonal Patterns in Japanese Craft: Sakura, Momiji, Yukiwa & The Year Read in Motifs →
Tsukudani佃煮
Small things simmered down in soy until they keep.
Tsuru鶴
The crane, said to live a thousand years, and given at weddings and long lives.
Seven Lucky Japanese Motifs Explained: Meaning, Symbolism & Gift Traditions →
U
Ubugi産着
The first cloth a newborn is wrapped in, often patterned with asanoha.
Seasonal Patterns in Japanese Craft: Sakura, Momiji, Yukiwa & The Year Read in Motifs →
Uchiwa団扇
The flat, round fan, also used as a motif on summer hangings.
Japanese Summer Decor: “Indigo, Breeze & Chime” — Noren, Wind Chimes, and Uchiwa Tapestries →
Umami旨味
The savoury depth that kombu, dried fish and fermentation bring.
Ume梅
Plum, which blooms while it is still cold, and so stands for the turn of the year.
Seasonal Patterns in Japanese Craft: Sakura, Momiji, Yukiwa & The Year Read in Motifs →
Umeboshi梅干し
Salted and dried plum, sharp enough to carry a whole bowl of rice.
Uretanウレタン
Urethane: a modern coating used on affordable “lacquerware”, and not the same as urushi.
Japanese Lacquerware: A Beginner’s Guide to Urushi, Modern Lacquer, and Everyday Use →
Urushi漆
Sap from the lacquer tree, brushed on in thin coats and hardened in a humid room.
Japanese Lacquerware: A Beginner’s Guide to Urushi, Modern Lacquer, and Everyday Use →
W
Wabi-sabi侘び寂び
The found beauty of what is plain, worn, or incomplete.
What Is Wabi-Sabi? How to Bring Japanese Aesthetics into Your Home →
Wagashi和菓子
Japanese confections, made to be eaten with tea and read by season.
Seasonal Patterns in Japanese Craft: Sakura, Momiji, Yukiwa & The Year Read in Motifs →
Wajima-nuri輪島塗
The lacquerware of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa, built up in many coats over a hemp-cloth layer.
Japanese Lacquerware: A Beginner’s Guide to Urushi, Modern Lacquer, and Everyday Use →
Wakasa-nuri若狭塗
Lacquerware from Fukui, patterned by building up and then polishing back layers.
How to Choose Japanese Chopsticks as a Gift: Meanings, Sizes, and Pairs →
Y
Yamanaka shikki山中漆器
The lacquerware of Yamanaka in Ishikawa, where the turned wooden body is the center of the craft.
Yarai矢来
A bamboo-fence pattern of short crossing cuts.
Edo Kiriko: The Cut Glass of Tokyo’s Old Downtown — A Reading of the Patterns →
Yohen窯変
Kiln transformation: any change in color or surface the fire itself brings about.
Yokode横手
The side-handled kyusu, the most familiar form in Japan.
Japanese Tea Gifts: How to Choose Yunomi, Kyusu, and Matcha Bowls →
Yosenabe寄せ鍋
The gathered hot pot: whatever is good that day, simmered together.
Yugen幽玄
The suggestion of depth that is not shown outright.
What Is Wabi-Sabi? How to Bring Japanese Aesthetics into Your Home →
Yukibie雪冷え
“Snow chill” — sake served at around 5°C.
Your First Japanese Sake Set: A Quiet Map of Vessels, Materials, and Temperature →
Yukiwa雪輪
The snow-ring: a circle notched six times, standing for a snowflake.
Seasonal Patterns in Japanese Craft: Sakura, Momiji, Yukiwa & The Year Read in Motifs →
Yunomi湯呑
The everyday Japanese teacup, taller than it is wide and without a handle.
Japanese Tea Gifts: How to Choose Yunomi, Kyusu, and Matcha Bowls →
Z
Zoni雑煮
The New Year soup, different in almost every region and household.
Care notes and buying guides are in the Handbook, and the reading is in the Journal.