1. basic terms of Japanese tableware
We will introduce some of the terms that you will often see in stores when you are thinking of buying Japanese tableware.
Do you have any of these problems when you try to buy a product?
There are so many words like "pottery," "porcelain," and "sun," and I didn't know what they meant.
What does it mean when it says "medome" in the care instructions?
Japanese tableware itself is not that difficult to understand, but when you want to buy Japanese tableware, you will inevitably run into these terms.
So, I would like to introduce three basic terms for Japanese tableware that will make shopping easier if you know them, and the world view of Japanese tableware.
If you know these terms, your shopping experience will be smoother and more enjoyable, so please try to learn them.
1. pottery and porcelain
Pottery
Kohiki shaved dish, pottery, Minoyaki
Pottery is mainly Japanese tableware made of clay, and is characterized by its simple and warm texture.
The color of the ware often differs slightly, and no two pieces are alike, giving it a unique handmade charm.
If you want to give your dining table the atmosphere of a Japanese home-cooked meal, pottery tableware is a good choice.
Porcelain
Madori Hanagata Deep Dish, Fuchi Rust Blue Porcelain, Hasamiyaki
Porcelain tableware is mainly made of stone and is characterized by its smooth texture.
Most Japanese tableware is durable enough to be used in microwave ovens and dishwashers, making it easy to use in daily life.
Many of them have modern designs, so they go well with Western and Scandinavian tableware. semi-porcelain
Rinka pot, M, black, semi-porcelain, Togetsu Kiln, Masahiro Kubo Incidentally, there is also a type called semi-porcelain, which is a combination of pottery and porcelain.
This Japanese tableware has the characteristics of both pottery and porcelain.
It has the warm texture of pottery, but the durability of porcelain.
2.sun (Unit of length peculiar to Japan)
This is a unit of size for Japanese tableware. 1 sun is about 3 cm.
If you have trouble choosing the size, use the following as a guide
5sun dish: about 15cm / 5.9in, used for placing a cake or as a serving dish.
7sun dish: approx. 21cm / 8.3in, good size for a main dish for one person such as pasta.
From hapihapi_gohan (instagram)
These two sizes can be used as a guide for choosing the right size.
It will be easier to find the Japanese tableware you want depending on the dishes you want to serve.
3. medome
"Medome" is to boil Japanese tableware with rice water before the first use to prevent oil and stains from sticking to the tableware.
We are sometimes asked the question, "Is it absolutely necessary to medome?
We like to see the vessels become slightly stained, or change color, or develop a more natural texture as they are used more and more, so we often do not medome the vessels.
We tend to medome our pieces that are particularly prone to staining, such as kohiki, or pure white pieces.
If it is difficult to prepare rice-rinsing water, simply soak it in fresh water! This is a simple way to medome.
That alone will prevent stains better than if you don't do it at all.
We have introduced three basic terms for Japanese tableware.
We hope that when you look at our products, it will be easier for you to shop than before you knew the basic terms.
2. "Scenery" that makes Japanese tableware more lovable
From here, I would like to talk about the world view and values unique to Japanese tableware.
The world view is that "it is wonderful that the finished Japanese tableware looks different, and that the appearance changes as you use it. It is also wonderful that the appearance changes as you use it!
This talk has made me feel more familiar with and attached to Japanese tableware, so please allow me to introduce it to you.
For example, when you go to a café that sells antique tableware, if you see uneven coloring or cracks in the tableware or coffee mugs, you might say, "This tableware is very nice, and it gives me a sense of the atmosphere of the shop and the coffee shop,
Do you ever feel that the Japanese tableware matches the atmosphere of the store?
Don't you feel "this dish matches the atmosphere of the shop and it looks great"?
These characteristics are called "scenery," and they are born during the process of making and using Japanese tableware.
Originally, it was the difference in the finish that naturally occurs after firing.
Normally, with industrial products, if you use the same materials and the same production process, you can make exactly the same thing, but this is not the case with Japanese tableware, which can be slightly different.
The difference between the two is rather beautiful, and it is said that the Japanese sensibility made the flowing of the glaze an object of appreciation.
The process of making Japanese tableware includes patterns created by the glaze running down the sides of the vessel and cracks (kannyu) that resemble patterns on the surface.
The size, coloring, and shape of each piece is slightly different, and I think the fact that no two pieces are exactly alike is an interesting aspect that can only be found in handmade pottery.
There is also a long-established culture of "nurturing" the dishes, in which people enjoy the way the dishes change in appearance as they are used and the colors of the food stain and penetrate through the dishes.
When denim that was bright blue gradually fades as you wear it, or when a leather purse becomes shiny, you may think to yourself, "I've used it so much!
You have used it for a long time! It has a sense of having grown into something that is uniquely yours.
Don't you feel a sense of love for your wallet?
Japanese tableware is no different. As you use it more and more, it grows into a unique piece of tableware, and you can enjoy cherishing its changes.
We would be happy if you could spend your time at home comfortably with your favorite tableware, which you can use more and more every day.