Tokoname Teapots

This month, I have been reading about Tokoname teapots and found some interesting information that I thought was worth sharing!

First off, Tokoname is the name of a town in Japan. The clay from there is very famous for being very suited to brewing Japanese green teas. There are other famous clays and other materials to make teapots in Japan, but since I own a Tokoname kyusu (teapot), and it is the clay type I see the most in Japan, I decided to take a deeper dive into ware from that specific area.

Tokoname potters express their creativity through the clay. There are so many different sizes and shapes of tea ware. The handle is sometimes on the side, or on the back, or on the top of the pot. Some brewing vessels do not have a handle at all (hōhin and shiboridashi).

To simplify, the ones I see most commonly are the round, ball-shaped kyusu with a side handle (Marugata Kyusu), the round and flat kyusu with a side handle (Hiragata Kyusu), and the Hōhin.

I personally own a black Tokoname clay Marugata Kyusu. I use it for all types of Japanese green teas. But my very first experience of Japanese green tea was a Gyokuro brewed in a flat Tokoname shiboridashi (no handle). I was told that the flatter shape is very good for the long and delicate leaves of Gyokuro teas to slowly and evenly open while brewing. It is best not to pile them up in a round pot, since it would prevent many of the leaves from opening and releasing their flavor. Gyokuro teas are best brewed at lower temperatures (often around 40–60°C), so the wide flat shape helps that purpose too. The cooler the temperature, the longer it takes the tea leaves to open.

It sure made a delicious brew, and I love the aesthetic of it the most. If I start drinking more Gyokuro, I'll definitely get one of these! A flat Hiragata Kyusu would also serve the same purpose, being flat, but I just like the shiboridashi style better.

Since other senchas are brewed at slightly higher temperatures than Gyokuro (frequently around 70–80°C), the leaves open more rapidly and therefore the flat shape is less important. A round pot with a side handle allows the water to flow evenly through the leaves while pouring and to flow out of the pot rapidly when serving the tea. This enables more precision in brewing, which is important because green teas can easily get too bitter if brewed for too long.

There are many other variables to consider, including personal aesthetic preference, the size of the group drinking tea together, the need to pack and transport the teaware often… be sure there is a pot for each circumstance! This is what makes shopping for teaware fun and interesting.

Knowing the function of the shapes enables you to be a bit more technical in brewing tea. Brewing is a skill and every little detail matters… I wish everyone many joyful tea sessions!

By Nicolas D.