1. Why Rice Bowls Were Wooden and "Chawan" Meant a Tea Bowl
Why do we call the bowl for rice a "chawan"? Strictly speaking, a chawan is a ceramic bowl designed for drinking tea. According to the Encyclopedia of Japan, ceramic chawan began to be commonly used for rice and porridge in the late Edo period. Before that, wooden bowls had been the standard for rice for a long time. [1]
However, this view comes from a dictionary, and archaeological research shows a range of dates for this change. Nagasako Shinya, a researcher at the National Museum of Japanese History, studied vessels found at Edo-period sites. He found that in the early Edo period, both rice bowls and soup bowls were mostly lacquerware, while larger ceramic bowls were likely used for tea. By the mid-Meiji period, the combination of a porcelain rice bowl and a teacup was well established. [3]
This suggests that rice vessels shifted from wooden bowls to porcelain over a long transition between the late Edo and Meiji periods. But when did the habit of calling a rice bowl an "ochawan" start? Nagasako states that this is not yet clear. [3] To understand this, we must first look at why wooden bowls remained the main vessel for so long.
2. Why Lacquered Bowls Could Be Held When Hot, and Why That Mattered
One reason wooden bowls remained popular is that they are easy to hold. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, lacquered wooden bowls do not transfer heat easily. This allows people to hold them even when filled with hot soup and drink directly from them. As a result, the use of spoons gradually decreased. [4]
Because people held the bowl to their mouths, it became standard practice for individuals to have their own personal chopsticks and bowls. [4] The Encyclopedia of Japan also notes that for vessels held in the hand, stability and weight are important factors. [2]
However, this explanation applies specifically to lacquered wooden bowls. It does not explain why ceramic rice bowls became less hot to the touch. How the habit of holding bowls was passed down during the switch from wood to porcelain is not clear from these sources. Holding your own vessel leads to the idea of having a "personal bowl."
3. Personal Rice Bowls and Chopsticks Kept in Boxes
In Japan, it is common for rice bowls to be assigned to specific people. The World Encyclopedia describes this as "personal vessels" (zokujinki), where the rice bowl, chopsticks, and teacup belong to a specific individual. [2]
A hakuzen is a box used for common people's meals. The lid of the box was turned over to serve as a tray, and the box itself stored the individual’s tableware. This meant that after eating, the bowls were put away in each person’s own box. [2]
The shift from wooden bowls to ceramic chawan is said to have encouraged the development of these personal vessels. [2] However, the sources do not explain exactly why switching to ceramics promoted this personalization. The next question is: where and when did these ceramic rice bowls begin to be made?
4. How Spreading Porcelain Production Replaced Wooden Bowls
For ceramic rice bowls to become widespread, the spread of porcelain production is necessary. The Encyclopedia of Japan states that lacquerware spread in the first half of the early modern period, while porcelain became common in the second half. In the medieval period, common people used earthenware and wooden bowls, but lacquerware was not yet widespread. [2]
The spread of porcelain production can be traced specifically in Seto, Aichi Prefecture. Dictionaries state that the beginning of porcelain in Seto is associated with the Kato Tamikichi father and son, who traveled to Hizen-Arita to learn the method for new underglaze blue-and-white porcelain during the Kyowa and Bunka eras (1801–1818). Because different dictionaries list different start years, such as 1801 or 1807, it is safer to simply say this happened in the early 19th century. [6]
This new porcelain quickly replaced traditional earthenware and spread rapidly across the Seto and Mino regions. [6] However, the dictionaries used do not directly state when these became common daily rice bowls. There is a gap in time between the "late Edo period" mentioned in dictionaries and the "mid-Meiji period" when sets were established in archaeological findings. It is best to read this without fixing a single year.
5. What Is the Kodai, the Ring at the Bottom of a Rice Bowl?
If you turn a rice bowl upside down, you will see a small ring at the bottom. This is called the kodai. Dictionaries describe it as a low, ring-shaped stand attached to the bottom of tea bowls and plates. Its original purpose was to keep the vessel stable and support the body of the pottery. [5]
The shape of the kodai varies depending on the maker, the era, and the production region. [5] For bowls held in the hand, a sense of stability and weight are important. The color, shape, weight, and ease of holding a rice bowl are said to influence the taste of the rice. [2]
The role of the kodai, as explained by dictionaries, is to support the vessel and ensure stability. No source shows directly how the opening, depth, or size of rice bowls changed over time. What can be said with confidence is only the change in material (wooden bowls to ceramics), in use (held in the hand, personal), and in the set (a porcelain rice bowl with a teacup).
6. Try It Yourself: Checking the Bottom and Weight of Your Rice Bowl
Take one rice bowl from your home and hold it slowly on a table, being careful not to break it. Turn it over and look at the thickness of the kodai ring. When you set it down, does it wobble?
Next, place it on your palm to feel its weight, and try to describe how it fits in your hand when you lift it. If you have a wooden bowl at home, try holding it in the same way to compare. Do not put hot soup in the bowl for this experiment, because you could be burned.
Ask the adults in your home, "When and for whom was this bowl bought?" If your family has "personal bowls," compare them to the concept of zokujinki discussed in this article. For those who wish to read the original research, the abstract of Nagasako Shinya’s paper "On 'Chawan'" (National Museum of Japanese History Research Report 94) is available in Japanese. [3]