1. Two Theories for the Large Size of Sushi Restaurant Tea Cups
The tea cups at sushi restaurants often feature kanji characters with the "fish" radical. These range from simple characters like aji (mackerel), unagi (eel), katsuo (skipjack tuna), and sake (salmon) to more complex ones like kisu (whiting), kochi (a type of fish), and taimo (a type of fish). [7] Regarding their size, one source presents a specific story. During the Bunsei era, when nigiri sushi was conceived, street stall owners handled everything themselves: making the sushi, serving it, and taking payment. They did not have the spare capacity to provide wet towels (oshibori). Instead, they suggested that customers wash their hands in the tea cup after eating. To make this easier, the cups gradually became larger. [7]
Another source offers a different explanation: the cups were made larger to reduce the labor of constantly refilling the tea. Neither explanation has definitive evidence, so the origin is not settled. To understand how ordinary tea cups outside of sushi restaurants came to be, we must look at the history of the word "chawan."
2. What Did the Word "Chawan" Originally Mean?
The word "chawan" did not originally refer only to a vessel for tea. It is said to have initially referred to all glazed ceramics imported from China. Glaze is a glass-like layer that covers the surface of the pottery. [1]
In the Kamakura period, matcha was drunk at temples. The vessels used for this, such as Jian ware bowls and tenmoku bowls, were called by different names and were not considered "chawan." [1] This means that initially, the concept of a "vessel for drinking tea" and the word "chawan" did not perfectly overlap. The word became deeply connected to tea vessels later on. To see how the vessels changed, we must look at how tea-drinking habits evolved.
3. How Did Tea Bowls Change When Sencha Became Popular in the Edo Period?
From the mid-Edo period, sencha (steeped green tea) became suddenly popular. It is said to have spread through literati (bunjin) who preferred Chinese calligraphy and painting and appreciated old artifacts, primarily in Osaka and Kyoto. Sencha bowls were considered distinct from the bowls used in the tea ceremony (chanoyu). [2]
In the late Edo period, potters at kilns in Kyoto’s Higashiyama area produced colorful sencha bowls. Many imitated Chinese bowls, but famous craftsmen like Aoki Mokubei are said to have added their own unique touches. [2]
Tea bowls used in the sencha tea ceremony are small. Bowls for gyokuro (jewel dew tea) are particularly small, with a height of 4–5 cm (about 1.6–2 inches) and a diameter of 5–6 cm (about 2–2.4 inches), roughly the size of a shot glass. [3] They have a low, wide shape (kumidashi form) that allows the aroma to rise easily, making them suitable for sencha and gyokuro. [3] So far, we have seen low, small vessels. Where did the tall, cylindrical yunomi (tea cup) come from?
4. How Were Sencha Bowls and Yunomi Used Differently?
As sencha became popular, a distinction emerged between bowls for sencha and yunomi for drinking hot water or bancha (common tea). [4] The yunomi is a vertical cylinder that can be held with one hand. It is described as a shape that retains heat well and keeps the drink from cooling too quickly. [4]
In contrast, the sencha bowl has a wide mouth and is shallow. It is a vessel designed to let you enjoy the color of the tea and the painted designs on the inside. [4] Even though both are "tea vessels," their shapes differ depending on which aspect of the drink you want to savor.
The name "yunomi" is said to derive from vessels used to cool and drink hot water heated in hearths during the Edo period. [6] This is one theory from a single source, so the exact timing and etymology are not certain. The same source also states that as sushi culture spread in the Edo period, the habit of drinking tea from ceramic yunomi became widespread. [6] This connects back to the story of the sushi restaurant tea cup. But how did the yunomi become a standard item in homes?
5. How Did Affordable Porcelain Change Everyday Vessels?
From the late 17th century to the early 18th century, cheap porcelain known as "kurawan-ka chawan" began to be produced in places like Hasami in Nagasaki Prefecture. It is said that affordable porcelain was produced, and Imari ware became widely used not just by samurai and the wealthy, but also by common people. [5] Durable and clean porcelain entered daily life.
As domestic porcelain spread, some sources explain that the word "chawan" became established to mean a rice bowl. [6] Regarding yunomi, there is also an explanation that porcelain versions were mass-produced in areas like Arita from the Meiji period onward, leading to their establishment in households. [4] However, this mass-production account comes from only one source and does not specify the exact year.
No source directly explains why the yunomi took its current cylindrical, handle-less shape. By connecting the popularity of sencha, the distinction in usage, and the spread of cheap porcelain, we can see a flow that brought the cylindrical yunomi to homes. However, we cannot determine which factor was the decisive one. Let us try to verify this flow using the tea cups in your own home.
6. Compare the Shapes of Tea Cups at Home Using Numbers
Line up the yunomi, glasses, rice bowls, and shot glasses in your home. While they are empty, use a ruler to measure their height and the diameter of their openings. Then, divide the height by the diameter. If the result is greater than 1, the vessel is tall and narrow. If it is less than 1, the vessel is low and wide.
For a gyokuro tea bowl, with a height of 4–5 cm (about 1.6–2 inches) and a diameter of 5–6 cm (about 2–2.4 inches), this ratio is about 0.7–1.0. [3] A tall, cylindrical yunomi would likely have a value larger than this. Check your own vessels to see where the distinctions discussed in this article appear in the everyday objects around you.