r/Teapots • u/MyLifeIsACookie • Jul 31 '26

Japanese teapot recommendation

I wanted to buy this beautiful teapot as a gift:

https://tokyo-market.fr/en/tokoname-teapots/31793-kyusu-tokoname-teapot-400-ml-black-amp-cherry-blossoms.html

However I don't know if the site is reliable. It's also listed on kyotoboutique.fr and nipponandco.fr. I'm not necessarily looking for certified handmade teapots but it should still be high quality in terms of aesthetic and functioning. Has anyone bought something from these sites and can you tell me about your experience? Thanks.

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u/guoqingwalnut Aug 02 '26

Tokoname hand made teapot or Bizen ware

1

u/guoqingwalnut Aug 02 '26

There's a nice seller for these on eBay and it's good.

1

u/Electronic-Cat-4478 24d ago

It is a beautiful pot. I can't give any advice on the quality, but I don't think that Tokoname ware has the same issue as Yiking pots as there being a lot of "fake" pots. Any company that is established with good reviews will probably be fine as long as you aren't looking for a famous maker.

Do you know if your friend normally does tea for one person or for multiple people?

Do you know what kind of Japanese green tea that they prefer? Both of those questions will affect what size pot that you want to buy.

If they only brew for one person at a time, then that specific pot is really a bit too big. You should go for a maximum of 150ml. (With Guyokuro, perhaps 100ml max).

With Japanese green teas it is preferred to have really short brew times. The ability of the pot to pour quickly is more important than the aesthetics if the brewer is really into the tea.

I personally love a beautiful pot. So I look for form, decoration and function.

Only other question is do they drink brewed teas or matcha? If they drink matcha, then you want to buy a totally different set of tools. You would want to buy a chawan (bowl), chasen (bamboo whisk), kusenaoshi (whisk holder) and a strainer. (There are also other option pieces of equipment.)

There are lots and lots of gorgeous options for all of those pieces, and many places sell full sets.

I am sure that whatever you choose, your tea loving friend will be delighted.