Yuzamashi / Chakai Medium (Limestone Glaze)

A smooth, slightly cool surface that tells you something about the glaze before you've poured a drop.

This medium pitcher — called a "chakai" in Chinese tea practice — is made by Hakudake Kiln in Hasami, Nagasaki. Hasami is one of Japan's great porcelain traditions, and the lime stone glaze used here creates a surface that is slightly uneven in tone: warm white in some light, cooler in others. It does two things: pour boiling water into it before brewing to drop the temperature roughly 20°C, or pour your steeped tea into it to even out concentration before serving. Learn more about Hasami ware at Tea Ware: Hasami Ware.

At 240ml, it's the right size for two cups, or for gyokuro served in small, concentrated pours.

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AZMAYA is a Tokyo-based design brand that partners with specialist craft studios across Japan, bringing each maker's expertise to bear on objects designed for daily use. This pitcher is produced by Shiratake-gama, a kiln operating in Hasami, Nagasaki Prefecture — a town with four centuries of porcelain production whose wares are known for their clean forms and restrained glazes.

Shiratake-gama fires in the Hasami-yaki tradition, working with local stone-based clay that produces a refined, lightweight porcelain with a surface well-suited to subtle color. Each piece is shaped and finished by craftspeople who maintain the careful, process-oriented habits that Hasami ware has always demanded.