Kyusu Teapots

A kyusu is the side-handled Japanese teapot built for green tea — a fine built-in strainer, and a shape made for the short, precise steeps that sencha and gyokuro reward. Most of ours are handcrafted in Tokoname, one of Japan's great pottery towns.

Why a Kyusu, Not a Teapot

Japanese green tea is brewed differently from black tea — cooler water, far shorter steeps, and the same leaves used several times. A kyusu is built for exactly that. The side handle (yokode) gives you control when pouring a small volume quickly, which matters when thirty seconds too long turns a delicate sencha bitter. And instead of a cramped infuser basket, a kyusu has a fine mesh or ceramic strainer built into the body, so the leaves stay free in the pot with room to open.

Most of our kyusu are Tokoname ware. Tokoname, in Aichi, has been a pottery town for around 900 years, and its iron-rich clay is said to soften the astringency of green tea — one reason it became the home of the Japanese teapot. Each pot is individually made by Tokoname artisans using techniques passed down through generations.

Caring for it

Rinse with hot water and let it air dry. Never use soap on unglazed clay — it holds the smell — and keep it out of the dishwasher. An unglazed kyusu gradually seasons with the tea you brew in it, which is why regular drinkers keep one pot for one type of tea.

Pair one with yunomi teacups and a loose-leaf organic tea. We ship Australia-wide and worldwide, with free Australian shipping over $80.