Japanese Tea Set Guide: How to Choose a Teapot and Cups

A Japanese tea set is more than a teapot and some cups. The right pot, cups and materials change how your tea tastes, how easy it is to brew, and how many people you can serve. This guide explains the parts of a Japanese tea set, which teapot suits which tea, how big your set should be, and how to brew and care for it.

Japanese ceramic teapot and small tea cups on a wooden tray
A Japanese teapot with small cups, ready for green tea.

The short answer

  • Everyday green tea (sencha, genmaicha): a small ceramic or porcelain teapot, ideally in the kyusu style, with small cups.
  • Hosting four people: a teapot of about 175 ml with four small cups, or a larger 800 ml pot for bigger groups.
  • Loose-leaf tea made easy: a pot with a removable filter or infuser.
  • Travel or the office: a compact travel set with a carry bag.
  • Matcha: a chawan (tea bowl) and a bamboo whisk, not a teapot.

What is in a Japanese tea set

Most Japanese tea sets contain a teapot and a group of matching cups. Some also include a tray or a carry bag. Japanese cups are small on purpose: green tea is brewed in small amounts and served in several short pours, so each cup stays fresh and warm. Our tea sets range from a teapot with two cups to a teapot with four.

Flat lay of a Japanese kyusu teapot, a yunomi cup, a small teacup and a chawan tea bowl
The main pieces of Japanese tea ware: teapot, cups and tea bowl.

Types of Japanese teapot

  • Kyusu: the classic Japanese teapot, with a handle at the side and a spout set at an angle to it. It is made for brewing loose-leaf green tea such as sencha. Our Keiko kyusu is a 260 ml ceramic teapot in the traditional kyusu shape for one or two people.
  • Ceramic or porcelain teapot with a filter: a general-purpose pot that works for many teas. The Aino porcelain set has a 300 ml pot with a removable stainless steel infuser and two cups.
  • Cast iron teapot: heavy and good at holding heat. Traditional tetsubin are kettles for heating water, but many cast iron pots sold today include a removable filter for brewing loose-leaf tea, like the Yakushi 700 ml teapot. Dry cast iron fully after use.
  • Travel tea set: a compact pot with two cups and a bag that keeps the pieces together, such as the Hitomi handmade travel set.

Cups: yunomi, small teacups and chawan

  • Small teacups (about 50 to 120 ml): the cups that come with most tea sets. They suit sencha, genmaicha and other green teas served in small pours.
  • Yunomi: a taller cup without a handle, used for everyday tea at home.
  • Chawan: a wide tea bowl, used for matcha.

If you want cups only, browse our Japanese tea cups, including the stackable bamboo ceramic tea cup set.

Which tea set for which tea

Tea Typical water temperature Best set
Sencha 70–80°C (160–175°F) Kyusu or small ceramic pot with small cups
Gyokuro 50–60°C (120–140°F) Small pot with very small cups
Genmaicha 80–90°C (175–195°F) Medium pot with a filter, or cast iron
Hojicha 90–100°C (195–212°F) Cast iron or larger ceramic pot
Matcha 70–80°C (160–175°F) Chawan and bamboo whisk, not a teapot

These are typical starting temperatures. Check the pack of your tea, and adjust to taste.

How big should your tea set be

Japanese cups are small, so the teapot is smaller than most Western teapots. Some examples from our range:

  • For two: the Aino has a 300 ml pot with two 120 ml cups, and the Hitomi travel set has a 210 ml pot with two 100 ml cups.
  • For four: the Nerima has a 175 ml pot with four 55 ml cups, and the Tohoku is a compact teapot set with four cups.
  • For a crowd: the Yasu has an 800 ml teapot, with cups you can choose.

If you drink tea alone, choose a pot around 200 to 260 ml. If you often have guests, choose a larger pot or serve in several rounds.

Materials: ceramic, porcelain, cast iron and clay

  • Porcelain: smooth and non-porous, so it does not hold on to flavors. A good all-rounder.
  • Ceramic and pottery: varied glazes and shapes, often handmade, and a natural choice for green tea.
  • Cast iron: holds heat for a long time but is heavy, and needs drying to avoid rust.
  • Unglazed clay, such as purple clay: can absorb some tea oils over time, so many people keep one pot for one type of tea.

Our recommended Japanese tea sets

A selection from our range, from a travel set to a full set for four. See them all in the Japanese tea sets collection.

Tohoku ceramic teapot set with four cupsTohoku Teapot SetTeapot and 4 cups, 3 colors Aino porcelain tea set with teapot, two cups and trayAino Porcelain Set300 ml pot, infuser, 2 cups Nerima ceramic teapot set with four cupsNerima Teapot Set175 ml pot, 4 small cups Keiko ceramic kyusu teapot 260 mlKeiko Kyusu Teapot260 ml, traditional kyusu shape Yakushi cast iron teapot 700 mlYakushi Cast Iron Teapot700 ml, removable filter Hitomi handmade travel teapot set with two cups and bagHitomi Travel SetTeapot, 2 cups and travel bag

How to brew green tea in a Japanese teapot

  1. Warm the pot and cups with hot water, then pour it away.
  2. Add the tea leaves. A common starting point is about one teaspoon of loose-leaf tea per cup.
  3. Use water at the right temperature. For sencha, let boiled water cool to about 70 to 80°C (160 to 175°F).
  4. Steep briefly. About a minute is a typical start for sencha. Longer makes the tea more bitter.
  5. Pour in turns. Fill each cup a little at a time, going back and forth, so every cup has the same strength.
  6. Pour out the last drop so the leaves do not keep steeping, then brew a second infusion with a shorter steep.
Pouring green tea from a Japanese kyusu teapot into small cups
Pour a little into each cup in turns so the strength is even.

Matcha needs a bowl, not a pot

Matcha is a powder, so you whisk it in a wide bowl rather than steeping it in a teapot. You need a chawan (tea bowl), a chasen (bamboo whisk) and ideally a netsume or caddy to store the powder. Browse our matcha bowls, such as the Nishinotori handmade chawan (550 ml), made for whisking and drinking matcha.

Matcha whisked in a ceramic chawan tea bowl with a bamboo whisk
Matcha is whisked in a chawan with a bamboo chasen.

How to care for a Japanese tea set

  • Rinse with warm water after use and dry thoroughly.
  • Avoid sudden temperature changes, such as pouring boiling water into a cold ceramic pot.
  • Dry cast iron fully to prevent rust.
  • Check each product page for dishwasher or microwave suitability, which varies by set.
  • Store with the lid off or ajar so the pot dries and stays fresh.

Frequently asked questions

What is included in a Japanese tea set?

A typical set has a teapot and matching cups, and sometimes a tray or carry bag. Our sets range from a teapot with two cups to a teapot with four cups. Check the product page for exactly what is included.

What is a kyusu?

A kyusu is a Japanese teapot with a side handle, made for brewing loose-leaf green tea such as sencha.

What size teapot do I need?

For small Japanese cups of 50 to 120 ml, a teapot of about 175 to 300 ml serves two to four people. For larger groups, choose a bigger pot such as an 800 ml teapot.

Can I use a Japanese teapot for matcha?

No. Matcha is whisked in a bowl called a chawan with a bamboo whisk, not steeped in a teapot.

How do I care for a Japanese teapot?

Rinse with warm water after use, dry it thoroughly and avoid sudden temperature changes. Dry cast iron fully to prevent rust, and check each product page for dishwasher safety.

Ready to choose? Browse our Japanese tea sets, tea cups and tea and coffee collection.

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