Hello, my name is Yosuke, the owner of ShiZen Tea Store. I would like to start a series of tea notes to share some info about our products and some tea knowledge. The very first note will be about our Japanese Tea Pot Kyusu Takumi.
This is one of my favorite Japanese tea pot kyusu. It is the actual kyusu that our tea artisan in Shizuoka is using. This is made by a tea pottery style called Banko Yaki and is certified by the governement as the official Japanese traditional crafting. This traditional Banko Yaki originated from the Yokkaichi region of Mie Prefecture. It is famous for its temperature retaining iron-clay and functionality, and this iron-clay is said to absorb the bitterness of the tea which provides optimum tea results.
Made for High grade Sencha and Gyokuro
This type of kyusu is called Houhin, which is made predominantly for Gyokuro (Premium Japanese green tea) and High grade Sencha green tea. Houhin is said that for years of seeking the functionality to brew great teas, it had formed its current shape, the no handle tea pot. In Japan, really good teas are considered teas that have deep umami (savory), and in order to brew out the umami you need to brew it in warm water (water temperature under 180F). For that reason, Houhin that was made for high grade teas were brewed under warm water, so the handle was unnecessary. Although we would say that it will give the best results for high grade teas, we do use it for genmaicha and houjicha too, so please use it in any type of tea leaf and taste the difference by comparing it brewed by other tea pots.
Simple Structure: Built-in Strainer and No Handle
The strainer is built-in and there is no handle. When your pour, you will hold it by the side and hold the lid with your index finger when pouring. There is a little tea leaf on the side so you can also hold that part to pour the tea. When the teas are poured out you will smell the nice aroma and it will make a beautiful string of tea to your cup.
Great with Organic Sencha Superior Green Tea
I will recommend this for organic sencha superior green tea, but it will also suit any other types such as organic sencha, genmaicha, and houjicha. Please try it with warm water and you will get some of the best results you can get for Japanese green tea.
This pot is perfect for people who wants to make simply best flavored teas. It will be a small pot so I would say it will be best for serving one or two cups for one infusion. The more you use, the more traditional dark color will appear. Everything is of course handmade, and when you see the actual pot you will notice that the top lid fits perfectly and has very less space in between. This kind of perfect crafting is also the part of Japanese tea pottery.