Are you looking for a quality set of wooden sake cups made by an established artisan in Japan? If so, you've come to the right place. This article will introduce 5 of our favorite wooden sake cup sets that are made here in Japan by skilled shokunin.
Why Choose Wooden Sake Cups?
People choose wooden sake cups for a variety of reasons, but the main ones are as follows:
Wood has a natural warmth and is lightweight.
Being made from a natural material, wooden sake cups feel wonderful when held in the hand. They can be smooth or rough, with lacquer or without, and colored or uncolored, but all wooden sake cups share the property of being lightweight and durable.
Wooden sake cups are attractive to look at
Wooden sake cups combine the natural beauty of the wood grain with the artful shaping and decoration by the artisan who crafts it. Because each piece of wood is unique, no two wooden sake cups will ever be exactly alike.
Untreated wooden sake cups imbibe the sake with flavor
Untreated wooden sake cups such as square "masu" are typically made from fragrant wood such as cypress, which imbibes a natural flavor into the sake. This enhances the taste and can even make particularly strong sake easier to drink.
BECOS Top 5 Recommended Wooden Sake Cup Sets
3-Piece Masu Wooden Sake Cup Set
"Masu" are traditional wooden square-shaped sake cups. This wooden sake set comes with 3 sizes of masu which fit perfectly inside one another like a russian doll. Each features the silhouette of a classic Japanese figure (a sumo wrestler, a ninja, and a samurai) with a sake theme. The masu are made from Japanese cypress, and are not only fun, but lend a fresh, foresty flavor to the sake poured into them.
Kyo Sashimono Wooden Sake Cups
This wooden sake cup may look simple, but is actually a masterpiece of Kyo Sashimono, a traditional method of wood joinery from Kyoto. Painstaking care has gone into making the wood grain of the sake cup look perfect, and you wouldn't believe that its actually made of multiple pieces wood joined together. The wood itself is Yoshino cedar, a fragrant wood that will give the sake poured into it a lovely aroma. These wooden sake cups are designed to last a long time, and will definitely become your favorite way to drink sake.
Yakumo Lacquerware Wooden Sake Set
Lacquerware is one of the traditional crafts of Yakumo in Shimane Prefecture where Yamamoto, the maker of this refined wooden sake set, is located. Made from wood coated in many layers of natural red and black lacquer to form a beautiful sheen, this sake set comes with a katakuchi pitcher and two guinomi sake cups. The cups are neither too light nor too heavy, and feature designs of maple leaves and sakura cherry blossoms the. The lacquer is natural but tough and can be used for either cold or hot sake.
Refined Wooden Sake Cup Set
This exquisite pair of wooden sake cups is made by a woodcrafting workshop that used to specialize only in making wooden "butsudan" buddhist alters that many Japanese homes have. The artisans' expert woodcrafting techniques have here been applied to this set of "guinomi" sake cups, which are finished with a tin-infused lacquer. One cup shows of the natural wood grain with a matte finish, while the other showcases the charm of the lacquer itself and is very glossy. This set is very unique and is perfect for someone who wants a sake set with personality.
Luxury Aging Wooden Sake Set
This lacquered wooden sake set is a masterpiece of Wajima Lacquerware, one of the most famous lacquerware traditions in Japan. This particular set is made to resemble the bark on a tree and uses a special technique to create the appearance of moss growing. Over years of use, the lacquer will slowly turn green where touched, giving the impression that the sake set is alive! Though quite expensive, this is undoubtedly one of the more unique items on our site and would make a fantastic gift for a sake lover.
Didn't see the perfect sake set above? We have many more sake set options on our sake sets collection page. Be sure to take a look.