As with most drinks, when it comes to indulging in a cup of delicious sake, the vessel is as important as the content itself. If you’re serious about your sake, you can now indulge in gorgeous, handcrafted cups that will have you sipping like a king — or, at least, like a world leader.

Currently collecting funds on Eijin is a crowdfunding project aiming to make sake cups used during the 2016 G7 Ise-Shima Summit available for purchase to the greater public. The hand-painted toasting cups were present at the summit’s working dinner as a way to showcase the beauty and history of Japanese crafts.

Source: Enjine

Source: Enjine

The cups are works of Banko ware (萬古焼/Banko-yaki), a type of traditional Japanese pottery originating in Yokkaichi, Mie. The style is believed to have been around since the 19th century, and for 300 years the craft has been passed on throughout the generations.

Available in gold and platinum, the toasting cups are embellished with exquisite paintings of sakura, plum blossoms, pine, and bamboo. The handle is also adorned with a Seigaiha pattern, which can be translated as “blue ocean waves.” Each is made by the hands of Suigetsu Shimizu, a Japanese craftsman specializing in Banko ware whose cups were once presented to the Emperor at his enthronement.

Source: Enjine

Source: Enjine

The pristine quality of Shimizu’s cups certainly come at a price, and a pair of gold and platinum sake cups is offered as a return for 200,000 yen (US$1,760). There are other, slightly more affordable return options starting at 10,000 yen (US$88), all of which you can find on the project’s crowdfunding page.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.