Kyusu Teapot Guide: Types, Handles, Filters & Sizes

A kyusu is a Japanese teapot. The word does not mean only the familiar side-handled pot: Japanese kyusu are made in several handle forms, materials and filter styles, each suited to different ways of brewing and serving tea.

If you are choosing a kyusu, the most useful questions are practical. How much tea do you normally make? What kind of leaf do you brew? How quickly does the pot pour? How completely does it empty? Is the filter appropriate for the leaf size? Those details usually matter more than finding one supposedly “perfect” teapot.

This guide explains the main kyusu forms, including yokode side-handle pots, uwade top-handle pots and ushirode rear-handle pots, plus size, filters, materials and everyday use.

For a broader introduction to the teas these pots are used with, start with our Japanese Tea Guide.

What does kyusu mean?

Kyusu is the Japanese category for a teapot. In English-language tea shops, however, the word is often used more narrowly for the small side-handled form. That shorthand is common, but it can be misleading.

A side handle is one important kyusu design, not the definition of kyusu itself. Japanese teapots also include top- or bail-handle and rear-handle forms. Handleless brewing vessels such as hōhin and shiboridashi are closely related pieces of Japanese teaware, but they should not simply be treated as alternative handle positions on the same object.

The main kyusu handle types

No handle style is automatically superior. The right choice depends on the pot's weight, capacity, balance, heat at the handle, the way you pour and the number of cups you usually serve.

Yokode: the side-handle kyusu

The side-handled kyusu is the form many people picture when they hear “Japanese teapot”. The handle projects roughly sideways from the body, allowing the pot to be lifted and rotated with a relatively small wrist movement.

This shape can work especially well for repeated small infusions, but the quality of the experience still depends on the complete design: where the handle sits, how the lid fits, the spout geometry, the filter and how much liquid remains after pouring.

A side handle also does not tell you what the pot is made from. Yokode kyusu can be made from ceramic, clay, porcelain, metal and other materials.

Uwade: the top-handle kyusu

Uwade describes a top- or bail-handle arrangement. The handle arches above the pot instead of projecting from the side. It is a handle style, not a material: an Uwade kyusu can be ceramic, metal or made in other constructions.

This distinction matters because the older version of this article focused almost entirely on stainless-steel Uwade teapots. Stainless steel is one modern and practical option, but it does not define the category.

Top-handle pots can be convenient for serving because the pot is lifted from above and the handle can keep the hand away from the body. Actual comfort depends on the handle material, its distance from the pot, total filled weight and whether heat travels into the grip.

For buyers who like the look and handling of a small kettle, Uwade kyusu can be a natural choice. For others, a side handle may feel more direct. Neither is a more “authentic” way to make everyday Japanese tea.

Ushirode: the rear-handle kyusu

Ushirode places the handle behind the body, opposite the spout. It resembles the basic geometry of many teapots used outside Japan and can therefore feel immediately familiar.

As with other kyusu, the important details are not the name alone but the vessel's balance when full, the shape and thermal behaviour of the handle, the filter and how cleanly the pot empties.

How large should a kyusu be?

Start with the amount of tea you actually make. A pot that is too large for your normal serving size can be awkward to dose consistently, while a pot that is too small becomes inconvenient when serving several cups.

Do not rely only on the headline capacity. Nominal capacity and comfortable working volume are not always the same thing. Tea leaves need space, the pot should not be filled so high that the lid or filter becomes troublesome, and some designs pour better below their absolute maximum volume.

The best size is therefore a match between your usual water volume, cup size and serving pattern rather than a universal “traditional” number.

Kyusu filters: what actually matters?

A kyusu needs to keep most of the leaf in the pot while allowing the liquor to leave at an appropriate rate. Different pots achieve this in different ways.

Common designs include built-in ceramic or clay perforations, metal screens fitted near the spout, larger wraparound screens and removable baskets. These architectures can behave differently with large intact leaves, broken leaves and teas containing many fine particles.

A very fine filter is not automatically better. Finer filtration can reduce sediment, but it can also slow the pour or clog more easily. Coarser filtration may allow more particles into the cup but preserve faster flow. The useful goal is the balance that suits the tea and the drinker. Our Tea Strainer vs Infuser vs Tea Dripper guide explains these filtration and brewing architectures in more detail.

This becomes especially visible with deeply steamed teas such as Fukamushi Sencha, whose softer leaf material tends to contain more fine particles. With such teas, filter surface area and flow can matter as much as nominal mesh fineness.

Why pour speed and complete decanting matter

Once the desired steep is finished, the liquor should usually be poured from the leaves rather than left sitting in the pot. Residual tea continues to extract while it remains in contact with the leaf, so a pot that empties efficiently gives you more control over successive infusions.

This is why spout and filter design deserve attention. A beautiful pot that drains very slowly can change the effective steep time while you are pouring, particularly when making small or relatively concentrated infusions.

When serving several cups, pour in a way that distributes the liquor across the cups rather than filling the first cup completely and the last cup with the final, often stronger portion.

Clay, ceramic, porcelain or stainless steel?

Material affects weight, durability, heat behaviour, cleaning and appearance, but it is easy to make claims that go further than the evidence supports.

Clay and ceramic can offer a wide range of shapes, wall thicknesses, glazes and integrated filter designs. Unglazed surfaces require sensible care because they are more absorbent than stainless steel or glazed porcelain.

Porcelain is relatively non-porous and easy to rinse clean, with a smooth interior that does not depend on seasoning.

Stainless steel can be thin, durable and resistant to breakage, making it practical for everyday use. But stainless steel alone does not guarantee a good pour, a cool handle or dishwasher compatibility; those are product-specific characteristics.

Rather than assuming one material automatically makes better-tasting tea, compare the actual vessel: capacity, wall construction, lid fit, filter, spout, handle, emptying and cleaning.

Does a kyusu make tea taste better?

A kyusu can make brewing easier and more repeatable when its size and filter suit the tea, but the vessel is only one part of the extraction system. Leaf dose, water volume, temperature, contact time, water itself and complete decanting all affect the cup.

Claims that a particular clay or metal universally reduces bitterness or improves flavour should therefore be treated cautiously unless they refer to evidence for a specific pot and brewing setup.

Do you need a kyusu for Japanese green tea?

No. Japanese loose-leaf tea can be brewed in many vessels, including a cup with a roomy infuser or another teapot that allows the leaves to open and can be fully drained.

A kyusu becomes useful when you value its combination of leaf space, integrated filtration and controlled pouring. It is a practical tea tool, not a requirement for making a cup “properly”.

How to brew Sencha in a kyusu

For ordinary Sencha, a practical starting point is around 3 g of leaf per 100 ml of water, 75–80°C and roughly 60 seconds. Treat that as a starting point, not a rule: the tea, leaf size, desired strength and vessel will change the result.

1. Measure the leaf and water so you know the ratio you are using.
2. Add the water at the chosen temperature.
3. Steep for the intended contact time.
4. Pour the pot completely, distributing the liquor between cups if serving more than one.
5. For the next infusion, remember that the leaves are already wet, so they often need a shorter contact time.

For the full method, see How to Brew Sencha. For more context on why these variables interact, see our Japanese Tea Guide.

How to choose a kyusu

Choosing between yokode and uwade

If you are deciding between the two most recognisable forms, choose by use rather than symbolism.

• Choose a side-handle yokode if you like compact wrist-led pouring and often make small repeated infusions.
• Choose a top-handle uwade if you prefer lifting the pot from above, enjoy a kettle-like form or frequently carry and serve the pot at the table.

Those are practical tendencies, not rigid rules. A well-designed individual pot matters more than the label.

Explore Japanese teapots and tea tools

Browse SUWADA's Japanese tea pots to compare the forms currently available. For modern stainless-steel tea tools made in Tsubame-Sanjo, see our guide to KOGU Japanese coffee and tea tools.

A good kyusu should make the brewing process easier to understand and control. Choose the pot that fits your tea, your serving volume and the way you naturally like to pour.