How to Care for Japanese Tableware: Pottery, Porcelain, Lacquer, Wood, Glass & Metal

Two bowls can look almost the same and need different care. One may go in the dishwasher. The other may have a delicate glaze, a wooden base or a finish that needs hand washing.

Read the maker's instructions first. The material name is a clue, not permission to use an appliance. This guide covers everyday washing, drying and storage. When a product's instructions differ, follow those instructions.

Seven habits for everyday care

1. Sort before washing. Set aside lacquer, wood, decorated ceramics and delicate glass. Check which pieces need hand washing.
2. Wash soon after eating. Do not leave sauces and oil on the surface longer than necessary.
3. Start gently. Use mild washing-up liquid and a soft sponge without a scouring surface, unless the maker gives a different method.
4. Keep pieces from knocking together. Rims and feet can chip in a sink or dishwasher.
5. Dry for the material. Porous pottery needs time to dry inside. Wipe metal to limit water marks. Let wood dry with air around it.
6. Protect surfaces in storage. Put soft separators between pieces that could scratch one another.
7. Check again before using heat. A bowl that holds hot soup is not automatically safe for cooking or reheating.

Five checks before the first use

Start with the label or product page. Check the whole piece, including its base, handles, decoration and any repairs.

1. What is it made from? Identify pottery, porcelain, lacquered wood, other wood, glass or metal. Do not judge only by the surface.
2. What covers the surface? Look for gold, silver or platinum details, lacquer, resin, other coatings, wooden parts or glued joins.
3. Which uses are approved? Check the dishwasher, microwave, oven, freezer and direct heat separately. Approval for one does not cover the others.
4. Is anything damaged? Look for chips and cracks. Fine lines in a glaze need a different assessment from a crack through the bowl itself.
5. Does it need special preparation? Some pottery needs medome, and some donabe need seasoning. Neither treatment belongs on every Japanese plate or bowl.

Care at a glance

Use this table to find the right starting point, not to replace the maker's instructions. On a narrow screen, scroll sideways to see all five columns.

Porcelain: check the decoration as well as the clay

Porcelain generally absorbs less water than many pottery bodies. That can make everyday cleaning easier. Noritake and KINTO give appliance instructions for their own products, but those instructions are not a promise about every porcelain plate.

Wash with a soft sponge and mild detergent. Remove food residue soon, and avoid metal scourers or abrasive powders. Keep plates apart in the sink or dishwasher: even strong porcelain can chip at the rim or foot when pieces collide.

Can porcelain go in the dishwasher?

Often, yes, when the maker allows it. Hand washing can still be the better choice for keeping delicate decoration looking good.

Noritake warns that repeated machine washing can fade patterns or leave fine scratches over time, even on pieces without gold or silver. Gold, silver, platinum and delicate decoration applied over the glaze deserve particular care. Hand wash unless the maker says otherwise.

Can porcelain go in the microwave?

Many plain porcelain pieces can, if labelled for it. A metallic rim or pattern is a warning to stop and check.

There are exceptions. Noritake allows certain decorated pieces marked MICROWAVE SAFE. That approval belongs to those products, not to all gold- or silver-trimmed plates. Check the specific piece and the appliance instructions. Microwave approval does not mean oven or grill approval.

Pottery: give absorbed water time to leave

Some Japanese pottery, or tōki, absorbs more water than porcelain. Its clay may have tiny open spaces, called pores. Water, oil and colour from food can enter them. A piece may also have an unglazed foot or a glaze that changes with use.

Our Japanese tableware materials guide explains the differences between pottery and porcelain. For care, the important question is how this particular piece absorbs moisture.

What is medome?

Medome (目止め) is a treatment before first use that some makers recommend for absorbent pottery. Their method may involve soaking or gently simmering the piece in starchy water, such as rice-rinsing water, to reduce the entry of food liquids.

Do not boil or soak a piece just because it was made in Japan. Medome is not needed for every ceramic. Marumitsu gives the treatment for specific material categories. KINTO describes some low-absorption pottery that can be cared for much like porcelain. Use the maker's method only when it applies to your piece.

Should pottery be soaked before serving?

Some makers recommend a brief soak in clean water for absorbent pottery. Water fills the available pores first, which can reduce the amount of sauce or oil entering during a meal. It does not make the piece fully stain-proof.

This can apply to some unglazed or partly glazed pottery. It is not a routine for every bowl, and it is different from leaving dirty dishes in water overnight.

Dry it fully before putting it away

A bowl can feel dry outside while the clay still holds water. Putting it straight into a closed cupboard can lead to smells or mould.

Marumitsu stresses thorough drying for absorbent pieces. Give thick or porous pottery enough time in the air before stacking it away. Wiping the surface is only the first step.

What are the fine lines in the glaze?

Crazing means a network of fine cracks in the glaze, the fired surface coating. On some pottery it is an intended feature or develops with use. Tea, coffee, sauce and oil can make those lines more visible.

That is different from a crack through the clay body. Do not assume every new line is harmless decoration. Ask the maker when unsure. If a crack grows, leaks or passes through the piece, stop using it for food until it has been assessed.

Can pottery go in the dishwasher?

Some pieces are approved for it. Others, including absorbent, delicate or decorated pottery, need hand washing. Handmade does not automatically mean hand-wash only, but it does not guarantee machine use either. Without clear instructions, choose hand washing.

Can pottery go in the microwave?

Only when the product is suitable. Metallic decoration, certain glazes, wooden parts and repairs can change the answer. Do not assume that an unknown piece is safe.

An ordinary bowl is not a cooking pot. Our Donabe guide covers clay pots, which have their own instructions for seasoning, direct flame and heating.

Avoid sudden temperature changes

A fast change from hot to cold, or cold to hot, can crack ceramics and glass. This is called thermal shock.

Do not plunge a hot bowl into cold water or set it on a cold, wet surface. Do not take a cold piece straight into strong heat unless its instructions allow that use. Heat-resistant cookware has different limits from ordinary tableware.

Urushi lacquerware: wash gently, without long soaking

For traditional lacquerware, wash soon after use with lukewarm water, a soft sponge or cloth and a little mild detergent when needed. Rinse gently, wipe off water and let it dry away from strong heat.

Avoid scouring pads, abrasive powders and long soaking. The Aomori Lacquerware Federation warns that extreme dryness, direct sunlight, rubbing and sudden temperature changes can harm Tsugaru-nuri lacquerware.

Can lacquerware go in the dishwasher?

For traditional lacquer on wood, the usual answer is no. Heat, detergent, long wet cycles and heated drying can stress both the wooden base and the finish.

Specially made exceptions exist, including natural-lacquer products. Nishiyama Shikki lists a wooden Yume Urushi bowl approved for dishwasher use. Treat that as a product-specific exception, not a rule for other lacquer bowls.

Hand wash traditional lacquerware. Use a dishwasher only when the maker clearly approves the exact product.

Can lacquerware go in the microwave?

Traditional wooden lacquerware should stay out. Some resin-based bowls with a lacquer-like finish are labelled for microwave use, but their construction is different. Neither a glossy red surface nor dishwasher approval proves microwave safety.

Where should lacquerware be stored?

Keep it away from direct sun, strong heat and extremely dry places. Protect decorated surfaces from rubbing together. For pieces used only occasionally, soft wrapping can protect the finish; do not forget them for years in a hot, dry cupboard.

Our Urushi Lacquer guide explains this material and why cured lacquer is not simply paint or a plastic coating.

Wood: wash briefly and check the finish

Long exposure to water or heat can make wooden tableware warp, crack or lose its finish. For an ordinary hand-wash wooden piece:

1. Wash soon after use.
2. Use a soft sponge and mild detergent.
3. Do not leave it soaking.
4. Rinse promptly.
5. Wipe off excess water.
6. Let it air-dry in a ventilated place, away from direct sun or strong heat.

Do not try to speed up drying with intense heat. A dry surface and a fully dried piece are not always the same thing.

Should a wooden bowl be oiled?

Check its finish first. Some bare or oil-finished wood needs occasional oiling. A bowl with lacquer, urethane or another sealed coating usually needs different care.

Do not oil every wooden piece by habit. When the maker recommends it, use the food-contact-safe oil they specify and follow their timing. Do not assume any cooking oil is suitable.

Can wood go in the dishwasher?

Usually not, unless the product has clear approval. Some makers offer wooden tableware with finishes designed for machine washing. Follow that product's limits rather than treating all wood alike. Do not infer microwave suitability from dishwasher approval.

Glass: protect it from knocks and sudden heat

Wash with mild detergent and a soft sponge. Avoid abrasive scrubbers and contact with hard metal or ceramic pieces. Do not push glasses tightly inside one another for storage.

ADERIA warns that ordinary glass can break after a rapid temperature change. Boiling liquid in an ordinary drinking glass, or cold water in a hot glass, can cause breakage. Use a vessel expressly suited to the temperature of the drink.

Heat-resistant glass is not the same as strengthened glass

Ordinary glass, strengthened glass and heat-resistant glass are different categories. Greater strength against knocks does not, by itself, give permission to use boiling water, a microwave or an oven.

Read the label for each use. A microwave-safe glass jug is not automatically suitable for the oven or a flame.

Can glass go in the dishwasher?

Some can; some cannot. ADERIA advises against machine washing crystal glass and certain decorated glasses. Damaged glass also needs to be taken out of use, not simply washed more carefully.

For approved pieces, leave space so they do not touch other hard objects in the machine. Avoid rapid cooling while they are still hot.

Stainless steel: rinse and dry rather than leaving it wet

Stainless steel is durable, but it still needs care. Remove food residue soon after use. Wash with mild detergent and a soft sponge, rinse well and dry before water marks build up.

Avoid harsh scouring pads and cleaners the maker has not approved. Do not leave wet stainless steel in prolonged contact with rusty carbon steel: rust can transfer, and corrosion can develop.

Plated and unplated metal are not the same. Plating is a thin layer of another metal on the surface. Noritake allows machine washing for its unplated stainless pieces but tells owners to hand wash plated ones. Check your product's instructions. Do not carry stainless-steel care rules over to tin, copper or other metals.

Can metal tableware go in the microwave?

Keep ordinary metal tableware out. Stainless bowls and silver-plated pieces are not everyday microwave containers. Only follow a specialised exception when both the appliance and product instructions explicitly permit it.

Metallic decoration on ceramics needs its own check, as explained in the porcelain section. A shiny finish is not enough to judge safety.

Stains, chips and repairs: when to stop and check

What are grey lines on a plate?

Grey, pencil-like lines can be metal left behind by cutlery rather than cracks in the glaze. KINTO calls these metal marks.

Use the cleaning method the maker recommends for that surface. Do not jump straight to a harsh powder or scouring pad: it can change a matt or glossy glaze permanently.

How do you remove tea and coffee stains?

Wash gently first. If the stain remains, check the maker's stain-removal advice instead of using a stronger cleaner at random.

Some porcelain guidance allows oxygen-based kitchen bleach. That does not make it suitable for lacquer, wood, metal or every decorated ceramic. Follow both the tableware and cleaner instructions, and never mix cleaning products.

Should dishes soak overnight?

Not as a general habit. Long soaking can harm wood, lacquer, porous pottery, glued parts and some decoration. Use the shortest soaking time the maker recommends for the particular residue and material. A brief pre-use soak for certain pottery is a separate practice.

What should you do with a chipped or cracked piece?

Set it aside and check with the maker before using it for food again. A small chip is not automatically harmless. A sharp rim can cut lips or fingers, and a crack can hold moisture or worsen with heat.

Stop food use when there is a sharp chip, a crack through the body, a leak or an unstable part. Do not test a doubtful piece by filling it with hot liquid.

Can kintsugi make a broken bowl usable again?

Traditional kintsugi joins broken ceramics with urushi lacquer and suitable finishing powders. A properly completed repair may allow use again, but a gold-looking join does not prove that it is safe for food or heat.

Ask the repairer about the materials, full curing and permitted uses. Decorative kintsugi-style kits are not automatically suitable for eating or drinking. Our Kintsugi guide explains the difference between traditional repair and decorative imitations.

Do handmade variations need fixing?

Not necessarily. Small pinholes, changes in glaze colour, iron speckles and a slightly uneven shape can come from making and firing the piece. They are not all damage.

The useful question is whether the feature affects strength, cleaning or safe use. Ask the maker rather than sanding, filling or scrubbing a feature you do not recognise.

Stack without rubbing the surfaces

A stack saves cupboard space, but one bowl's base can scratch the next bowl's surface. Keep stacks low and stable, with heavier pieces underneath. Do not force irregular handmade shapes to fit tightly together.

Use soft paper, cloth or thin separators where finishes might rub, especially with decorated lacquer. Put pieces away only after they are properly dry. Noritake also warns that direct stacking can scratch tableware.

Check the unglazed foot ring

The foot ring is the raised ring underneath many bowls and plates. If it is unglazed, it may feel rougher than the rest of the piece.

Check it before stacking or sliding the piece across a polished table. It can scratch another plate or a delicate tabletop even when the bowl itself is in good condition.

Choose care that fits your life

A beautiful bowl should fit the way you live. If you rely on a dishwasher, choose pieces clearly approved for it. If you enjoy caring for lacquer or absorbent pottery by hand, choose those with their needs in mind. Neither choice is more authentically Japanese.

Our guides to utsuwa and tableware materials connect these care choices with shape, feel and everyday use.

Read the instructions. Wash gently. Dry fully. Check before adding heat. Traditional does not always mean fragile, and modern does not always mean dishwasher-safe.

Explore this subject in Japan in Detail

• The Japanese Table & Dining

Sources and further reading

• Noritake — Tableware Handling & Care
• KINTO — Tableware Care Guide: Porcelain & Ceramics
• Marumitsu Poterie — Ceramic Handling, Medome & Drying
• Aomori Lacquerware Federation — Tsugaru Nuri Care Instructions
• Nishiyama Shikki — Lacquerware Maintenance
• ADERIA — Glassware Handling Precautions
• ADERIA — Glassware in Household Dishwashers
• Wakacho — Wooden Tray Care