Pottery for Drinking Awamori
The Smallest Alcohol Cup in the World?
Tsuboya pottery includes many special items for drinking, storing, and transporting awamori.
Karakara and Choko
Karakara are awamori servers. A flat base makes them well-balanced and easy to use. Awamori choko are similar to the small cups used for drinking sake.
Chibuguwa
Chibuguwa (Okinawan dialect for “small container”) are used for sipping the most precious of aged awamori. Only slightly bigger than a thimble, chibuguwa may well be the smallest alcohol cups in the world.
Yushibin
These large, gourd-shaped awamori bottles are used to transport awamori intended as a gift, or for celebrations or ceremonies. The receiver transfers the awamori to his or her own container and returns the yushibin. The bottle has a “waist” so that it can be easily carried under one arm.
Dachibin
Dachibin (“clutch bottle”) hang over the shoulder on a strap and carry small amounts of awamori for personal use. Dachibin are often ornately decorated to show off the potter’s skills.
Uninuti
A large, sturdy awamori flask. The name means “ogre’s arm.”
Fuchukurubin
These small containers were filled with awamori and placed in the garments of the deceased during funeral rites. The alcohol inside was a gift to ancestors.