Jim R.
Google
Nestled in Osaka’s legendary Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street (aka the Disneyland for kitchen nerds) sits Kyoya, a pottery shop that’s equal parts fire hazard and treasure cave. Walk in and you’re immediately swallowed by a wall of plates, chopsticks, sauce dishes, tea cups, bowls, more bowls, and yes, the perfect butter bowl.
The layout is chaotic in that glorious “only in Japan” way. Neon sale signs, hanging vines, summer festival decorations, and price tags that scream, “Don’t leave without a dozen things you didn’t know you needed.” It’s like a ceramic jungle that might collapse under the weight of its own discount bins.
And then I saw it: a quiet little stoneware bowl: earthy glaze, minimalist form, a bit of a wabi-sabi edge. Cost? Less than a craft beer. Function? Butter. Dipping sauce. Maybe a midnight handful of peanuts if we’re being honest. It’s the kind of piece that whispers, “You’ve arrived.”
Kyoya is not some serene artisanal boutique...it’s a working-class ceramics paradise, and it delivers. If your kitchen has even a shred of soul, it needs something from here. Just don’t expect them to bubble-wrap your ego. Grab a basket, dig deep, and trust your gut.
Buy the damn bowl. Then buy six more.