BRAND HIGHLIGHT

Japanese tableware shaped by proportion, glaze and everyday use across UNJOUR, DISHES, ReIRABO and OVAL.

A Guide to Yumiko Iihoshi Porcelain: UNJOUR, DISHES, ReIRABO and OVAL

Yumiko Iihoshi Porcelain is often recognised first by colour and glaze. At JDV, the more useful starting point is proportion. A few centimetres can shift a cup from compact to generous, or move a plate from cake to a full meal. Depth and rim shape matter just as much as diameter.

Founded in 2007, yumiko iihoshi porcelain works with potteries across Japan to create tableware that combines repeatable forms with the small differences that come from glaze and finishing.

Our Yumiko Iihoshi Porcelain collection currently focuses on four core series: UNJOUR, DISHES, ReIRABO and OVAL.

UNJOUR and the rhythm of a day

UNJOUR means “one day” in French. The names refer to moments within that day: Matin for morning, Goûter for a snack or afternoon treat, Après-midi for afternoon and Nuit for night. They are useful clues to scale and mood rather than strict instructions for use. The Nuit Cup 220ml is the smaller cup, compact enough for coffee or tea without feeling like an espresso cup. The Matin Cup 340ml gives more room for café au lait, tea, hot chocolate or soup. The plate family moves from the compact Goûter Plate 152mm through Après-midi 192mm and 220mm, then to the Matin Plate 278mm for full meals and shared serving. The Bowl L 740ml carries the same matte porcelain character into a deeper form.

DISHES: proportion, rim angle and depth

DISHES was developed with Kimura Glass. Small changes in diameter, depth and rim angle do most of the work. The pieces look simple, but the differences become obvious once food or drink is added. Cup M 260ml is broader than a conventional tea cup and can move between coffee, tea, soup, chawanmushi and small side dishes. Plate 200mm is an everyday size for breakfast, bread, cake and sides. Plate 230mm is deeper and gives more room for pasta, curry, soup, salad and main dishes. The bowls progress from S 125mm at approximately 400ml, to M 150mm at approximately 570ml, then L 185mm at approximately 1175ml.

ReIRABO: glaze as character

The surface is the point of ReIRABO. The series reinterprets the irregular, clouded character associated with traditional Irabo glaze for contemporary tableware. Tone, pooling and surface texture vary from piece to piece, and that variation is part of the design.

The ReIRABO Cup M 270ml is the everyday middle size for coffee, black tea and Japanese tea. The smaller ReIRABO Tea Cup 150ml is officially named soba choko S by Yumiko Iihoshi. At JDV we present it as a tea cup because the 150ml handleless form works naturally for Japanese and Chinese tea service.

The ReIRABO Round Plate M 118mm works on its own for sweets and small side dishes, or as a saucer with Cup M.

Yumiko Iihoshi Porcelain ReIRABO Tea Cup

OVAL: depth in a different shape

OVAL changes the composition of the table through shape. The elongated profile gives food a different frame from a round plate, while the added depth makes the forms especially useful for dishes with sauce or liquid. Plate M 220mm is compact enough for individual meals, pasta, curry, soup, salad and side dishes. Plate L 285mm gives more room for generous servings, bread, main dishes and shared food. OVAL works particularly well when you want to break up a table built mostly from round forms.

Choosing a starting point

UNJOUR is a natural place to start if you like matte colour and a family of cups, plates and bowls that can be built gradually. DISHES makes sense when depth and serving function matter more. ReIRABO has the strongest glaze character. OVAL is useful when you want a deeper plate and a shape that changes the geometry of the table. There is no need to keep the series separate. A ReIRABO cup can sit beside a DISHES plate, while an OVAL plate can interrupt a group of round pieces.

A note on aluminium

Yumiko Iihoshi's aluminium trays sit outside the porcelain series but belong easily beside them. The uncoated material records use over time through marks and patina.

At JDV, the Round Coaster Tray 105 is used first as a coaster beneath cups and glasses. The larger Aluminium Rectangle Tray 350 works as a serving tray or broad tabletop surface.

Building a Yumiko Iihoshi table over time

A table does not need to be completed at once. Yumiko Iihoshi Porcelain works well when pieces are added gradually and mixed with objects already at home.

UNJOUR can provide a broad everyday foundation. DISHES adds pieces where depth and proportion solve a specific serving need. ReIRABO brings more visible glaze character. OVAL changes the composition through shape.

The collections share enough restraint to sit together without looking like a formal matching set. That is how we prefer to show Yumiko at JDV: useful pieces chosen one by one, then lived with as a table develops over time.

JDV MARKET in Prahran, Melbourne is listed by yumiko iihoshi porcelain as an Australian stockist. Our selection is available online and in store, where differences in glaze, scale and proportion are easiest to compare side by side.