What is Guinomi?
What does "Guinomi" mean in the first place?
First of all, I would like to know from here.
Words for "sake cup" include "Sakazuki", "Choko", and "Guinomi".
Think about what each of these refers to.
First, let's think about "Sakazuki".
"Sakazuki" and "Sakahai" are said to be a general term for tableware made for drinking Sake.
I would like to dig a little deeper.
In Japan, Sake has long been used for sacred rituals that worship God.
And it seems that drinking Sake was also a very sacred act. In ancient times, it was considered to be the "Sue pottery" of the Yayoi period.
This "Sakazuki" is a circular flat container that dents toward the center, with a small tubular hill at the bottom.
For example, the shape of the percussion instrument "cymbal" turned upside down.
In modern times, it feels like it's rarely used in general. It can be seen at several ceremonies such as the wedding ceremony "San-san-ku-do" and sumo wrestling.
In general, it seems that there are more lacquer ware made of lacquered wood than pottery.
The next "Choko" is a smaller version of the "Sakazuki" mentioned earlier that fits in your hand.
Originally, "Choko" was a "small bowl" containing a small amount of marinade and salty dishes.
However, since the Edo period, Sake has been poured into this "small bowl" and drunk, and this usage has become common.
Today, it often comes with the same design as the Tokkuri and often refers to a cup large enough to drink Sake in one or two bites.
"Guinomi" is said to be derived from the sound of a vigorous drink of Sake, such as "glub-glub" or "glug-glug".
The "gui" in "Guinomi" is the part of the sound "glub". Also, "nomi" means "drink" in English.
"Guinomi" and "Choko" are ambiguous as a distinction between shapes, and it seems a little difficult.
"Guinomi" was originally a tableware called "Muko-zuke" used in the Japanese tea ceremony.
At the Japanese tea ceremony, after eating the delicacies in "Muko-zuke", they put Sake in it and drink it.
This tableware has evolved to be called "Guinomi".
For this reason, "Guinomi" has a history of growing up with the culture of the Japanese tea ceremony. Therefore, the nature is fundamentally different from other sake sets and "Choko", and the aesthetic sense of "Wabi-sabi" is incorporated, and it is evolving as a tool not only for drinking Sake but also for enjoying Sake.
This is also the reason why "Guinomi" has a deeper bottom and is bigger than "Sakazuki" and "Choko".
It is recorded that "Kaneshige Toyo", the first national treasure of Bizen ware, said to his disciples and friends, "It is not good that my nose does not fit in Guinomi", which is said to be the ancestor of Bizen ware.
It is said that the size of "Guinomi" should be large enough to fit in your nose when you drink Sake.
Considering this, I tried to define each of "Sakazuki", "Choko", and "Guinomi" as follows.
"Sakazuki": A general term for sake cups, but especially flat ones.
"Choko": A small container that is large enough to drink sake with one or two bites.
"Guinomi": A vessel that is large enough to fit in your nose when you drink Sake.
