Where to Buy Japanese Ceramics in New York City
PC: Florré
Not too long ago, I wrote about my love of Japanese glassware and my confusion as to why they’re not as popular as ceramics. Well, to avoid any misunderstanding, my love for ceramics runs just as deep, so today we’ll get into where to buy Japanese ceramics in New York City.
I’ve been leaving space in my suitcase and carefully schelpping back kitchenware from Japan whenever I go back to visit. There’s a famous kitchenware street called Kappabashi in Tokyo, where restaurant owners go to get their supplies. It’s one long street packed with one kitchenware store after another, and I’ve bought everything from wooden serving boards to mugs and plates here.
It’s a lot of fun, but pretty uneconomical for someone who wants to stock their entire kitchen with Japanese kitchen items. So I began to wonder if there aren’t any Japanese kitchen stores in New York I could go to instead, and to my delight, I found the perfect ones.
I have to give my sister a quick shoutout here, who found and recommended some of these places to me. Specifically, MTC Kitchen has got to be the best place to go for Japanese ceramics, knives, and cookware. It’s the closest thing to what you find at Kappabashi, and is also meant for Japanese restaurateurs in NYC. I recently bought myself two ceramic bowls and a wooden spoon there, but left wanting to go back immediately for more. So without further ado, here are the best places to shop for Japanese ceramics and more.
A rather spacious room on the Upper East Side stocking a wide selection of dishes, knives, teapots, sake vases, and every essential kitchen item you can think of. Prices are extremely fair!
A small, but finely curated selection of pottery, ceramics, and vases from local and overseas artists. You’ll find a few pieces of glassware here as well, but not as many as in MTC Kitchen. The prices here are much steeper, but you’ll find truly unique and beautifully made pieces.
This store shares a space with Dashi Okume in Brooklyn, a Japanese store for custom-made dashi. They have two locations in Tokyo as well, and offer a wide range of aesthetic homeware.
You will love this store in Williamsburg, holding an assortment of Japanese home goods intended to make your daily life more enjoyable.
Much like MTC Kitchen, Korin serves the restaurants in New York City, offering a wide selection of knives, tableware, kitchen utensils, and pretty much everything you can think of surrounding dining.
