Our Story
Edo Japan began with a simple idea: that the porcelain we eat and drink from should be as well made as the meal itself – and as joyful to use.
Our name looks back to the Edo period, the long era of peace in Japan between 1603 and 1868. Cities grew, tea houses and noodle shops filled the streets, and fine porcelain – first made in Japan in the early seventeenth century – found its way from the homes of the few to the tables of many.
Bowls for rice and soup, plates for sharing, cups for tea: the shapes we still use every day took their form in those years. We wanted a name that carried that sense of everyday craft.
Japanese porcelain has been travelling to Europe for almost four centuries. Dutch merchants were among the first to carry it west from the harbour of Dejima, and for generations it graced European tables as something rare and precious.
Today the journey is a little easier, but the spirit is the same. Edo Japan porcelain leaves Japan by sea, arrives in the port of Rotterdam, and travels on from there to shops across Europe.
Our collection holds two souls. One is quiet and traditional: indigo waves, cherry blossom, brushed lines and the clean, balanced forms of classic Japanese tableware.
The other is playful. Lucky cats, rabbits and other small creatures peek out of bowls and across plates, bringing a smile to the table – the cheerful, kawaii side of Japanese design. Side by side, they make a table that feels both timeless and alive.
Porcelain is at its best when it is used: a bowl of steaming ramen, matcha whisked in the morning, a quiet cup of tea at the end of a long day. We choose pieces that are lovely to look at and a pleasure to hold, and we keep our range well stocked so that the shops we work with can reorder with confidence.
Simple, honest and beautiful – that is what we hope you will find on every table set with Edo Japan.