Kakitame Misosoup Bowl 11.3cm Japanese Tableware

The bowls for miso soups (and for clear soups) – and their basic design goes very far back in Japanese history – are made specifically to be lifted like a cup to drink the soup directly from them. You might say they’re more a very large cup than a soup bowl as defined in western culture. It’s why they use a light material (lacquered or unlacquered wood traditionally, resin of diverse qualities and finishes etc.) that don’t become too hot to handle (it’s in part why the bowls have lids – the soup would cool too fast otherwise), and their shape and weight are well thought to fit well in the hand.