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Natsume Japanese Wooden Mug – Jujube Wood, 250 ml

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£21.85
£21.85
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The Natsume Japanese wooden mug is turned from jujube wood, a dense wood with a red-brown tone run through with darker veins. Its 250 ml capacity matches a cup of coffee or tea, and its wide handle takes a full grip. Light, it does not shatter and never gets hot enough to burn your fingers.

  • Jujube wood, red-brown tone and dark veins
  • Capacity: about 250 ml
  • Wide handle, room for a full grip
  • Wood insulates: the drink stays hot, the handle stays warm
  • Every piece is unique: the grain changes from one mug to the next
  • Hand wash only

● Natsume, the name of the jujube tree

Natsume (棗) is the Japanese word for the jujube, both the fruit and the tree that bears it. It is also the name of a small tea caddy used in the Japanese tea ceremony, so called because its shape recalls the fruit. The mug therefore carries the name of its own wood.

Jujube is a dense, close-grained wood with a warm red-brown tone, run through with clearly marked darker veins. It turns well on the lathe and takes a smooth polish without needing lacquer: what you touch is the wood itself.

● 250 ml: what that actually means

This is the thing to check before buying. 250 ml is a cup, not a large mug. The size matches a long coffee or a tea, not a big morning brew.

SizeCapacityWhat for
Espresso cup60 to 80 mlA short espresso
Natsume mug250 mlLong coffee, tea, hot chocolate
Standard mug300 to 350 mlThe most common size
Large mug400 ml and upA big morning coffee

● A handle made for the grip

The handle is wide and flat, with an opening large enough for two fingers without forcing. It is not a decorative loop: you hold the mug full without having to squeeze, and the weight stays in line with the wrist.

This is where wood really changes something. On a ceramic cup the handle heats up with the rest. Here the wood insulates: you can fill it with a scalding drink and pick the mug up straight away, no cloth and no caution needed.

● Day to day

  • Coffee, long or with milk — 250 ml makes a full cup.
  • Tea, green or black, poured straight from the teapot.
  • Matcha latte, whose colour stands out well against the brown of the wood.
  • Hot chocolate and herbal teas, which the wood keeps warm longer.
  • Cold drinks too: wood does not sweat and leaves no ring on the table.

● Caring for your wooden mug

  • Rinse it in warm water right after use, with a soft sponge.
  • Dry it immediately: do not leave it to drain on its own.
  • No soaking — the wood swells and eventually splits.
  • No dishwasher, no microwave.
  • Away from heat and out of direct sun.
  • Now and then, rub in a little neutral food-safe oil to nourish the wood.

● Build your Japanese table

The Natsume mug joins our Japanese cups and mugs and the rest of our Japanese tableware range. To fill it, have a look at our Japanese teapots, and to round out the table, our Japanese bowls. It also sits among our Japanese gift ideas.

● Specifications

MaterialJujube wood
CapacityAbout 250 ml
ColourNatural red-brown, dark veins
FinishSmooth, grain visible
HandleWide, opening for two fingers
UseHot and cold drinks
CareHand wash, no dishwasher, no microwave
NoteGrain and tone unique to each piece

● FAQ: Japanese wooden mug

What is the exact capacity?

About 250 ml. That is the size of a long coffee or a tea, not a large mug: standard mugs run more like 300 to 350 ml. If you are after a big vessel for the morning coffee, this one will feel a little small.

Can I put a scalding drink in it?

Yes. Wood is a poor conductor of heat: the drink stays hot longer and the handle does not become scalding. You can pick the mug up straight after filling it.

Can the mug go in the dishwasher?

No. Heat and detergents dry the wood out and make it move. A rinse in warm water with a soft sponge, followed by an immediate dry, is all it needs.

Can it go in the microwave?

No. A microwave heats the moisture held inside the wood and can split it. Reheat the drink in another vessel before pouring it in.

Does the wood give the drink a taste?

A new wooden mug can leave a very faint woody note for the first few uses. Rinse it in warm water before the first use and that fades quickly. After that the wood passes on nothing noticeable.

What is jujube wood?

It is the wood of the jujube tree, which bears the jujube fruit — natsume in Japanese. A dense, close-grained wood, red-brown with darker veins, long used across Asia for tableware and small turned objects.

Why are the mugs not all identical?

Each piece is cut from a different part of the wood. The grain, the veins and the shade of brown therefore vary from one mug to the next. The one you receive will not be exactly the one in the photograph.

Can the wood split over time?

Not if it is looked after. What splits wood is long soaking, the dishwasher, the microwave and sudden changes of temperature. Avoid those and a hardwood mug lasts for years.

Does coffee stain the wood?

Jujube wood is dense and low in porosity, and its dark tone hides marks well. A quick rinse after each use is enough to stop deposits building up. Over time the tone darkens slightly and becomes more even.

Is this mug made in Japan?

No. It takes the shapes and the use of Japanese wooden tableware, but it is not made in Japan. We would rather say so plainly than leave any doubt.

Does it make a good gift?

Yes. A wooden mug stands out, gets used every day, and raises no question of size or taste. Paired with a bowl or a set of chopsticks, it makes a simple, coherent present.

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