Iga Ohachi — Ceramic Rice Serving Pot
An ohachi is the lidded pot that cooked rice has lived in for generations in Japanese homes, the vessel that holds the rice between the stove and the bowl. This one is made in Iga from porous, heat-resistant clay.
As the rice rests, the clay draws in its excess moisture. When you reheat, it returns that moisture as gentle steam, so leftover rice comes back fluffy, not dry and packed. The same steam works on vegetables too, so a quick side comes out of the same pot.
- Porous Iga clay. Absorbs excess moisture while the rice rests, then releases it as steam on reheating, so rice stays fluffy.
- Reheats in the microwave. Warm rice straight in the ohachi, with no drying out.
- More than rice. Steam broccoli, onion, or new potato for a quick side.
- Two sizes. Small (1 gō, about one to two servings of cooked rice) and Large (1.5 gō, about two to three), each in Black Persimmon or White Birch.
- Easy-grip lid. Shaped to lift and replace with one hand.
- Handmade in Iga. Shaped and finished by hand, so small variations in tone and form belong to each piece.
Iga sits in Mie Prefecture, in a region known for pottery since the Momoyama period, when tea masters prized the local clay for its warmth and rustic character. That same heat-resistant clay is the tradition behind Japan's donabe pots today. The surface here is pared back and lightly glazed to let the raw texture of the clay show.
You often end up with leftover rice, and no one likes it dry. Japan takes rice seriously. The ohachi is how families keep the last cup of the pot as good as the first.
Choose your size and finish above.
- Dimensions
- Materials
- Care Guide