Traditional wooden cups for tasty sake repurposed as tasteful accessories

It’s like Minecraft-chic!

Although it’s often considered a luxury in other countries, people in Japan have divided opinions on sake. Although there are some who associate the cheaper brands with wino fuel, it’s still quite easy to see sake brewing as a highly refined art with the utmost care and purity in its preparation for a meticulous taste.

This exquisiteness can be further enhanced by sake’s specialized tableware which includes wooden masu cups. Masu date back some 1,300 years and owe their square shape to their original purpose as a measuring cup for rice. Along the way, they were also used for serving sake, largely due to having been made from hinoki wood, with a pleasant aroma that accentuates the taste.

The advent of the metric system ultimately led to the end of the masu’s usefulness as a unit of measurement, so now, aside from steampunks, it’s almost exclusively used for sake. And even though many masu aren’t even made of hinoki these days, there’s still a certain elegance to their symmetry and minimalist style.

For those reasons, the masu craftspeople at Fomus decided to do more with these stylish little boxes. From 23 November, they launched the Fomus Parure line of handcrafted masu accessories, by making miniaturized masu that can be worn on the body.

First there are the White Blossom masu fake earrings for 68,000 yen (US$456) with dangling orbs that feature blossoms in white or other colors. These masu are made from hinoki, so you can expect a pleasant fragrance to accompany you.

Then, for those with actual pierced ears, there’s the Temari line of actual earrings for 68,000 yen, with a more dignified orb featuring golden stripes above the masu rather than below it.

For 66,000 yen ($442) Fomus also sells a masu necklace. It might look a little lonely by itself, but there’s nothing stopping you from putting a stone inside this or any of the other accessories for a little added flair. You can custom order Fomus to do it for you for an additional 20,000 yen ($134), or try it yourself as long as you’re really careful.

And finally there’s a classy-looking kanzari hair accessory, which doesn’t seem to have a price yet, but is probably in line with the other items.

True masu fans will be pleased to know that these items are also packaged in actual masu cups!

▼ We heard you like masu…

In addition to the box, owners are also issued a card of authenticity, which if desired can also contain an NFC chip that will bring up the product details to any smartphone that scans it. They’re even planning to take it one step further by issuing owner NFTs for those who are still into that stuff.

Whether it’s accessories or the blockchain, Fomus is daring to take a traditional art into new directions and even offer a masu photo book and card game on their website.

▼ They’re being pretty tight-lipped about what the deal with this turtle is, though.

So when it comes to square cups, Fomus is the name to remember! If for no other reason than when someone tries to call you out as a sake poser by asking for your favorite masu brand…

Source: Fomus, PR Times
Images: PR Times
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