Jizai Dougu Kitchenware by Michiko Matsuda

Jizai Dougu Kitchenware by Michiko Matsuda

Jizai Dougu is a collection of kitchenware developed by Michiko Matsuda, a cooking teacher and author of over 50 cookbooks in Japan. Each product has been uniquely designed by Matsuda-san to reflect the lessons and wisdom she has gained over more than three decades as a cooking teacher. From the angle of the tamagoyaki pan’s handle to the exact location of the steam vent on the donabe lid, Matsuda-san has thought through each aspect of the Jizai Dougu’s products’ designs.

And to realize each product, she has teamed up with hand-selected artisans from around Japan, each one specializing in the materials needed to produce Matsuda-san’s designs. For example, she partnered with a small woodworking company from Kiso in Nagano Prefecture to make the tricky-to-produce oval-shaped rice container. For the large donabe, she worked with an artisan potter who works out of a small studio on the banks of the Serigawa river in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture. During the development of each product, she and the artisans went through multiple iterations until the end result was exactly what Matsuda-san had envisioned. While Matsuda-san has definitely formed partnerships with these individual producers, it is really her exacting standards that make the Jizai Dougu products special.

Jizai Dougu means “tools that allow you to do as you like” (yes, translation can be difficult), which is exactly how Matsuda-san wants them to be used. They make your cooking easier and more efficient, your food taste better, and storage of the products easier. We hope you’ll find them as unique and special as we do.

Matsuda-san’s cooking journey began at the age of 10, when her mother had to go take care of her grandmother. A snowstorm kept her mother from getting home on time, so Matsuda-san had to make dinner for her brother and herself. She still remembers that she made fried rice. As a grown-up she took cooking classes at a school in Kamakura, near Tokyo. She credits their strict teaching style for teaching her good technique in the kitchen. After that Matsuda-san gained something of a reputation amongst her friends and family as a good cook and they started asking her to teach them. Over the years her classes grew slowly along with a catering business. Today she teaches classes for foreign visitors and Japanese people alike from her studio in the Ebisu neighborhood of Tokyo.

We would be remiss if we did not mention how we met Matsuda-san. In spring 2023 we were introduced by Uneno-san of Uneno Konbu. Yoshiko Uneno and her husband, Motofusa, had become friends with Matsuda-san over the years. When they heard we were looking to find unique cookware to pair with the artisanal ingredients we import, they made the introduction. As one of our longest standing producer relationships in Japan, we are always thankful for the time and knowledge that Uneno-san shares with us. We are now doubly grateful for the introduction to Matsuda-san.