Quick Answer
What are sakazuki?
Sakazuki are flat, shallow lacquered or ceramic cups traditionally used for formal sake drinking in Japan. At a wedding, they refer specifically to the three graduated cups used in the **san-san-kudo** ritual, though the same style of cup is used for ceremonial sake-sharing at other formal occasions too.
Last updated:
Last updated:
What are sakazuki?
Also called: sakazuki cups, nuptial sake cups.
Sakazuki look almost too simple for the ritual weight they carry — flat, wide, shallow cups, often lacquered red and black or decorated with auspicious motifs like pine, bamboo and plum. At a wedding they are set out in a graduated set of three, smallest to largest, and become the physical center of the san-san-kudo exchange between bride and groom.
Sakazuki in the wedding ceremony
- •The wedding set is typically three cups of increasing size, used in sequence during san-san-kudo.
- •Traditional sakazuki are lacquered wood, often finished in red and black, sometimes gold-rimmed for a wedding set specifically.
- •Outside of weddings, sakazuki are used more broadly in Japan for formal sake-sharing at business or family ceremonies — the wedding use is one specific application of a wider custom.
Planning notes
- •Shrines and wedding halls generally provide the sakazuki set as part of the ceremony package — confirm this is included rather than something the couple needs to source.
- •If the couple wants a specific design or a keepsake-quality set, ask the venue whether a personal set can be used instead of the venue’s standard cups.
- •Because the cups are small and the sips are brief, this part of the ceremony moves quickly — flag it to the photographer as a fast sequence to be ready for.
Confirm ceremony inclusions ahead of the date
Track which ceremony items are provided by the venue and which the couple needs to source using Weddingkart’s RSVP and event tools.
See RSVP tracking →Frequently Asked Questions
Are sakazuki only used at weddings?
No — the same style of flat, shallow cup is used more broadly in Japan for formal sake-sharing at other ceremonial occasions. The wedding use, in a graduated set of three for san-san-kudo, is one specific application.
What are wedding sakazuki typically made of?
Traditionally lacquered wood, often finished in red and black and sometimes gold-rimmed for a wedding-specific set, though ceramic versions are also used.
Do couples keep the sakazuki after the wedding?
Some couples purchase or are gifted their own set as a keepsake, though many ceremonies simply use the venue or shrine’s standard set.
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By Mayank JaiswalLast updated