Well, I grew up in Japan. It was a small family of three but we had sets of plates and bowls that are quite different from what you would find here in a china cabinet of a typical American family (if there is such thing). Firstly, we each had a pair of chopsticks, usually lacquered and reusable, a ceramic rice bowl, and a plastic soup bowl. Normally we had individual rice and soup, may be a grilled fish, then side dishes are in "community plates." Some common Japanese dinner dishes are vegetables (including picked), tofu, and stir fry. I'm getting hungry. A family would share the side dishes. I don't know if they do this any more but we had a cup of green tea after every dinner. We each had our own Japanese tea cup too.
The Japanese are very careful about color combinations of their food. A perfect meal should be visually appealing as well as having a great taste. The appearance of the plates are part of coordination too. One dish might make boiled spinach more appealing than the other. The opposite is true - sometimes a clueless Japanese restaurant server here (in the U.S.) would serve me rice in a soup bowl, and it looks much less appetizing to me. That would be considered a bad manner.
Japanese dinnerware is an extension of the chef's skill. In another words a plate may inspire a chef to create a meal that goes with it. I know this because there is a TV show about it!
Having several of your personal favorites beside your 'usual' can do wonders to your dinner table. They could be great conversation pieces at your next party. You can start your collection here in my store.
Itadakimasu!!
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