A Japanese mug and small bowl

There is no real story to this - I wanted a blip for today - and late into the night, this was it.
I like the mug. It was a gift from a friend and her daughter, who stayed with us while on holiday from Japan. I'm told by a reliable source - my wife - that the character on the mug means 'Samurai'. It has that nice textured, solid, earthy feel when you hold it. It's a favourite.
There you go then, it actually does have a story to it.