Guys, you may as well close this e-mail now. It’s about plates. Tableware. The stuff women can eyeball, handle, and assemble forever. Most men would rather sort screws.

New Jersey is home to all kinds of table-topping stores. Five outlets for Mikasa (http://www.outletbound.com/cgi-bin/stores_by_name.cgi?StoreName=Mikasa), at least four for Corningware and Corelle (www.corningwarestores.com)…we could go on and on.

Add one more to your list. It’s Utsuwa-No-Yakata (www.utsuwa.com) in Edgewater. That’s Japanese for House of Pottery. One of only two stores on the East Coast—of the U.S., that is.

There is a fusion for everything Asian, including dinnerware. Whatever foods you are serving, it’s fun to look at these colorful, creative settings and decorative plates and imagine how you might put them to use.

There is even a section for children and another one for pets. The store’s website is full of interesting suggestions.

There is plenty of Japanese Imari porcelain (www.blueandwhiteamerica.com) at affordable, and sometimes bargain prices. You can find some of this at discount stores, but you won’t find as extensive a collection, and you can’t beat the prices here.

The best part about the Edgewater store is its location next to the Mitsuwa Marketplace (www.mitsuwa.com), one of the largest Japanese food emporiums in the U.S. and the only one of its kind in the East. Leave time to shop and eat in one of the many indoor cafes ringing the mega-market.

One visit and you won’t have to worry about filling those new plates.