All available slots through the end of August 2025 have been filled. Slots after September 2025 will be released in the spring of 2025.
Highlight:
This program is designed to experience and learn the traditional pottery making process at a pottery studio in the Akazu area, where they follow a particular traditional pottery making process of the Seto region. With the guidance of the pottery master, you will learn to make some tableware using old-established regional glazes.
Suitable for:
Beginners to intermediate.
PLEASE NOTE: those only looking for inexpensive tour need not apply here but if you are genuinely interested in pottery making in Japan – welcome home.
This course is intended for those who have more than 6 months of experience in pottery within the last 2 years. If you have no prior experience with pottery making, this program is not for you.
Tour price per 1 person (valid between January 1, 2025 and August 31, 2025):
– 274,000 JPY
The price includes:
– Materials (clay, glazes etc)
– Facility/tools use
– Guidance
– Firing fee for 2 or 3 times *1
– 29nights/30days with 24hours studio use with access to guest rooms *2
Additional Info:
*1 The maximum for the final firing weight is 15 kg / 33 lb. total (this is the weight prior to firing. Please also note that this weight limit is for the total firing and is not for the individual firing).
*2 You will stay on the 2nd floor of the pottery studio.
The price does NOT include:
– Transportation fee to/from the studio, Meals, Packing service, Delivery service, etc.
Pottery facility: Kita-gama Kasen (in Seto city, Aichi prefecture) [Web / Photos / Access]
Minimum participants: 1 person
Maximum participants: 1 persons
Length of stay: minimum 21 days / maximum 30 days
Tour Start Date: Any day except Thursdays (Thursdays are the regular studio holidays). Please tell us your preferred start date. [Current availability]
Booking limit: 30 days prior to the tour start date
Payment limit:
– Advance payment of 10% of total tour cost must be deposited within 7 days of receiving a tentative confirmation (Refundable).
– Full payment must be completed 30 days prior to the tour start date.
Payment method we accept: Paypal
Cancellation fee (Based on Japan time):
– 30 days to 15 days prior to the tour start date: 30% of the tour price
– 14 days to 1 day prior to the tour start date: 50% of the tour price
– Cancellation on the tour start date: 100% of the tour price (No refunds)
What you will learn:
Wedging
Wheel Throwing
– Tea Cups
– Bowls and Plates
– Sake Bottles and Vases
– Plates over 25cm
– Tea pots
Trimming of Foot Ring
Glazing and Painting
Gas Kiln Firing (Unloading and Loading)
*Please let us know if you have any other preferences on what you’d like to learn in the program.
*Please be advised that we do not provide step by step lessons on pottery. The goal of this program is to provide you with an opportunity to experience hands on experience with pottery at a traditional Japanese pottery studio.
Our two-cents on “Guidance”
There is an old saying in Japanese that goes “Practice makes perfect” and we believe your skills will improve with practice. Please try to engage yourself in practicing what you have learned from the pottery master over and over again until you are confident with what you have learned.
About the Potter’s Wheel
Please note that we turn the potter’s wheel clockwise in Japan. When you need the pottery master’s demonstration and advice, he will use the potter’s wheel clockwise.
About firing:
– You will use gas kilns of 90cm x 60cm x 90cm (0.7 cubic meters) / 45cm x 45cm x 60cm (0.3 cubic meters) or an electric kiln of 40cm x 40cm x 40cm.
– Your works will be fired together with other items when the studio fires the kiln on their regular schedule, therefore you can not specify the firing method (Oxidation or Reduction). Also, please understand that there may be some limitations in terms of sizes and numbers of items to be fired.
– They usually fire once a week, so you will probably get 2 or 3 chances to fire during your stay of 30 days. (The firing frequency depends on the schedule of the studio.)
– Please contact us to inquire about chartering the kiln.
About the accommodation:
The rooms are located on the 2nd floor of the pottery studio. We have two types of rooms for you to select from. Both rooms are western style rooms with beds. Free Wi-fi available.
Room Types
– Type A: Kitchenette and a bathroom in each room, with a shared washing machine
– Type B: Shared kitchen, fridge, shower room, restroom and washing machine.
About the meals:
You can cook the meals at the shared kitchen near your room. The studio owner will tell you where the nearest grocery store is.
English: The pottery owner can speak English, but not as fluently as native speakers.
A Message from the Pottery Owner
“It requires 3 years to master wedging, and 10 years to master the wheel.”
Here in Seto, the phrase has been handed down from generation to generation, to inherit the importance of spending plenty of time to learn.
We believe that it would be a very good experience for you to work with the craftsman.
More Information:
Current Availability
Photos of the studio on Flickr
Testimonials about this program
