Participant from U.S.A.
Program: 30-day Pottery Making in Seto – With Guidance
Start date: 1st Mar 2023
Message:
I recommend this program 100%. It’s a rare and wonderful opportunity. You live above the studio and make pots every day, while watching a Japanese potter go about his business making pots for a living. You can learn so much! I watched Hiro-san make big bowls and faceted sake bottles and plates and tumblers and teabowls and yunomi, and a teapot and decorative animals ? some thrown, some hand built. He gave us lessons in making tools from metal and bamboo, and taught us about the traditional glazes he uses. Most of the time we practiced on our own, but he or his apprentice Amber-san kindly helped us if we asked for advice about something.
Being in Akazu is also a cool opportunity to live in a small Japanese town. Every Friday, a vendor stopped by to sell fresh tofu! I loved walking around early every morning, looking at houses and gardens. I used the stone lanterns I saw in gardens as inspiration for knobs on teapot lids.
There is a long history of pottery in the area and you can see it everywhere. Nearby, in the town of Seto, there are several interesting ceramics museums.
Hiro-san is busy with a full-time job making pots, but he is still a wonderful host, and showed us a warm and friendly hospitality.
It’s an outstanding program.
