Tokoname Pottery and Teapot Tour from Nagoya with 3 Craftsmen

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Tokoname Station

  Travel by Meitetsu train from central Nagoya to Tokoname, a historic pottery town near Chubu Centrair International Airport.

  1 hour • Admission ticket included
• 2
  Tokoname City Pottery Footpath

  Walk through the heart of a pottery town shaped by more than 1,000 years of ceramic production. Follow atmospheric lanes past brick chimneys, traditional workshops, galleries, and Dokanzaka, a distinctive slope lined with ceramic pipes and shochu bottles. The historic streetscape reveals how pottery remains closely woven into everyday life in Tokoname.

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 3

  Visit Gyokko Toen, a leading Tokoname teapot producer headed by third-generation traditional craftsman Yukitaka Umehara. Learn how specialists work together across each stage of production, from preparing the clay to shaping, decorating, and firing the finished teapots. Discover distinctive Tokoname techniques such as tobikanna, which creates rhythmic patterns using a specially designed tool, and mogake, which produces unique markings by wrapping seaweed around the pottery before firing. Observe how the studio balances consistent quality with traditional handcraftsmanship while passing its expertise to a new generation of artisans.

  40 minutes • Admission ticket included
• 4
  Tokoname City Cermaic Hall

  Continue by taxi to the private studio of veteran teapot artisan Yoshiki Murata. Meet Yoshiki Murata, who has devoted more than 60 years to crafting Tokoname teapots. His studio is filled with inventive pieces in unexpected shapes, colors, and designs, each expressing his playful creative spirit. Examine the teapots up close and hear about the ideas behind his work. You may even discover a one-of-a-kind teapot that feels as though it was made especially for you. *Please note that the actual destination is Yoshiki Murata's private studio, which is different from the location listed above.

  35 minutes • Admission ticket included
• 5

  Walk through the local neighborhood to the final pottery studio. Visit Kenzangama and meet fourth-generation craftsman Junzo Maekawa. He is particularly known for his flat teapots, designed to give tea leaves room to open fully and release their natural umami and aroma. He also continues the impressive tradition of creating large ceramic jars inherited from the previous generation. After exploring the workshop, learn directly from Maekawa-san as he demonstrates how to brew Japanese tea. Taste tea carefully prepared in a Tokoname teapot and enjoy a relaxed conversation with the artisan about pottery, craftsmanship, and tea culture. Travel back to Meitetsu Nagoya Station with your guide. Return to Tokoname Station on foot. Guests who wish to have lunch or explore the Pottery Footpath independently may choose to end the tour in Tokoname.

  2 hours 15 minutes • Admission ticket included

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• This tour includes approximately one hour of walking through Tokoname.
• The Pottery Footpath includes slopes and some uneven surfaces.
• Some workshops and galleries may only accept cash. If you plan to make any purchases, please bring some cash with you.
• Guests may end the tour in Tokoname instead of returning to Nagoya.

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