Craft Your Own Tokoname Bonsai Pot with a Master Artisan

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5 hours 15 minutes (approximately)
Offered in: English

Highlights
- Discover Tokoname, one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns with over 1,000 years of history.
- Visit Tokoname, Japan’s leading center for bonsai pot production.
- Craft your own authentic bonsai pot under the guidance of a master artisan.
- Explore a gallery showcasing distinctive bonsai pots and other Tokoname ceramics.
- Stroll the atmospheric Pottery Footpath among historic kilns, chimneys, and ceramic-lined lanes.

Overview
Discover Tokoname, one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns, on this half-day tour from Nagoya. Explore its 1,000-year ceramic history and tradition of bonsai pots.
Visit Kakuzan Toen and meet fifth-generation artisan Koji Watanabe. Under his guidance, create your own bonsai pot using a traditional mold-forming technique. Choose a round or oval design and shape a pot for the bonsai it may one day hold.
Explore the studio gallery to see a variety of bonsai pots and Tokoname ware. Your pot will be fired and shipped to you about six weeks later as a lasting reminder.

What's Included

Pottery studio visit
Train transportation during the tour
Shipping of your finished bonsai pot
Professional, English-speaking guide
Bonsai pot-making experience
Transportation to the meeting point
Personal purchases

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point
Nagoya Station Tourist Information Center

Meet your professional, English-speaking guide at Nagoya Station and travel together by train to Tokoname.

End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Duration: 5 hours 15 minutes (approximately)
  • 1

    Visit Kakuzan Toen, a family-run pottery studio along Tokoname’s historic Pottery Footpath, where three generations of artisans are currently active. Learn directly from fifth-generation artisan Koji Watanabe as you create your own bonsai pot using a traditional mold-forming technique. Choose a round or oval shape and craft your pot while imagining the bonsai it might one day hold. After the experience, explore the gallery and discover a wide variety of bonsai pots and other Tokoname ceramics. Your finished piece will be fired and shipped approximately six weeks after the tour.

    2 hours • Admission ticket included
  • 2
    Tokoname Pottery Footpath

    Walk through the heart of one of Japan’s oldest pottery towns, with more than 1,000 years of ceramic history. Wander past historic brick chimneys, the famous Clay Pipe Hill, old kilns, workshops, and galleries while experiencing a neighborhood where pottery remains part of everyday life. Walk back toward Tokoname Station with your guide. Guests who wish to spend more time in Tokoname may end the tour here and continue exploring the Pottery Footpath or enjoy lunch in the area.

    2 hours 15 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • This tour includes walking through the Tokoname Pottery Footpath. Please wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes suitable for exploring the historic pottery district.
  • Your finished bonsai pot will be fired and shipped approximately six weeks after the experience.
  • Depending on the destination country, customs duties may apply when your finished piece is delivered.
  • This package tour includes statutory accident compensation in accordance with Japan's Travel Agency Act. We also recommend that travelers purchase their own travel insurance for broader medical and travel-related coverage
Supplied by Tourism Designers Co., Ltd.
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Tags

Day Trips
Half-day Tours
Private and Luxury
Private Sightseeing Tours
Cultural Tours
Art Tours
Rail Tours
Short term availability

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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