Tokoname Pottery and Teapot Tour from Nagoya with 3 Craftsmen

Duration5h 45m

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

Highlights
- Meet three accomplished artisans preserving and reimagining Tokoname’s celebrated teapot-making tradition.
- Step inside working pottery studios and observe distinctive techniques, forms, and finishes.
- Discover how different teapot designs influence brewing and transform the flavor of tea.
- Enjoy a personal tea-brewing demonstration led by a fourth-generation Tokoname craftsman.
- Wander Tokoname’s historic Pottery Footpath among brick chimneys, kilns, and ceramic-lined lanes.

Overview
Travel from Nagoya to Tokoname, one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns, and discover its 1,000-year pottery tradition. Explore the Pottery Footpath and visit three working studios to discover the artistry of Tokoname kyusu, traditional Japanese teapots.
Meet veteran potter Yoshiki Murata at Gyokko Toen and explore flat teapots at Kenzangama. Conclude with a tea-brewing demonstration by fourth-generation craftsman Junzo Maekawa. Taste Japanese tea and speak with the artisan.

What's included

Professional English-speaking guide
Train fares and taxi transportation during the tour
Japanese tea experience at Kenzangama
Visits to three pottery workshops

Transportation to the meeting point
Personal purchases

What to expect

1h · Admission ticket included

Travel by Meitetsu train from central Nagoya to Tokoname, a historic pottery town near Chubu Centrair International Airport.
Tokoname City Pottery Footpath
45m

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.
40m · Admission ticket included

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.
Tokoname City Cermaic Hall
35m · Admission ticket included

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.
2h 15m · Admission ticket included

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.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Meet your professional English-speaking guide at the Nagoya Station Tourist Information Center. Your guide will accompany you to Meitetsu Nagoya Station and travel with you by train to Tokoname.

End point

Meet your professional English-speaking guide at the Nagoya Station Tourist Information Center. Your guide will accompany you to Meitetsu Nagoya Station and travel with you by train to Tokoname.

Additional information

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.
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. Tour Operation & Language
A Mandarin, French, Spanish, German, or Korean-speaking guide may be available. Please contact the supplier in advance to check availability.
Please wear comfortable clothing and sturdy walking shoes suitable for slopes and uneven surfaces.
Bringing a bottle of water is recommended, particularly during warmer months.

Cancellation policy

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

From

44,000.00 JPY per person

Check availability & book

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts
You'll choose your date and travelers and pay on viator.com. Prices vary by date, group size and option.

Operated by Tourism Designers Co., Ltd. · Booked through Viator

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