One of the biggest issues I had in the past was finding the right Porcelain shops for the right customer. It is extremely different to know what type of ceramics someone might have a tendency to be impressed by, therefore it was necessary to frequent many different shops to sample the pottery style of the area in general and the artisian in particular. As you can probably guess, this takes up a lot of precious time traveling from place to place and obviously very hit and miss. This is a problem that I don't have to worry about anymore!
These days I head straight to the Arita Sera shops and just let the clients roam at their hearts content. There are over 20 ceramic speciality shops, so there is a lot to see and appreciate. You can window shop, enter as many places as you like to get up and personal with the products (touch and feeling is just as important as how visually appealing the products are) and if you wish a private talk with one of the shop owners can be arranged.
The shops are open 365 days a year and it can be a very popular place on weekends. Our weekday tour don't encounter this problem, you will have all the space and time needed to fully satisfy your ceramic wants and needs.
Please check below to see the Arita Sera Porcelain shops on a map:
Please click on the photos below to see more information about the Arita Sera Porcelain shops.
It's well signposted
Even the map is made of Porcelain
Plenty of room to roam
John Lennon anyone?
There is a lot of good ceramics.
Sale items are available too!
Fancy plates
It's all about the color!
There is some great stuff here
Plenty to see and do
Please look at these videos below to learn more about what the Arita Sera Porcelain shops have to offer ceramic lovers:
You know you are in Ceramic Territory when the Shrines are decked out in Porcelain designs. It's actually quite remarkable for such a religious and hence traditional institution to allow these designs but when you think about it, it's actually a marketing masterpiece that will attract more customers to the region to see something unique.
The Tozan Shrine is specifically located just above a train station is its easy to find but of course you just have to be careful when crossing the tracks. But don't worry since we are in the remote countryside of Kyushu there aren't too many trains in a daily routine. Walking towards the Shrine is a cultural event in itself. You literally have to stop and look intensely at every statue, pillar, column and of course the main torii entrance gates that feature at every Shinto Shrine in Japan.
The Shrine is also dedicated to Lee Sam Pei, the Korean Potter (who was allegedly brought to Japan by force in the 17th century) who is the person that developed and started the 1st Ceramic Industry in Japan, specifically here in Arita, Saga Prefecture. His memorial statue is located up on a hill behind the shrine and although it is a great view up there of the entire town, unless you have a specific reason to do so, visiting the statue is not a moving moment at all.
I recommend this site as its centrally located near many other attractions off a main street and it's obviously the only Shrine in Japan that is decorated just so. You miss it here, and you will not see another one, period!
Please check out the Tozan Shrine in Arita Town on a map:
Please click on the photos below to enlarge:
Purification time
Porcelain is incredible
Even small is impressive
Interesting roof tiles
Too many details to fathom
The torii gate is impressive
The size of the vases are massive
Check out the detail
Has a magnificent view
Please click on the video below to see more about Tozan Shrine:
There is a hidden pottery village located in the mountainous area of Imari Town in Saga Prefecture. It is such a gem of a location that not many people know about it, except of course those who are ceramic lovers. For these people the location is 7th heaven as it is so peaceful and tranquil, at times it feels as though one has stepped back in time.
Okawachiyama which translates as Big River in the Mountains doesn't feel like a place designed for the 21st Century. Time runs a lot slower in these parts of the countryside and its a place where you can forget about life for a half a day and feel the time slip of the region.
On this particular day, I arrived a little later than I wanted to. It was a weekday and there was hardly anyone around so basically I had the whole village to myself. I have been told that this isn't the case on weekends when quite a lot more tourists and visitors from around Kyushu congregate in the pottery regions of Kyushu looking for that one special piece that will make their ceramic collection complete. Of course for those die hart fans of all things ceramic, this is never the case! You will never be satisfied with what you have and you will always be looking for the next piece.
I will plan another trip over the following months to get a better lay of the land. Even if the village is busier I am sure it will still be a quiet and quaint place to explore all the nook and crannies in great detail.
Please check below to see Okawachiyama Village on a map:
Please click on the photos below to enlarge:
Many different types of ceramics
Kilns galore
Quality Chinaware
The main bridge is very decorative
Chess anyone?
Looks of workshops to explore
Plenty of side streets to explore
Ceramic murals are everywhere
This is a potters village
Lots of pottery types here.
A special piece
Many shops selling their wares
Pottery exhibits are plentiful
One of the more narrow entrances
As quaint as it gets!
The quality is exceptional
Please click on these videos below to see more about Okawachiyama, the quaint hidden pottery village:
