Hunt for favorite pottery in Arita

This is a sightseeing plan around the town of Arita, Saga Prefecture, the birthplace of Japan’s porcelain. The town, filled with Arita porcelain, boasts a 400-year history and visitors can enjoy searching for their favorite Arita porcelain plate to use for a superb lunch. Rental bikes, available in front of the station, are recommended due to the distances between places of interest. Why not try to find a piece of porcelain that excites you in this sacred pottery center?

• #Shrines
• #Historical Landscapes
• #Lunch
• #Pottery

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  2018-08-02

  • Arita

    10:00

  • Tozan Shrine (*also called Sueyama Shrine)

    10:38

  • Arita's Backstreet Tonbai Walls

    11:15

  • Gallery Arita

    11:58

  • Kouraku Kiln

    13:12

  • Gen-emon Kiln

    15:30

  

• • Arita

    10:00

    10min

    Station

    When you arrive at JR Akita Station, be sure to take note of the banister on the stairs and the station clock. They are both made from Arita porcelain. Rent a bicycle from Kiln Arita, the red-walled tourism facility, and you’re ready to go.

    Address

    Saga Pref

    • Arita

    • Arita

    • Arita

  • Public transportation / Walk

    27min

  • Tozan Shrine (*also called Sueyama Shrine)

    10:38

    30min

    Dedicated to Yi Sam-pyeong, the father of Arita porcelain, Tozan Shrine can be found along Arita’s main street, Sarayama-dori. It is here that the skill of Arita’s craftsmen is most apparent. The shrine’s gate, the guardian dogs, and the garden lanterns are stunning examples of Arita porcelain craftsmanship. Even the good-luck charms sold by the shrine are made of porcelain. They are a rarity in Japan and make ideal keepsakes.

    Address

    Saga – Home of Japanese Ceramics

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    • Tozan Shrine (*also called Sueyama Shrine)

    • Tozan Shrine (*also called Sueyama Shrine)

    • Tozan Shrine (*also called Sueyama Shrine)

  • Public transportation / Walk

    4min

  • Arita's Backstreet Tonbai Walls

    11:15

    15min

    Next, head for Arita’s backstreets, where you’ll find walls made from castoff firebricks used in the construction of kilns. Painted with red soil to harden them, these bricks are known as “tonbai.” Time stands still in Arita’s backstreets, which are a gift to photographers hoping to capture nostalgia through their lenses.

    Address

    • Arita's Backstreet Tonbai Walls

  • Public transportation / Walk

    28min

  • Gallery Arita

    11:58

    60min

    Cafe

    Stop for lunch at this gallery café and enjoy your meal surrounded by 2000 Arita ware coffee cups. The recommended lunch set is “Arita-yaki Gozen,” which is served in a number of casket-like boxes. You can choose from any teacup within the gallery for your after-dinner hot drink. The café is popular, so best to make a reservation.

    Address

    Saga Nishimatsuura-gun Aritacho Honmachi

    • Gallery Arita

    • Gallery Arita

    • Gallery Arita

  • Public transportation / Walk

    27min

  • Kouraku Kiln

    13:12

    120min

    Ceramics / Stone and Clay / Metal

    Finally, to the main event, where you must have advance reservations: the Arita ware treasure hunt. This large warehouse is filled with dead stock porcelain items that never made it to the stores. It’s exciting to imagine a yet-to-be discovered treasure hidden under all the bric-a-brac. You're destined to find it. So start hunting!

    Address

    Saga Pref. Nishimatsuragunaritachou Maruo Hei 2512

    • Kouraku Kiln

    • Kouraku Kiln

    • Kouraku Kiln

  • Public transportation / Walk

    7min

  • Gen-emon Kiln

    15:30

    30min

    Other Factory Tour / Demonstration

    After you’ve gotten all the Arita porcelain you need, head to Gen-emon Kiln, which has a 260-year history. A studio open to the public is special, even in Arita, so this kiln is well worth visiting. Within the tranquil silence of the studio, the visitor is drawn into the delicate technique and skill of the potters here. Savor this experience as a special moment.

    Address

    Saga Pref. Nishimatsuragunaritachou Maruo Hino 2726

    What to Do in Arita

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    • Gen-emon Kiln

    • Gen-emon Kiln

    • Gen-emon Kiln

  • FINISH

    16:00

• • 1 Arita
  • 2 Tozan Shrine (*also called Sueyama Shrine)
  • 3 Arita's Backstreet Tonbai Walls
  • 4 Gallery Arita
  • 5 Kouraku Kiln
  • 6 Gen-emon Kiln

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