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Visit one of the largest ceramics festivals in Japan and find your favorite piece of Minoyaki ware
Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture
Tajimi City is located in the southeastern part of Gifu Prefecture, historically famous as the biggest production area of ceramics known as Minoyaki ware.
During the Heian period (794-1185), pottery made in Mino spread throughout the country, and during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1603), Minoyaki ware was established as a tea ceremony tool. Excellent traditional skills have been passed down for over 1,300 years, and in Tajimi, you can admire traditional Mino-Momoyama ceramics, such as Oribe, Setoguro, Kizeto, and Shino, as well as the modern masters’ works. Minoyaki ware is characterized by richly colored patterns and glazes: Oribe (green), Setoguro (black), Kizeto (yellow), and Shino (white).
The Tajimi Ceramics Festival, which is held in April and October, draws flocks of visitors every year who come to enjoy shopping for a wide variety of Minoyaki ware at very reasonable prices. In addition, you’ll find the meticulous works of up-and-coming artists as well as traditional Minoyaki ware, ensuring you’ll discover your favorite piece. The festival in April will be held in the vicinity of Honmachi Oribe Street, where charming shops renovated from old merchants’ houses and warehouses are lined up.
The festival in October takes place at Minoyaki Oroshi Center, and you can enjoy shopping in warehouses that are usually not accessible.
The city is also home to many museums and galleries of Minoyaki ware, where you can learn its deep history and culture. Tajimi is located just between Tokyo and Osaka and is easily accessible from Nagoya, being only 35 minutes away by JR train.
How to get there
From Nagoya Station, take a JR train to Tajimi Station (35 minutes).
6-chome Honmachi, Tajimi-shi, Gifu-ken
