Try Your Hand at Making Traditional Tea Ware

Visit the hometown of Japan’s renowned Hagi ware pottery

Japan's ceramics are highly prized throughout the world, with many prominent styles having developed across the country. You can get hands-on with one such style in Hagi, a quaint castle town situated in Yamaguchi Prefecture in western Japan. Renowned for high-quality ware beloved by tea ceremony masters, here local artisans have been honing their craft since the 16th century, making pottery an indelible part of the town's culture.

Admire this practical art form not just with your eyes, but your hands as well as you create a piece of Hagi ware pottery under the guidance of local experts. At Senshunraku Jozan, guests can observe potters at work before shaping their own bowl or cup out of fresh clay. Hone your brush skills and paint your own design on a pre-glazed piece. Also, be sure to investigate the intriguing noborigama, the traditional climbing kiln, composed of firing chambers rising up a slope.

Hagi ware is lauded as one of the top three styles associated with the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Its subtle form and natural, subdued hues create a striking contrast with the bright green of matcha tea. To continue your pottery journey, don’t forget to select your favorite piece at the studio store to bring home. You’ll discover a unique characteristic of this pottery over time—as tea seeps through the porous glaze, you will notice a gradual alteration in color, imparting yet further depth to the ceramic's beauty and charm.

Access: From Hakata Station, take the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen to Shin-Yamaguchi Station (about 35 minutes), then transfer to the Bocho Kotsu Bus headed for the Hagi Meirin Center stop (about one hour). From the bus stop, take a taxi (about eight minutes) or walk (about 30 minutes) to Senshuraku Jozan Pottery.