Japan Pottery, Garden & Art Tour

Day 1

Fukuoka Airport

Welcome to Fukuoka! We will pick you up from the airport and take to the hotel.

Hotel Nikko Fukuoka or similar class

NOTE 1: The meet and greet and airport transfer to the first hotel is ONLY available on the first day of the tour. If you plan to stay extra nights before the start of the tour, please contact us for the transfer if needed.

NOTE 2: If you wish to stay extra nights before the tour starts, please contact us to book hotel accommodations.

Day 2

Toho Village (Koishiwara Ware Center / Koishiwara Ware Village), Sasebo (Visit 2 Kilns of Mikawachi Ware), Hasami (Hasami Ware Center)

In the morning, we depart first for Toho Village, a center of "Koishikawa Ware" pottery, Browse the works of the Koishiwara Ware Center and the Koishiware Ware Village which makes produces the sleek and colorful craft work of the region. After stopping to eat a lunch, we head to the city of Sasebo to visit 2 local kilns producing "Mikawachi Ware" - a deceptively simple yet elegant white porcelain painted in intricate blue patterns. Then we head to Hasami, where the Hasami Ware Center depicts the household tableware produced in the town. After. we head to the evening ryokan for a relaxing dip in an onsen and mouthwatering dinner prepared at the hotel.

Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Shiibasanso or similar class

Day 3

Arita (Izumiyama Ceramic Stone Field / Tozan Shinto Shrine / Lunch at Arita House and Aritaria Outlet / Meet an Artist at His Studio - Introduce Arita Ware Style / Arita Ware Village / Imaemon Ceramics Art Museum / Kyushu Ceramic Museum)

In the morning, we travel to Arita, to the Izumiyama Ceramic Stone Field, which could be considered the birthplace of Japanese porcelain. This is where Korean potter Yi Sam-Pyeong discovered clay suitable for firing into porcelain 400 years ago. Next, visit Tozan Shrine with porcelain gates and enshrining Yi Sam-Pyeong whom Arita potters owe a lot. We visit some ceramics shops at the Arita Ware Village including Koransha, which has led Arita- ware ceramics since the end of the Edo period. From there, we go to Arita House, which features Italian lunch using modern Arita-made ceramic dishware. Meet a local ceramics artist at his studio for an introduction to the history and techniques behind the Arita style. Then, at the Imaemon-gama & Ceramics Art Museum and Kyushu Ceramic Museum, we learn the history of Arita Ware. Finally, we return to the Onsen, for another delicious kaiseki dinner and relaxing onsen bath.

Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Shiibasanso or similar class

Day 4

Karatsu (Karatsu Castle Observatory / Karatsu City Mini Walk / Arupino - Karatsu Ware Showroom / Meet an Artist at His Studio - Introduce Karatsu Ware Style)

In the morning we travel to Karatsu, first to have a panoramic view of the city and the sea from Karatsu Castle Observatory. Then take a mini walk through Karatsu City, from Karatsu Shrine to a shopping center near Karatsu Station, where there are nice pottery shops. Then we visit Arupino, with a large showroom displaying various works of Karatsu Ware and a hall exhibiting gorgeous festival floats of the famous Karatsu Festival, followed by an introduction to the studio of a local artist, who will give you a basic introduction of the history and techniques of the Karatsu Ware Style.

Breakfast / Lunch

Hotel Nikko Fukuoka or similar class

Notes: We will courier your big baggage to your hotel in Okayama (Included for up to one piece of baggage per person). Please pack your essentials for 1 night in a small bag to carry with you.

Day 5

Fukuoka to Okayama by Bullet Train, Bizen (Meet an Artist at His Studio - Introduce Bizen Ware Style), Imbe (Bizen Pottery Village), Kurashiki (Ohara Museum of Art / Canal Area)

After breakfast, transfer from Fukuoka to Okayama by bullet train, traveling from there to the ancient pottery town of Bizen by private coach. While in Bizen, meet an artist at his studio who will introduce to you the local style of Bizen Ware, then browse around the Imbe Bizen Pottery Village, which contains many ancient kilns from the region, as well as galleries displaying famous local ceramics. Then travel to Kurashiki, where we visit the Ohara Museum of Art, which features a limited collection of choice Western Art - especially works as well as Japan's Folk Art (Mingei) including Mingei ceramics wares and wooden block prints of renowned artist Shikoh Munakaka. After, we stroll the gorgeous Canal Area in the Bikan Historical Quarter. Once used to ferry rice to the town's storehouses, the canal and neighboring storehouses have since been preserved as for its history and beauty, and has become a popular spot for a leisurely stroll along a picturesque promenade lined with weeping willows.

Breakfast / Lunch

Kurashiki Royal Art Hotel or similar class

Day 6

Yasugi (Adachi Museum and Garden)

After breakfast, we take a day trip to Yasugi to appreciate the beauty of the Adachi Museum of Art. The museum is the dream of Japanese entrepreneur Adachi Zenko, combining an impressive collection of Japanese art both classical and contemporary with an idyllic landscape garden that has been acclaimed as one of the finest gardens of its kind in Japan. The garden surrounds the museum, offering different enchanting scenes depending on what part of the museum you find yourself in. The Adachi Museum of Art has been listed as the top garden in Japan by the Journal of Japanese Gardening and is a 3- star location in the Michelin Green Guide Japan. After enjoying browsing the museum, return to the hotel in Kurashiki.

Breakfast / Lunch

Kurashiki Royal Art Hotel or similar class

Day 7

Naoshima (Art House Project / Chichu Art Museum / Benesse House)

Today, take a ferry to Naoshima Art Island for a day of inspiration, full of buildings designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando. We start with the Benesse House, a combination of modern museum and deluxe hotel, with myriad works of artists from all over the world. These include a series of outdoor sculptures set up on the park and shoreline, including the famed giant yellow pumpkin. Next, we will visit the Chichu Art Museum. Built into a hill on the southern coast, Chichu Art Museum’s underground display rooms use natural light to showcase works from a limited selection of artists including Claude Monet and James Turrell. Then head over to the Art House Project, where artists renovate old houses, turning the house and the space inside into a new work of modern art. After, we travel to Takamatsu and enjoy a relaxing evening at the hotel.

Breakfast

Hotel Clement Takamatsu or similar class

Day 8

Takamatsu (Ritsurin Garden), Awaji Island (Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge), Kobe (Suwayama Observatory / Ikuta Shrine / China Town)

After breakfast, we tour Takamatsu's loveliest landmark: Ritsurin Garden. It’s a large landscape garden built during the Edo period, which is considered by many in Japan to be among the country's loveliest gardens. We go to Kobe City through Awaji Island where you have a magnificent view the Akashi Strait Bridge - currently the world's second-longest bridge - stopping at a restaurant by the bridge to enjoy a delicious lunch. The tour continues across the bridge to Kobe, where we will take in the view from Suwayama observation deck, where you can get a panoramic view of Kobe City. We then go to Ikuta Shrine, loved by locals since olden times. Then take a stroll around Kobe's Chinatown - known locally as "Nankinmachi" which features a number of little stalls, shops and restaurants selling Chinese food.

Breakfast / Lunch

Hotel Nikko Osaka or similar class

Day 9

Osaka (Harukas 300 Observatory / Shitennoji Temple), Nara (Horyuji Temple), Osaka (Osaka Architecture Walking Tour - Louis Vuitton Maison Osaka Midosuji - Galleria Akka - Daimaru Shinsaibashi - etc. / Wagyu Beef Dinner)

In the morning, we begin by enjoying a view from Harukas 300 Observatory - Japan's tallest skyscraper. Next, we visit Shitennoji Temple, which was a temple built by Prince Shotoku - a semi-legendary prince regent who lived over 1500 years ago. We head for Horyuji Temple - home to some of the most ancient wooden buildings in the world. Then explore the diverse collection of structures in the city with an Osaka Architecture Walking Tour. We will see the Louis Vuitton Maison Osaka Midosuji, designed by architect Jun Aoki with architecture that looks like billowing sails. Then we travel to the Galleria Akka which was designed by Tadao Ando. We will also visit the Daimaru Shinsaibashi, which features a blend of art-deco and neo- gothic design by American architect William Merrel Vories. We will visit other iconic buildings around the city as well before we enjoy a delicious Wagyu Beef Dinner. Wagyu has become world-famous as a richly-flavored, high- quality beef that is so tender it practically melts in your mouth, and tonight you will be able to savor for yourself the mouthwatering taste of this prized meat.

Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Hotel Nikko Osaka or similar class

Day 10

Kyoto (Nijo Castle / Imperial Palace / Lunch on Own at Nishiki Market / Visit a Private Garden - Namikawa Yasuyuki Sippo Memorial Museum / Heian Shrine & Garden / Kimono Wearing Experience)

In the morning, a short drive takes you to the ancient capital city of Kyoto, where our first attraction of the day is Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site from Japan’s feudal era, and palatial former residence of the Tokugawa shogun. The gilded buildings and elegant interior are well preserved – the foremost example of Edo-era castle architecture. Next, we pay a visit to the Kyoto Imperial Palace. This was the former residence of Japan’s Imperial Family from the middle of the 14th Century until 1868 when the capital moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. Then you will have time to find your own lunch at Nishiki Market. This narrow shopping street, commonly referred to as 'Kyoto's Kitchen,' is filled with more than 100 restaurants and shops showcasing Kyoto specialties such as Japanese sweets, pickles, dried seafood, and sushi. Then enjoy exclusive access to a local private garden and museum in Kyoto that is the Namikawa Yasuyuki Sippo Memorial Museum. Namikawa Yasuyuki was a Japanese cloisonne artist known for his naturalistic style and transparent black enamel, and this museum houses some of his most famous works. After, we go to the Heian Shrine, which was built to honor the foundation of Kyoto (once known as Heian) over a thousand years ago. The shrine itself is known for its enormous torii gate and spacious inner courtyard. Behind the main building are the Shin-en Gardens - a series of five gardens with various ponds, traditional buildings, and plants. Finally, enjoy a Kimono Wearing experience where you will be able to try on a colorful kimono, and take pictures while in the traditional Japanese attire.

Breakfast

Cross Hotel Kyoto or similar class

Day 11

Kyoto (Kintsugi Experience / Free Time in the Afternoon / Kyoto Cuisine with Maiko Dinner / Gion Night Walking Tour)

The tour of Kyoto continues with a Kintsugi Experience. Kintsugi is also known as "Japanese broken pottery". Broken pottery pieces are put back together with a lacquer made of precious metals like gold., leaving a shining lines running throughout the pottery. Enjoy free time in the afternoon to explore Kyoto before having a meal of Kyoto Cuisine in the company of a Maiko (a Geisha apprentice). Then enjoy an enchanting Night Walk through the Gion Geisha District, an old-fashioned district full of traditional wooden shops, restaurants and teahouses. You may see geisha or maiko walking the streets between the old buildings.

Breakfast / Dinner

Cross Hotel Kyoto or similar class

Day 12

Kyoto (Kiyomizu Temple / Meet an Artist at His Studio - Introduce Kiyomizu Ware Style / Kiyomizu Ware Area / Tempura Lunch at Kadokyuu / Kawai Kanjiro Memorial Hall / Shinmonzen & Furumonzen Antique Streets)

In the morning, we will tour Kiyomizu-dera, a famous temple in Japan that is best known for its large wooden stage that overlooks a hillside of gorgeous natural scenery. Next, meet a local Kyoto artist at their Studio for an introduction to the local style of pottery: Kiyomizu Ware. Savor a Tempura Lunch at Kadoyuu before we visit Kawai Kanjiro Memorial Hall, where you can see folk art created by ceramics master Kawai Kanjiro at his former studio. Then we tour the Shinmonzen and Furumonzen Antique Streets for a chance to browse for that perfect antique souvenir.

Breakfast / Lunch

Cross Hotel Kyoto or similar class

Day 13

Kyoto (Kodaiji Temple - Zen Meditation & Green Tea Ceremony / Arashiyama - Tenryuji Temple & Garden - Bamboo Grove / Ryoanji Temple / Golden Pavilion / Farewell Dinner)

After breakfast, we will travel to Kodaiji Temple, which is a lavish temple built in the memory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Here, we can experience Zen meditation and Green Tea Ceremony. Then we will tour the Arashiyama district. First is a visit to see Tenryuji Temple where you can catch a glimpse of the traditional landscape garden design. Then we walk through a dense grove of towering bamboo trees before our visit to Ryoanji Temple. Ryoanji is home to a world-famous rock garden, or "karesansui". While the exact meaning of the garden is a mystery, one can't help but feel a sense of peace and tranquility from its simple, elegant design. Next, we visit the Golden Pavilion, which is perhaps Kyoto's most renowned landmark. The three- story temple is covered in shining gold-leaf and topped with a representation of a phoenix. We finish the tour with a delicious Farewell Dinner in a traditional Kyoto Townhouse as you enjoy your last night in Japan.

Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Cross Hotel Kyoto or similar class

Day 14

Tour Ends

After breakfast, our tour officially ends.
Checkout time is 11 am.
Transfer to Osaka Kansai Airport or Itami Airport by private car.

Breakfast

NOTE 3: The departure airport transfer is ONLY available on the last day of the tour. If you plan to stay extra nights after the tour, please contact us for the transfer if needed.

NOTE 4: If you would like to stay longer in Japan, please contact us to book hotel accommodations.