Hi there! I'm Kuma from Taiwan, delivering from the KanazawaBiyori Editorial Department. Being in charge of the series "Kuma's Walk in Kanazawa", I have been spending my days discovering various things here. Sometimes new discovery for me, but sometimes maybe also a rediscovery of Kanazawa for the locals! I hope that we can continue the walk in this fascinating place together. Thank you for your interest, and please enjoy reading.
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Kanazawa is also known as a city of traditional crafts. In Kanazawa, where cultures such as Noh and tea ceremony have been passed down, traditional crafts have become more and more integrated into people's daily lives. In addition to being able to appreciate and purchase fine works, there are also an increasing number of facilities where you can casually experience making traditional crafts, in order to connect traditional culture to the next generation. This time, we had the opportunity to visit the "New Pottery Experience" presented by the pottery studio "to-an", where you can make "Kutani ware".
Located in a quiet residential area, "to-an" is a pottery studio that has long been loved by locals. It has undergone a complete renovation for the first time in 21 years, and has been reborn as a new type of pottery studio that stimulates the five senses, with a modern arrangement of "Kutani ware," which has been around for over 400 years. This new pottery experience is based on the concept of "the fun of making, the joy of using," and they also put a lot of effort into the spatial design, hoping that "new discoveries" will emerge through communication between participants.
When you open the door, you'll find fragrant dried flowers covering the entire ceiling, uplifting music playing, and an open space where you can relax and enjoy conversation. Cute aprons are provided, so you don't have to worry about getting your clothes dirty, and it's also attractive that you can casually drop by while sightseeing. There is also a system in place where you can take photos with your own camera so you can keep the fun of making things as a memento, so be sure to ask the staff for details.
As this was an advance experience session, participants enjoyed the profound world of pottery together with the ceramic artist Yoshioka Masayoshi, who produced and supervised the experience program. The experience started with learning about Kutani ware, touching clay, a raw material that is rarely seen in everyday life, and shaping the pottery using an electric potter's wheel. It was designed to be enjoyable even for those who are new to Kutani ware or pottery.
After shaping, the next step was the glazing process, which is something you don't usually get to experience. After drying and bisque firing the pieces over a period of several weeks, you apply a thick liquid glaze (a glassy film). Finally, you load the pieces into a large kiln set up at the back of the store and learn about firing. Since it takes several weeks for the pieces to dry after shaping, it's difficult to experience this with your own work, but it's still nice to be able to experience the process up to firing. After the tour, you can choose the glaze to use on your own piece from a total of seven colors, including the five modern "Kutani Five Colors" colors inspired by the scenery of Kanazawa, as well as gold and white. All the colors are so cute that it's difficult to choose.
As it takes time to fire the pottery, you will not be able to receive your work on the day, but it will be delivered about two months later. As a memory of the time until then, why not take a photo with the instax camera in the store to capture your work and the "fun of making experience" in one photo to take home? In addition, souvenirs from the Hokuriku region, which leads to the "joy of using," will also arrive along with your work. You'll have to open the package to find out what you'll receive, including local specialties such as sake made in collaboration with Fukumitsuya, Kanazawa's oldest pure rice brewery, and original items from to-an, a blend of roasted green tea and Japanese black tea.
Experience the fun of making and the joy of using at the innovative pottery studio "to-an," which is bringing a new wind to traditional crafts. The grand opening after renovation is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, 2024, and reservations are now being accepted, so if you're interested, check out the official website.
to-an
Address: 2-401 Irie, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
TEL: 076-291-2533
Open: 10:30-18:00 (reservations required)
Closed: Irregular holidays
Price: 6,600 yen per person (tax included)
*Limited to 18 groups per day, 75-minute limit with a maximum of 6 people per session.
*The price includes the electric potter's wheel experience fee, firing fee, delivery fee, and one souvenir.
Click here for reservations
Click here for official website
Click here for official Instagram
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