Arita, Learn From Clay in the City of Pristine Porcelain

●Minimum price 97,840 JPY/person 5,755 HKD/person (1 HKD=17 JPY) 725 USD /person (1 USD= 135 JPY) 580 ￡ / person (1￡=170 JPY) *Price per person when booking for two participants. Tour can be booked for 1-8 people. ●Included - Accommodation fee - Selected meals (Dinner for Day 1, breakfast for Day 2 & 3) - Experience and entrance fees - Transportation within the area (private car) - Tour guide fee ●Not included - Transportation to Arita - Lunch & dinner for Day 2

  • ◎Learn about beautiful white Arita-yaki porcelain, starting with the clay-making process.
  • ◎Find the future of Arita-yaki, crafted by young artisans.
  • ◎Shop for your perfect piece.

Date

Time

Schedule

Content

Day1

14:00-14:15

The Kyushu Ceramic Museum

  • Learn about the history of ceramics and porcelain in various regions of Kyushu

15:00-17:00

Walk Around Arita Town

17:15

Check-in

  • at arita huis

Dinner

  • Enjoy a meal served in Arita-yaki porcelain at the hotel

Day2

9：30

Depart from hotel

10:00-10:45

Tajima Shoten

  • Watch the process of making Arita-yaki

10:45-12:00

Visit Touto Hizen Monozukuri Kyoudo Kumiai

  • See how pre-painted/glazed pottery is made

12:00-13:00

Lunch

  • at a popular local restaurant

13:00-15:30

Visit Arita-yaki ceramic studios

  • Get a peek behind the scenes of two companies

15:30-17:00

Saga Prefecture Ceramic Industry Cooperative Association

  • Shop and paint your heart out

18：00

Dinner

  • Local Izakaya restaurant

Day3

AM

Shopping

  • at Arita Será

Experience

The Kyushu Ceramic Museum

●Overview: Learn about the overall history of ceramics and porcelain in various regions of Kyushu. ●Duration: 30 min to 1 hr Specializing in ceramics from all over Kyushu, including Imariyaki (Arita-yaki) porcelain, Karatsu-yaki ceramics, and other Hizen ceramics, this museum houses and exhibits masterpieces. Find not only old ceramics dating up to the Edo period, but also pieces by contemporary ceramic artists from Kyushu.

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Walk Around Arita Town

●Overview: Visit Izumiyama Jisekijo (national historical site), Ooicho (great gingko tree), Uchiyama district, Tombai wall, Sueyama Shrine, Kaoransha, Imaemon (important traditional buildings preservation district) ●Duration: 2 hr Stroll through the retro streets of Arita, lined with nationally significant traditional buildings. The torii gate made of Arita porcelain is also a must-see.

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Tajima Shoten

●Overview: Lesson about pottery clay and tour of the factory ●Duration: 45min A manufacturer of the clay used to make Arita-yaki, Tajima Shoten is supported by many ceramicists. Although mechanization has progressed for the production of pottery clay, important aspects such as determining the iron content of stones and the mixing ratio of stones and sand still rely on the intuition of artisans. Mr Tajima's experience as a veteran craftsman is such that he can tell the condition of a stone by looking at it. The number of pottery clay makers, which at its peak totalled more than 50 in the towns of Arita and Hasami, has dropped to less than half that number, making it a very valuable skill.

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Arita-yaki Porcelain Studio Tours

●Overview: Tour of porcelain studios ●Duration: 2.5 hr Go behind the scenes of two* NEXTRAD-affiliated studios. NEXTRAD is a group of 13 young artisans, including younger managers and successors of Imari and Arita pottery businesses, who contemplate and talk about a sustainable future for the Arita porcelain industry. *Number of studios visited is subject to change.

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Saga Prefecture Ceramic Industry Cooperative Association

●Overview: Shopping and ceramics painting experience ●Duration: 1.5 hrs A place that brings together 85 studios that sustain the art of Imari/Arita-yaki and 91 members of the Imari/Arita Yaki Traditional Craftsmen's Association. View seasonally-themed exhibitions featuring pieces by members.

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Stay

arita huis

This peaceful accommodation is located within Arita Será, the world's largest Arita-yaki shopping mall, with an area of approximately 16 acres. Enjoy time surrounded by nature in a quiet and simple and sophisticated space where everyday disturbances have been minimized. Your mind will become clear and refreshed with time just for you.

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Dine

arita huis

Enjoy Arita-yaki dishes selected to match your meal in a restaurant featuring an open kitchen with a total of 48 seats. Trained at a famous French restaurant, the chef incorporates as many Saga-grown ingredients as possible.

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  • ・
    Languages
    ：
     Mainly in Japanese, other languages based upon request.
  • ・
    Number of participants
    ：
     1 to 8 people
  • ・
    Meeting place
    ：
     negotiable
  • ・
    Reservation deadline
    ：
     14 days prior to departure
  • ・
    Payment method
    ：
     Bank transfer, credit card
  • ・
    Clothing
    ：
     None specified
  • ・
    Tour guide
    ：
     Local producer or interpreter (arrangements made based upon customer’s preference)
  • ・
    Cancellation fee
    ：
     29~15days prior to departure 5% 14~7days prior to departure 20% 6~4days prior to departure 50% 3~1days prior to departure 70% Departure day or no show 100%
  • ・
    Precautions
    ：
     -Tour will be held even in cases of rain, except in the event of a typhoon or heavy rain warning. -All photos shown are for illustrative purposes only. -The places to be visited are not tourist destinations, and due to circumstances, there may be different processes within the factory with the machines not being in operation. -Elementary school students and younger may participate in the tour with the accompaniment of a parent or guardian. However, we cannot be held responsible for any injuries or accidents happening during the tour, including in the parking lot and in the workshop. -Please make sure that parents/guardians do not touch the machines, especially during the tour inside the workshop. -We recommend that you purchase travel insurance for your participation in the tour. -The tour will be cancelled in the event that smooth operation of the tour becomes difficult due to the new coronavirus infection situation or other reasons. If the tour is cancelled, full amount of the tour fee will be refunded.
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