Page 2 of 2
Re: Going to Tokoname in May
Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2022 10:21 am
by Victoria
Quel wrote: ↑Thu Dec 29, 2022 6:02 am
Hello guys!
I'm going to Japan next year in a tea focused trip and I'm going to spend an afternoon in Tokoname. I intend to buy some teaware there, but I'm having a little difficulty on finding were to shop exactly... Do pottery artists like Kohokujo or Junzo Maekawa have their own shops? Or do we need to go to a reseller's place? I hardly speak any japanese, so that might be a limiting factor. I was planning on going to Isobe's shop on Ceramall, but her site say the physical location is closed.
Any advice is appreciated!
@Quel moved your new topic into an existing thread. The Travel forum here and also the
Japanese Teaware Vendor Recommendations forum have several shops listed.
Re: Going to Tokoname in May
Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2022 6:05 pm
by Bok
Quel wrote: ↑Thu Dec 29, 2022 6:02 am
Hello guys!
I'm going to Japan next year in a tea focused trip and I'm going to spend an afternoon in Tokoname. I intend to buy some teaware there, but I'm having a little difficulty on finding were to shop exactly... Do pottery artists like Kohokujo or Junzo Maekawa have their own shops? Or do we need to go to a reseller's place? I hardly speak any japanese, so that might be a limiting factor. I was planning on going to Isobe's shop on Ceramall, but her site say the physical location is closed.
Any advice is appreciated!
I believe a few guys visited Hokujos workshop, but with beforehand communication. Seems that most potters in Japan do give their pots in other hands to sell, some even have exclusive deals with galleries. Without Japanese definitely a challenge... while friendly in general, it is common that ppl prefer to avoid to deal with foreign inquiries if they can. But trying never hurts. My hunch is that you'll get plenty of distractions anyways once you are on site in Tokoname.
Re: Visiting Tokoname (2017)
Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2022 9:43 pm
by pedant
just showing up and visiting a popular artist's workshop is probably unrealistic. you'd need to arrange that ahead of time with someone who knows the artist.
i didn't know isobe's shop is closed. can you talk to her on fb or something?
Re: Visiting Tokoname (2017)
Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2022 1:36 pm
by pizzapotamus
You'll have no problem finding teapots to buy. There are lots of stores in and around the pottery trail area and then even if Isobe isn't repaired and reopened by the time you go they weren't the only large shop out in that ceramall complex, just one with extremely nice people.
Re: Visiting Tokoname (2017)
Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2023 10:43 am
by Quel
Thanks! I don't want to bother people so I think I'll just go to the main shops.
Btw, is it ok to go on a sunday? It would be the best day to fit Tokoname into the itinerary. I googled some shops and they seem to be open on weekends.
Re: Visiting Tokoname (2017)
Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2023 6:13 pm
by Bok
Quel wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 10:43 am
Thanks! I don't want to bother people so I think I'll just go to the main shops.
Btw, is it ok to go on a sunday? It would be the best day to fit Tokoname into the itinerary. I googled some shops and they seem to be open on weekends.
Sunday is a Christian concept, which most of the Japanese are not. Still some are closed following Western fashion, especially smaller shops might have odd days on/off. But in the touristy areas, usually things are open when there are the most people free to walk around.
Re: Visiting Tokoname (2017)
Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2023 2:05 am
by pizzapotamus
It's certainly highly variable but out of the smaller stores I've wanted to visit in Japan the mostly common day for closures actually seemed to be Wednesday although there was still tons of shopping to be had.
Re: Visiting Tokoname (2017)
Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2023 1:50 pm
by Quel
Thanks to you all! It's scary to go to a country so different than my own without speaking the language, even if it's my second time in Japan.
Re: Visiting Tokoname (2017)
Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2023 7:04 pm
by Bok
Quel wrote: ↑Fri Jan 06, 2023 1:50 pm
Thanks to you all! It's scary to go to a country so different than my own without speaking the language, even if it's my second time in Japan.
don't worry, at least Japan is a safe place to travel, the worst that can happen is to get lost or the wrong dish
