Discover Tokoname’s celebrated pottery heritage alongside the Japanese tradition of natural indigo dyeing. Begin along the atmospheric Pottery Path, where more than 1,000 years of ceramic history remain woven into the streetscape.
Walk past brick chimneys, former kiln sites, pottery workshops, galleries, and the distinctive Clay Pipe Hill built from ceramic pipes and shochu bottles.
These traces of Tokoname’s industrial past reveal how pottery has shaped both the town and everyday life for generations.
Then travel to Konya no Namiho, an indigo workshop where the entire process is carried out in-house, from growing indigo plants to preparing the dye and dyeing textiles. The workshop preserves traditional methods using only natural materials, including sukumo fermented indigo leaves, wood-ash lye, shell lime, and wheat bran. Using a naturally fermented indigo vat, create your own one-of-a-kind tenugui, a traditional Japanese cotton cloth. Watch the color transform as the fabric meets the air, gradually revealing the rich blue associated around the world with “Japan Blue.”
The experience offers a fascinating glimpse into the relationship between natural materials, fermentation, and Japanese craftsmanship.
From earth and fire to plants and fermentation, spend a day experiencing two traditions shaped by generations of knowledge and the natural world.
Meet your Professional, English-speaking guide and travel together from Nagoya to Tokoname by train.
Walk through one of Japan’s historic pottery towns, where more than 1,000 years of ceramic tradition have shaped the landscape. Pass brick chimneys, former kiln sites, the famous Clay Pipe Hill, and atmospheric workshops and galleries as you explore a neighborhood where pottery heritage remains part of everyday life.
Travel by taxi to the indigo workshop.
Visit Konya no Namiho, an indigo workshop that handles every stage of the craft, from cultivating indigo plants to preparing dye and dyeing textiles. Traditional natural materials such as sukumo, wood-ash lye, shell lime, and wheat bran are used to create the fermented indigo dye.
Dye your own tenugui and experience firsthand how fermentation and nature produce the deep, luminous color known as Japan Blue.
Return toward central Tokoname by taxi.
Travel back to Nagoya with your guide, or end your tour in Tokoname and continue exploring the Pottery Path independently, perhaps stopping for lunch or browsing its shops and galleries.
For guests returning with the guide, the tour concludes at Nagoya Station.
Nagoya Station Tourist Information Center
This tour includes walking through Tokoname’s historic pottery district. Some sections of the Pottery Path have slopes and uneven surfaces.
This experience is booked on request. We will respond to the request within 5 days
| Cancellation Date | Cancellation Fee |
|---|---|
| No-show or cancellation after tour departure | 100% of the tour price |
| On the tour date | 50% of the tour price |
| 1 day prior to the tour date | 40% of the tour price |
| 2 to 7 days prior to the tour date | 30% of the tour price |
| 8 to 10 days prior to the tour date | 20% of the tour price |
| 11 or more days prior to the tour date | Free |
Tokoname City