Discover a side of Tokoname where pottery and fermentation have been intertwined for generations. Known for more than 1,000 years of ceramic production, Tokoname once sent its large storage vessels across Japan by sea, carrying water, sake, grains, and other essentials. In more recent generations, glazed ceramic crocks became indispensable for making and preserving miso, umeboshi, and Japanese pickles.
Your journey begins at Sawada Sake Brewery, a family-run brewery founded in 1848. Step inside the brewery to learn how local climate, ingredients, and fermentation shape the character of its sake, then taste three varieties of sake and one plum liqueur from Tokoname ware cups, accompanied by seasonal fermented bites.
Continue to Tokoname’s atmospheric Pottery Path, where brick chimneys, historic kilns, ceramic-lined slopes, workshops, and galleries reveal the town’s industrial heritage.
Then visit Yamagen Toen, the only pottery in Tokoname still specializing in traditional fermentation crocks. Guided by third-generation artisan Yuji Koie, see how locally sourced raw materials are transformed into clay and shaped into vessels using methods passed down through generations.
Through sake, ceramics, and the everyday foods they have helped preserve, experience Tokoname’s fermentation culture at its source.
Meet your Professional, English-speaking guide at Nagoya Station Tourist Information Center. Travel together to Tokoname by train, then continue by taxi to Sawada Sake Brewery.
Visit Sawada Sake Brewery, a family-run brewery established in 1848. Learn about the sake-making process and discover how the climate and culture of the Chita Peninsula have shaped local brewing traditions.
After the tour, taste three varieties of sake and one plum liqueur served in Tokoname ware cups. Enjoy them alongside three seasonal fermented bites selected to complement the tasting.
Travel by taxi to Tokoname’s historic pottery district.
Stroll through a townscape shaped by more than 1,000 years of ceramic production. Pass brick chimneys, historic kilns, the distinctive Clay Pipe Hill, and small workshops and galleries where pottery remains part of everyday life.
Continue by taxi to Yamagen Toen, a pottery specializing in traditional ceramic crocks.
Step inside Tokoname’s only pottery still specializing in traditional fermentation crocks, where these vessels have been made for three generations and around 60 years. Third-generation artisan Yuji Koie will guide you through the workshop and introduce the process, from locally sourced raw materials and clay preparation to forming the finished vessels.
Learn how Tokoname crocks have long been used for storage and, in more recent times, for fermenting and preserving foods such as miso, umeboshi, and Japanese pickles. As fewer households make these foods from scratch, traditional crock production has declined, making Yamagen Toen’s continued craftsmanship increasingly rare.
After the workshop visit, browse TOKONAME STORE, known for its contemporary Tokoname ware in distinctive pastel colors.
Travel by taxi to Tokoname Station. If you prefer, you may end your tour in Tokoname and continue exploring the Pottery Path or enjoy lunch in the area independently.
Return to Nagoya with your guide, where 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