Satsuma-yaki Pottery

What you’ll do

Visit the studio of a 2nd-generation ceramic artisan, specializing in white satsuma-yaki pottery. Discover more about the history and crafting techniques of satsuma-yaki while observing the master at work. See some of the pottery master's completed peices up close.

Who can attend

Children must be 10+

What to wear

Clothing that you can move around in freely

Availability

Monday to Saturday
Session 1 (09:00 - 10:30)
Session 2 (11:00 - 12:30)
Session 3 (13:00 - 14:30)
Session 4 (15:00 - 16:30)
Not available on Sundays and during year-end holidays.

Access

35 minutes by car from Kagoshima Station

Imported Craft, Inherited Legacy

This delicate art, now an icon of Kagoshima's crafting culture, has its origins in combat and conflict. From 1529 to 1598 BCE, Korea and Japan were interlocked in the Imjin War, and it was during this era, that the then lord of Kagoshima's Satsuma Domain captured 80 Korean pottery masters and transported them to Japan in order to fuel the development of pottery. They opened up kilns, passing along their invaluable skills and kickstarting a heritage of ceramics in the Kyushu region. As generations passed, satsuma-yaki evolved into various styles, from jet-black kuro-satsuma-yaki, hardy and implemented in daily life, especially for indulging in locally-brewed shochu, to the resplendent raised gold productions that were often imported westwards in the Meiji period, achieving international acclaim. At this white satsuma-yaki studio, four centuries of Kagoshima pottery traditions and carried on in a family operation led by the eldest son of the 1st-generation master. With an exacting eye for delicate detail and a high level of precision in all tasks of creation, from creating the form to adding the embellishments, witness how the family shapes the intricate art of satsuma-yaki.