Mashiko Pottery Travel Guide by Angus Miyaji
About this Mashiko Pottery Travel Guide
This Mashiko pottery travel guide is designed to offer ideas for people interested in Mashiko pottery on how to enjoy Mashiko.
Who is this travel guide for?
This Mashiko pottery travel guide is aimed towards Japanese pottery enthusiast. Activities on this page can be experienced very easily.
Total budget?
Each activity is Free – ¥5,000 per person
01
Enjoy when
Hamada family's studio and museum
Sankokan
Shoji Hamada Memorial Mashiko Sankokan Museum (known also as Sankokan) is Hamada’s family pottery studio and museum. There is also a famous climbing kiln and a seasonal flower garden open to the public.
Entrance fee: 800yen
Entrance fee: 800yen
(Location: Google Map)
02
Enjoy when
Admire the art of Pottery
Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art
Just behind the main street in Mashiko (Jyonaizaka street) is Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art, also known as Ceramic Art Messe Mashiko, which holds a wide collection of art pieces made by local potters as well as overseas potters.
Next to the museum is Hamada Shoji’s original house (open to the public) a kiln and residence for overseas potters so if you are lucky you might be able to see potters using the kiln.
Entrance fee: 600 yen
(Seniors: 300 yen, Children: 300 yen)
Next to the museum is Hamada Shoji’s original house (open to the public) a kiln and residence for overseas potters so if you are lucky you might be able to see potters using the kiln.
Entrance fee: 600 yen
(Seniors: 300 yen, Children: 300 yen)
(Location: Google Map)
02
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03
Enjoy when
Make your own pottery
Pottery experience
In Mashiko there are more that 250 pottery studios and pottery shops. Many of these offer pottery classes and will fire your items and send them to you when they are ready. Furuki and Tsukamoto are two pottery studios that welcome overseas guests who can’t speak Japanese.
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Pottery shopping
Shops and Markets
There are many shops on the main street of Mashiko (Jyonaizaka street) that sell Mashiko pottery, so make sure to walk around the center of town when you are there. Also, there is a weekend morning market that sells small items at discounted prices as well as the two large pottery fairs a year that attracts tens of thousands of shoppers from Japan and overseas.(Currently the weekend market and pottery fairs are on hold due to COVID)
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Drink sake with Mashiko cups
Tonoike Sake Brewery
After learning about Mashiko pottery and making your own, it’s now time to taste the award winning local sake with sake cups made by local Mashiko potters. Head over to Tonoike sake brewery to take an English tour of the brewery and taste their amazing sake.
(Location: Google Map)
Restaurants in Mashiko
Japanese
Soma
Soma is a traditional Japanese restaurant between Mashiko station and Jyonaizaka street. The owner used to work in Tokyo and moved to Mashiko where he can have access to fresh local vegetables. Good quality delicious meals.
Lunch: 1,200-3,000 per person
Dinner: 2,000-5,000 per person
English-No (But welcoming)
Location : Google Map
Lunch: 1,200-3,000 per person
Dinner: 2,000-5,000 per person
English-No (But welcoming)
Location : Google Map
Western / Other
Curry Kitchen Yamani
Yamani is a popular local restaurant at the top of Jyonaizaka street (just before Kyohan center). Their speciality is ‘soba’ made from local soba wheat and ‘vegetable Japanese curry’ also made by local ingredients. Both are delicious!
Lunch : 1,000-2,000JPY
English-No (But easy to understand menu with photos)
Location : Google Map
Lunch : 1,000-2,000JPY
English-No (But easy to understand menu with photos)
Location : Google Map
Itinerary (Ideas for a day trip)
Morning
- Pottery Making
- Visit Sankokan Museum
- Visit Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art
- Strawberry Picking
- Go for a bike ride
Afternoon
- Pottery Making
- Visit Sankokan Museum
- Visit Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art
- Go for a bike ride
- Visit Michinoeki
- Visit Tonoike Sake Brewery
Evening
- Take a dip in onsen at Mashikokan Hotel
Lunch
- Curry Kitchen Yamani
- Soma (Japanese)
- Warasan (Pasta etc)
- Tonkatsu Chitose (Tonkatsu)
- Mukubar (Tacos)
Dinner
- Soma (Japanese)
- Tonkatsu Chitose (Tonkatsu)
- Panda Shokudo (Casual Chinese)
Stay
- Yuuwakan
- Mashikokan Hotel
- Morino Garden
Find out more about Mashiko here!
Local writer: Splitting his time between London and Japan, Angus works closely with local travel companies and local tourism organisations in North of Tokyo (Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma & Saitama prefectures). In addition to promoting tourism, Angus also helps local sake breweries market their SAKE overseas. (Head of NearbyTokyo.com)