Special Feature
A Journey Through Genuine Tokoname with all Five Senses
Unique Experiences Touring Through Sight, Touch, and Taste
UPDATE : Jan 20,2026(Tue)
Area : #Pottery Footpath #Tokoname Station Area #Southern Tokoname
Tokoname City is a popular and easy-to-access tourism spot just a stone's throw away from Chubu Centrair International Airport. It is also home to galleries and workshops lining a nostalgic townscape along the Pottery Footpath as well as sake breweries remaining true to their tradition since the Edo period, restaurants full of fare using the bounty of Tokoname, and other charming spots.
And you can now take part in tours around the city, brimming with all sorts of special stories you'll otherwise never hear. Here, we offer an account of the one-day Experience the Creation of Tokoname Ware and Local Sake with all Five Senses tour.
Table of Contents
Experience the Creation of Tokoname Ware and Local Sake with all Five Senses [One Day Tour]
This tour departs from Tokoname Ceramic Hall and visits six spots, including the Pottery Footpath, a long-standing brewery, a pottery workshop, and restaurants offering lunch and dinner. And there's so much to do.
A potter offers you an in-depth tour as you walk through a historic sake brewery and enjoy a pairing of local brews poured in Tokoname pottery—not to mention making your own sake cup—and feast on a special lunch and dinner served on Tokoname ware. All of these experiences are something a typical, individual traveler cannot experience and the package is filled with all sorts of perks.
Plus, you can get to spots a bit harder to reach without a car by chartered taxi! The driver has your transportation needs covered after sake tastings at the brewery and restaurants, so there's nothing to worry about!
1. Ceramic Hall
Make your way from the airport island via free shuttle bus!
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The TOKONAME SHUTTLE Bus is hard to miss, covered with a design featuring Tokotan, Tokoname City's character!
The tour begins from Tokoname Ceramic Hall. And it's just 20 minutes there from the airport island by the TOKONAME SHUTTLE, free of charge.
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A spot with Tokoname ware crafted by local potters and Tokoname souvenirs
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The Tokoname Gallery inside with different displays
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The Tourist Information Center offers tourism pamphlets and other useful info
Purchase Tokoname pottery and souvenirs or simply take in the grace of Tokoname ware and a wide array of art pieces in the gallery. Get to the Ceramic Hall a little early for some preemptive shopping and art appreciation.
The Tourist Information Center is also inside the establishment with convenient info to help you during your trek through Tokoname.
Why it's worth your while:
• Quick and easy access to the meeting spot is available free of charge by shuttle bus
• Shop for Tokoname ware and souvenirs
• This spot acts as a hub for convenient sightseeing information
2. Pottery Footpath
A potter shows you around the Pottery Footpath and its pottery workshops
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Local potter and guide Takayuki Yagi shows you around the Pottery Footpath
The first destination is the Pottery Footpath, where you meet with your guide, Takayuki Yagi. Mr. Yagi is currently active as a potter at his studio along the Pottery Footpath. He shows you the A Course on the footpath, approximately 1.6 kilometers around, as you're off on your excursion around Tokoname!
Note:
• The guide's route may change due to weather and other circumstance on the day of the tour.
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Find 39 auspicious earthen manekineko, or beckoning cats, and 11 lifelike cats
Taking the actual tour, we stopped first at the Tokoname Manekineko-dori Street. Tokoname City is actually the largest producer of these beckoning cats, which are said to beckon in good fortune and prosperity by placing them in your home or business.
This road connecting Tokoname Station to the Ceramic Hall is dotted with auspicious clay manekineko statues. Thirty-nine Tokoname potters crafted them and each is said to be filled with good fortune. The adorable felines are known to steal the stares of many passersby with their individual expressions and gestures.
But why is Tokoname such a huge producer of these beckoning cats? According to Mr. Yagi, carving techniques used on lump clay for decorative purposes in architectural pieces without the use of a potter's wheel developed in Tokoname and this is thought to be the origin of the modern-day manekineko. You can see the history behind these little fancy felines.
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Tokonyan—Guardian Cat of Tokoname—beckons people with its left paw and fortune with its right
Look above the street, and Tokonyan, the city's guardian cat, peers down at you. It stands a stunning 3.8 meters tall and 6.3 meters across! Climb up to the overpass, and you can take a picture with Tokonyan in a photo op enjoyed by all who visit Tokoname. And if you're lucky, the luck Tokonyan offers just may help to make your dreams come true...!
Why it's worth your while:
• Auspicious earthen beckoning cats offer divine intervention
• Snap a few shots with Tokonyan, the Guardian Cat of Tokoname
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Ceramic pipes used as a retaining wall instead of concrete
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Brick chimneys soar up from all over the Pottery Footpath
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Skywalk architecture at a former ceramic pipe factory is a rare sight today
Next, it's a trek up the hill to the Pottery Footpath. The terrain is hilly, so wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Narrow paths weave into one another like a maze, making for an exciting sense of adventure. Believe it or not, Mr. Yagi told us long ago, trucks loaded with huge ceramic pipes even drove along the narrow, steep, and hilly roads!
The Pottery Footpath also acts as a roads used by locals and is lined with many homes, so be considerate while walking and taking pictures.
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Delight in dango, or dumplings, using local tamari soy sauce as you explore
The discoveries are endless along the path: ceramic pipes buried into the slopes, the narrowest of narrow passages with chimneys climbing toward the sky, skywalks used to carry ceramic pipes from building to building, and more.
While on the path, savory scents led us to Dango Teahouse. The "Cat Dumplings" take on the beckoning cat theme and are smothered in bonito flakes just as a feline would love. They're also the perfect companion on your walk along the footpath.
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Enter another dimension at Ceramic Pipe Hill
Dokanzaka, or the Ceramic Pipe Hill, is lined with clay pipes from the Meiji period and jugs from the early Showa period used to store shochu liquor. This is one of the posterchildren of the Pottery Footpath.
Look down as you walk; earthen rings used when firing the ceramic pipes have been stuck into the ground. The rings help so you don't slip while offering a unique accent and design to the path.
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Within a kiln exhibit in the Climbing Kiln Plaza Gallery and Studio
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Tokoname is known for its large pottery pieces like big jars
And moving on, the next destination is the Climbing Kiln Plaza Gallery and Studio. Inside the facility is a kiln once in actual use, now available as an exhibit you can actually climb inside! The kiln was constructed around 1921, and is unique in having two points of entry from the front. Before World War II, it was used for the production of shochu liquor jugs, ceramic pipes, and teapots. Then, after the war, bonsai pots were the major products produced.
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Noborigama (Toei Kiln), climbing the hill at an angle of 17° with eight ovens
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A whopping ten chimneys with different heights!
Another sight in the Climbing Kiln Plaza is the Noborigama (Toei Kiln). Built around 1887, it is one of the largest climbing kilns, or noborigama, currently available in Japan, and is even designated a national important tangible folk cultural property!
Inspect its eight ovens, and if you walk around to the other side of the kiln, ten chimneys rise up toward the sky. Mr. Yagi explained that the reason for taller chimneys on both ends is to thoroughly raise the temperature on both sides of the kiln to finish firing at a uniform heat.
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A potter in the middle of forming a teapot at the Sekisui Kiln workshop, along the way
As you walk along the path, you'll see potters right at work from time to time. This day, we were fortunate enough to see our guide Mr. Yagi's friend putting together the different parts of a tea pot together in his workshop at Sekisui Kiln. This intricate assembly of components, leading to a finished teapot illustrated potters' artistry.
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As you might expect from seaside Tokoname, seaweed is wrapped on and fired for unique designs
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Search for the perfect item at workshops lining the Pottery Footpath
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Mr. Yagi's workshop, Issei Pottery (if you're lucky his charming cat will come and greet you)
Issei Pottery is Mr. Yagi's own business and full of his work. See something you like? Feel free to buy it on the spot!
Why it's worth your while:
• Chimneys and ceramic pipes line pathways for nostalgic scenery
• A potter and guide offers insight into the community's history, culture, and anecdotes
3. Wabisuke Udon and Sweets
Popular Pot-simmered Curry Udon Noodle Soup with Tokoname Milk for lunch
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Add a soft-boiled egg or rice… Eat however you like!
With all this walking, you may find your stomach rumbling. So, it's time to visit Wabisuke Udon and Sweets along Kurafutoya-dori Street for lunch. This establishment is a renovated ceramic pipe factory, retaining much of its retro ambience. We ordered the ever-popular Pot-simmered Curry Udon Noodle Soup ("Donabe Kare Udon" in Japanese).
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Enjoy a set with pot-simmered curry, a soft-boiled egg, and rice with Tokoname Milk
Bouncy noodles smothered in a blend of Japanese-style curry broth with cheese await you in this tantalizing treat. Add a boiled-egg after a couple bites for a mild accent. And if you add the rice to the remaining curry soup, you can make a new take on porridge.
With just one dish, you have the freedom to enjoy it however you like, and simmered in a pot, it'll stay nice and warm right up to the end of your dining experience.
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Tokoname Milk Stand BAITEN along Kurafutoya-dori Street
The Tokoname Milk which comes with your meal is made by low temperature-pasteurized milk, shipped off the next day for incredible freshness. Its gentle, sweet aroma and mellow, refined flavor are the perfect way to finish off your curry and udon noodles, but you also have a choice of coffee-flavored milk. No matter which you choose, the retro design and milk bottle are a favorite by social media users everywhere!
Note:
• You can purchase Tokoname Milk at Bakery Fusha across the way on days BAITEN is closed.
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Bakery Fusha is best known for its melon buns and black sesame curry buns
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MADOYAMA, retailer of knickknacks, clothing, and pieces by local potters
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At Seiko, you'll find no shortage of charming Tokoname ware
You have 30 minutes of free time after eating, so feel free to walk around the area. Kurafutoya-dori Street, where Wabisuke stands, is also home to a Tokoname Milk stand and Bakery Fusha, which people rave about. And right by Wabisuke is MADOYAMA and Seiko, which carry Tokoname ware and selected miscellaneous merchandise which make for great souvenirs.
Why it's worth your while:
• Satiate your hunger with Pot-simmered Curry Udon Noodle Soup and Tokoname Milk
• Free time after eating lets you explore and shop a little more
4. Sawada Sake Brewery
Brewery tour and pairing experience of Tokoname ware cups with Hakuro sake
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Sixth-generation brewer Kaoru Sawada conducts the tour
Hop on a chartered taxi after lunch for your next destination: Sawada Sake Brewery. This long-standing rice wine brewery was established in 1848 at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and is beloved around Japan for its sake brand Hakuro.
Walking into a quaint, black wooden walled building, we were greeted by the brewery's sixth generation of brewers, Kaoru Sawada.
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Learn how the Chita Peninsula thrived as a brewing capital via slideshows and videos
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Water used in brewing is piped in a distance of two kilometers and available to drink at the Shinzu space
Your tour starts off with a slideshow introducing the history, culture, and emphasis on brewing of the Chita Peninsula, where Tokoname is located, as you sip on the water used in the brewing process.
The soft water is crisp yet quite mellow. It is included in a blend of three different types of water with differing qualities to form the sake's base.
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A large wooden steamer—something you'll see at only a handful of breweries around Japan—steams sake-grade rice
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Try your hand at koji mold production with a koji tray
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Every detail of each sake variety is controlled in small-scale tanks
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A starter culture forms the cornerstone of sake and offers enticing aromas as it bubbles
Then, it's off to begin the brewery tour.
Perhaps one of the most representative aspects of Sawada Sake Brewery and its age-old brewing processes passed down through generations is its use of koji trays. Koji is a variety of mold actively grown on rice and an essential ingredient in sake production.
While koji trays are currently used only in the brewing of ginjo sake varieties, Sawada Brewery is the only even in all of Aichi to utilize them in all varieties. This requires a lot of time and effort because the koji can only be made in small batches, but doing so helps to impart the rice's umami into the sake.
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Enjoy tasting sake without the worry of driving
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Enjoy Chita no Hanatsuyu's sweet scent and crisp tartness, Karakara Hakuro's dry taste, and other sakes from unique cups
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Snacks like sake lees paste with raisins and salted, dried mullet roe keep you thirsty for more
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Purchase sakes you liked during the tasting
And after having a look around the brewery, it's finally tasting time in the Sakafune Tasting Room, where you'll enjoy the Sasarake Set, an experience letting you enjoy brews poured into sake cups crafted by local potters. The cups are order-made to match Sawada's signature Hakuro sake brands and come in four different varieties for each brew, a unique pairing making for a tasting by all five senses.
Why it's worth your while:
• Tour a rice wine brewery in business since the Edo period
• Enjoy the brewery's Hakuro brands in pairing with specially crafted Tokoname ware sake cups
5. Gallery Kyoei-gama Ceramic Art School
Make your own sake cup
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Potter and teacher Koichiro Takeuchi, who made a cup for the Sasarake Set
At the next destination, Gallery Kyoei-gama Ceramic Art School, a pottery experience crafting your own sake cup awaits you. Your teacher is Koichiro Takeuchi, a potter who helped in designing a sake cup for the aforementioned Sasarake Set at Sawada Sake Brewery.
He shows you his artistic magic on an electric potter's wheel. A lump of clay comes to life in Mr. Takeuchi's hands, turning into a dish in next to no time.
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Your teacher guides you every step of the way
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Imagine the shape of your choice with clay on a potter's wheel as you even out its thickness
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From lump of clay to your own sake cup!
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Glazes of different colors and textures are available to choose from, making your cup truly special
Think throwing clay to make your own vessel is a little too tough? Well, it isn't! This tour offers an easier pottery style, kneading the clay and forming it into a ball before putting your fingers into the lump and pinching to form the outer edges little by little. Once the cup takes shape, your part comes to an end with the selection of your preferred glaze. The master later fires it and adds the glaze in his workshop.
Receive your cup at home approximately two months later. This is one experience while you'll relive with each sip from your own unique cup.
Why it's worth your while:
• Enjoy a demonstration by an artist who took part in forming Tokoname ware cups especially suited to Hakuro sake
• Experience making your own sake cup like no other
6. TOKONAME-ya
Chat with the owner in a special dinner packed with Tokoname goodness
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Drink and talk with the owner of Sawada Brewery and affiliated TOKONAME-ya if you're lucky!
Make your way back to the Pottery Footpath toward TOKONAME-ya for the end of your tour. TOKONAME-ya was born through renovation of a wooden-construction ceramic pipe factory. The establishment promotes Tokoname with an eatery on the first floor offering a Green Tea Set served from a teapot and Tokoname Chirashi Sushi using seasonal seafood. On the second floor is a gallery exhibiting works of art including Tokoname ware.
Dinner is served on Fridays when the tour takes place. The dinner included with this tour is a special one featuring local Hakuro sake.
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Choose your favorite Tokoname ware cup and... Cheers!
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From left to right: Hakuro Chita no Yumekaze Junmai Ginjo, Dry Tokubetsu Junmai Hakuro Kawahagi, and Kurabito Dake Shika Nomenu Sake (actual products may vary)
By the way, did you know there's an unusual ordinance in Tokoname City? It goes by the name of the "Ordinance for Advancing Cheers Through Local Sake in Tokoname Ware", encouraging businesses to serve and promote micro sakes and Tokoname pottery with one another. That an ordinance at this level exists illustrates what a manufacturer and lover of rice wine and Tokoname pottery and the city is!
Select the cup of your choice, pour in some local sake, and Cheers! Spicy mustard eggplant using sake lees from Sawada Sake Brewery, simmered peanuts, Tokoname-style chirashi sushi using seasonal seafood from surrounding Chita Peninsula, signature Onizaki toasted seaweed, and other delights promise your palate a satisfying dining experience.
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Special dinner during the tour plus fresh sweets from an established confectionary or homemade gelatin and mousse after
Relish vegetables and seafood as well as soy sauce, mirin, sake, and other fermented condiments produced locally. Tokoname is brimming with all sorts of savory eats which will make your stomach rumble!
Why it's worth your while:
• Enjoy the Tokoname Chirashi Sushi Set using local seafood with local Hakuro brand sake in a special dinner
• Chitchat with the owner of TOKONAME-ya and Sawada Sake Brewery
While an entire day, the tour is over in a seeming instant as the day comes to an end after dinner. It's just as they say, "Time flies when you're having fun."
The final spot, TOKONAME-ya, is about a 10-minute walk from nearby Tokoname Station, but there are plenty of lodging options around the station and on the Centrair airport island, so why not stay the night as you recollect all the new experiences throughout the day?
Experience the Creation of Tokoname Ware and Local Sake with all Five Senses [One Day Tour]
Tour itinerary
10:00 am Meeting at Ceramic Hall
10:00 am Pottery Footpath (walk and workshop tour with potter Mr. Yagi)
12:00 pm Wabisuke Udon and Sweets (signature Pot-simmered Curry Udon Noodle Soup with Tokoname Milk served on Tokoname ware)
12:45 pm–1:15 pm Free time
1:30 pm Sawada Sake Brewery (brewery tour and Sasarake pairing of local sake and cups)
3:15 pm Kyoei-gama (pottery demonstration by potter Mr. Takeuchi and creation of your own sake cup)
5:00 pm TOKONAME-ya (special dinner of local food and sake × workshop with establishment and brewery owner [specially available on Fri])
7:00 pm Disband on site
(transportation during tour on foot or by chartered taxi)
• Price: JPY 30,000/person (for a group of 2) or JPY 28,000/person (for a group of 3–5)
Note: Includes exclusive English guidance (available on Tokoname Pottery Footpath tours only).
• Time required: 9 hr. (10:00 am–7:00 pm)
• Availability: Year-round (on Fri)
• Number of participants: 2–5 (consultation required for groups of more than 5)
Choose a half-day travel itinerary in line with your schedule and preferences
A Photogenic Stroll with Tokoname Ware and Sweet Treats Tour
Walk along the Pottery Footpath and dine on delectable, popular sweets on Tokoname dishes in this afternoon course. Choose from seasonal sets including coffee-infused adzuki bean soup with rice cakes or tasty moderate tea-infused adzuki bean soup with rice cakes accompanied by Tokoname Milk for a relaxing time away from the rest of the world.
This satisfying walking plan offers the allure of Tokoname packed into a short amount of time and is perfect for anyone who has just flown into Chubu Centrair International Airport for some sightseeing long the way to your next destination.
Tour itinerary
2:00 pm Meeting at Ceramic Hall
2:00 pm–3:30 pm Pottery Footpath (walk and workshop tour)
3:30 pm–4:00 pm Wabisuke Udon and Sweets
4:00 pm Disband
• Price: JPY 11,000/person (for a group of 2) or JPY 10,000/person (for a group of 3–5)
Note: Includes exclusive English guidance (available on Tokoname Pottery Footpath tours only).
• Time required: 2 hr. (2:00 pm–4:00 pm)
• Availability: Year-round (on Thu and Fri)
• Number of participants: 2–5 (consultation required for groups of more than 5)
Itinerary and application (Meitetsu World Travel)
Itinerary and application (Viator)
A Morning of Tokoname Ware and Gourmet Bliss Tour
Walk along the Pottery Footpath and enjoy a luxurious lunch. The flavors of Tokoname Chirashi Sushi and dishes using local ingredients are accented by special Tokoname dishes. And, only available through this program, you can choose your favorite Tokoname ware cup crafted by a local potter to relish local rice wine—an experience incorporating senses other than taste only.
Enjoy Tokoname in a premium half-day plan of Tokoname culture and cuisine in no time.
Tour itinerary
10:00 am Meeting at Ceramic Hall
10:00 am–12:00 pm Pottery Footpath (walk and workshop tour)
12:00 pm–1:00 pm TOKONAME-ya (Tokoname-style chirashi sushi and local sake lunch)
1:00 pm Disband
• Price: JPY 13,000/person (for a group of 2), JPY 12,000/person (for a group of 3), or JPY 11,000/person (for a group of 4–5)
Note: Includes exclusive English guidance (available on Tokoname Pottery Footpath tours only).
• Time required: 3 hr., 15 min. (10:00 am–1:00 pm)
• Availability: Year-round (on Tue and Fri)
• Number of participants: 2–5 (consultation required for groups of more than 5)
