Visiting Tokoname

A good place to start a tour of Tokoname kilns is Marutatu Isomura Shouten. It’s a warehouse full of Tokoname bonsai pots from different makers.

Upstairs in the Marutatu warehouse

Marutatu warehouse

Most of the smaller pots are downstairs.

Small pots at Marutatu

Bonsai pots

Bigei pots

From there, you can visit nearby kilns like Ikko.

Pots on display at the Ikko kiln

And not far away is the kiln where Yamaaki bonsai pots were made.

Yamaaki warehouse

Yamaaki molds

First generation Yamaaki pots

Another great kiln to visit is Reiho. There you are likely to see Reiji Matsushita and his wife at work.

Refining the lip on a deep pot

Getting the finish right

Freshly built pot

After making drainage holes

Adding the chop

Wood stamp with Reiho chop

Ceramic guide to Reiho chops

Walking around the building, one can see completed pots in a great variety of sizes, shapes and colors.

Reiho warehouse

Glaze ingredients are also on display.

Glaze ingredients

And in an adjacent building, the kiln itself.

Reiho kiln

I could easily spend several days enjoying the pots of Tokoname, but was very happy with a single day seeing as much as possible.

Next up, a visit to several azalea growers.