Explore Japanese Ceramics » Testimonials

Testimonials

admin — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:30:27 +0000

On this page, you will see fresh comments from our customers, who have already attended our tour.

Customer: French/Female
Program: 30-day pottery making in Arita
Duration: 2011/8/15-2011/9/13 (29 nights 30 days)
Message: My stay at Arita has been a great experience. I learned so much and shared so much. It was a very rich human experience. I am going to learn Japanese in Paris and come back one of these days…

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Testimonial #7

Customer: American/Female
Program: Special arrangement in Mashiko
Duration: 2011/8/30 (1day)
Message: My friend and I had a great day in Mashiko. She was very excited about meeting the famous potter and having a private tour of The Mashiko Reference Collection.
He even gave her a nice vase so she will always remember her birthday…

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Testimonial #6

Customer: Slovenian/Female
Program: 30-day pottery making in Tajimi
Duration: 2011/2/10-2011/3/11 (29 nights 30 days)
Message: I looked for an appropriate way of finding out the insight into the Japanese way of understanidg the ceramics. I simply wanted to see how you do it. I decided for master Ogisou because he is practicing Shino and Oribe…

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Testimonial #5

Customer: German/Male/30 German/Female/25 German/Female/30 American/Female/36
Destination: Mino
Duration: 2009/7/25-2009/7/27 (2 nights 3 days)
Message: Whether you are an amateur or a long term pottery professional: explorejapaneseceramics is definitely a fantastic way to get the information you need. The trip to Mino was probably the best I ever had in Japan…

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Testimonial #4

Customer: German/Male/28 German/Female/27
Destination: Mino
Duration: 2009/7/24-2009/7/26
Message: Very interesting tour including various activities. Without a tour guide, it would be not possible to find these places. The staff of the tour was very helpful and friendly…

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Testimonial #3

Customer: American/Male/24 Canadian/Female/25
Destination: Mashiko
Duration: 2009/7/18-2009/7/20 (2 nights 3 days)
Message: Japanese pottery doesn’t get any more real than this, and we will be certain to suggest own experience to anyone interested in learning about this art…

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Testimonial #2

Customer: Belgian/Female/34 Danish/Male/32 Russian/Female/38
Destination: Mino
Duration: 2009/7/10-2009/7/12 (2 nights 3 days)
Message: We left Tokyo Friday evening around 7PM for Mino. It took less than 3 hours to get away from the busy city and enjoy a different pace of life…

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Testimonial #1

Customer: Canadian/male/38
Destination: Mashiko
Duration: 2009/6/26-2009/6/28 (2 nights 3 days)
Message: Thanks for your efforts in making a very memorable experience for my family and me. The tour itinerary was really enjoyable and good…

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Testimonial #8

admin — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:53:12 +0000

Customer: Fraench/Female
Program: 30-day pottery making in Arita
Duration: 2011/8/15-2011/9/13

Message from our customer:
My stay at Arita has been a great experience.

I learned so much and shared so much. It was a very rich human experience. I am going to learn Japanese in Paris and come back one of these days.

English speaking was very convenient and quite enjoyable (thank you so much) but I feel like speaking Japanese with Japanese !!

Norito-san helped me to work in the Japanese way and taught me how to decorate ceramics. He was a good teacher and I hope I was a good student.
I will practice here in my own workshop/studio and will show him my works as soon as they are kind of correct.

I loved the place : this town surrounded by woods and the persons I met and who made my stay unforgetable. If you ever come to Paris, my friends, please come to see me. All my best to Explore Japanese Ceramics and congratulations for the great job you do !

Au revoir ….

Special Thanks to M.L.C.

Testimonial #7

admin — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 01:31:04 +0000

Customer: American/Female
Program: Special arrangement in Mashiko
Duration: 2011/8/30

Message from our customer:
My friend and I had a great day in Mashiko.

She was very excited about meeting the famous potter and having a private tour of The Mashiko Reference Collection.
He even gave her a nice vase so she will always remember her birthday!

Our guide was well prepared and made sure we got everywhere on time.
She also introduced us to one of Shoji Hamada’s last apprentices.

Thanks again for all your help in arranging this wonderful surprise!

Special Thanks to J.E.

Testimonial #6

admin — Sun, 22 May 2011 11:37:19 +0000

Customer: Slovenian/Female
Program: 30-day pottery making in Tajimi
Duration: 2011/2/10-2011/3/11

Message from our customer:
I looked for an appropriate way of finding out the insight into the Japanese way of understanidg the ceramics.
I simply wanted to see how you do it.
I decided for master Ogisou because he is practicing Shino and Oribe techniques that I was interested in.The most fascinating for me was the the Japanese way of inspiring and educating of the youngest population to respect and appreciate this part of your rich cultural herritage.

I was very lucky to attend also the Anagama firing and all that makes a part of this extraordinary event including meeting very interesting people.
The linguistic barrier was not an obstacle at all.
In a way it forced me to understand you even more.
Among many pleasant surprises was the Japanese hospitality and omnipresent modesty and willingnes to share your knowledge and affection towads the ceramics.

Again, I must express my gratitude to master Ogisu to show me so many museums and galleries. As I attended the course in the winter and I was the only participant, I was lucky to taste the home made meals prepared by master Ogiso, and this also made my staying in Japan something special.

I’m sure I will come back again.

Special Thanks to I.K

Testimonial #5

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:04:24 +0000

Customer: German/Male/30 German/Female/25 German/Female/30 American/Female/36
Destination: Mino
Duration: 2009/7/25-2009/7/27

Itinerary:
Time	Schedule	Detailed activity
7/25 9:40	Leave Tokyo for Tajimi	Take Nozomi #161 bullet train to Nagoya station and change trains to JR Chuo Honsen line to Tajimi.
12:09	Arrive in Tajimi station	Arrive in Tajimi and have Lunch.
13:00	Start Half Day Tour!Visit Gifu Prefectural Ceramic Museum	Meet local attendants and visit Ceramic Museum.
14:30	Visit Sakazuki museum	Visit a museum collecting sakazuki, sake cups.
15:30	Visit Koubei-Gama	Visit a museum of Human National Treasure, and enjoy old Japanese house. You can also see an Anagama.
16:30	Visit Voice of Ceramics	Visit a kiln factory and see a lot of kilns such as microwave kilns, electric kilns and gas kilns. Glazes, clays and pottery tool are also available.
17:30	Have special lecture about Shino glaze by a specialist.	A glaze specialist gives you a private lecture about Shino glaze, a most popular glaze in Mino.
19:00	Check in Accommodation	Enjoy dinner at local restaurant near accommodation.
7/26 9:00	Breakfast in accommodation	Breakfast is available from 7:00
10:00	Making pottery session in Sumiyoshi-Gama	Make you own works in Sumiyoshi-Gama. You start from wedging!
12:00	Have a break and lunch	Havre sushi lunch with the ceramic master, who gives you instructions during the session.
17:00	Finish the session	Complete the session and get back to accommodation
17:15	Arrive in accommodation.	Have a slow bath, dinner and relax.(The meal fee will be on customers’ expense)
7/26 9:00	Breakfast in Hotel	Buffet style breakfast is available from 7:00
10:00	Free time	You can visit Sumiyoshi-Gama again and do the making session.
15:00	Thank You	Get back to Tokyo by “Central Liner” and “Nozomi” #238 bullet train.

Message from our customer:
Whether you are an amateur or a long term pottery professional: explorejapaneseceramics is definitely a fantastic way to get the information you need. The trip to Mino was probably the best I ever had in Japan. (By F.P)

Our tour to Mino was one of the best trips I’ve ever had in Japan. And although the tour was already custom tailored according to our interests everything was still very flexible and could be changed on the fly according to the local circumstances. Above that we also had the chance to visit authentic sites and professionals who would probably be impossible to find without the knowledge of explorejapaneseceramics.com” (By S.K)

It makes such a difference when you get to know the artists and learn about their creative process in person, and at the spot. This takes the pottery appreciation to a totally different level. (By P.L.Y)

Special Thanks to F.P, S.K, A.B and P.L.Y

Testimonial #4

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:03:42 +0000

Customer: German/Male/28 German/Female/27
Destination: Mino
Duration: 2009/7/24-2009/7/26

Itinerary:
Time	Schedule	Detailed activity
7/24 9:13	Leave Tokyo for Tajimi	Take Nozomi #319 bullet train to Nagoya station and change trains to JR Chuo Honsen line to Tajimi.
11:30	Arrive in Tajimi station	Arrive in Tajimi and have Lunch.
13:00	Start Half Day Tour! Visit Takata Onada area	Meet local attendants and visit Takata Onada area. Visit some local factories and see how they work.
15:00	Visit Gallery Momogusa	Visit a gallery popular among young people specially.
16:00	Visit Ceramic Park Mino	Visit a museum and learn about Mino area and Mino crafts. The attendants give you explanations about them.
17:00	Check in hotel.	Arrive in Oustat International Hotel, the biggest business hotel in Tajimi.
19:00	Enjoy dinner and have a rest	Enjoy dinner at local restaurant!(The meal fee will be on customers’ expense)
7/25 9:00	Breakfast in Hotel	Buffet style breakfast is available from 7:00
10:00	Making pottery session in Voice of Ceramics	Make you own works in Voice of Ceramics. You can buy many glazes, tools and accessories on the 2nd floor, and of course try them during the making session.
12:00	Have a break and lunch	You can have obento lunch in the studio.
17:00	Finish the session	Complete the session and get back to the hotel.
17:15	Arrive in the hotel	Have a slow bath, dinner and relax.(The meal fee will be on customers’ expense)
7/26 9:00	Breakfast in Hotel	Buffet style breakfast is available from 7:00
10:00	Free time	Enjoy Mino!( You can visit a gallery near the hotel and walk Honmachi Oribe street.)
15:00	Thank You	Get back to Tokyo by “Central Liner” and “Nozomi” #238 bullet train.

Message from our customer:
Very interesting tour including various activities. It was much fun to try out making pottery by myself. But it was also a unique experience to visit small family run factories in Mino. Without a tour guide, it would be not possible to find these places. Also the galleries in and around Mino were better than I expected. The staff of the tour was very helpful and friendly. (By V.J)

Very interesting tour. I enjoyed very much to visit the small family run factories at the Takata/Onada area. It was very nice to see the owners in the working environment, and to be able to ask questions directly to them with the translation help of a local guide. Every family had their own atmosphere and special Japanese traditional product very cool to see. Also the Momogusa gallery was fantastic in its simplicity and beauty nice mix of traditional culture and new items. Very impressing. I also enjoyed at lot experiencing the pottery making by myself at Voice of Ceramics. It was fun to try and “Sensei(= instructor) ” was very very friendly, and explained in a good way. It was also great to watch him doing some bowls, and tea bowl and also the preparing of the clay in the begging was very interesting to see. (By L.B)

Special Thanks to V.J and L.B

Testimonial #3

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:02:26 +0000

Customer: American/Male/24 Canadian/Female/25
Destination: Mashiko
Duration: 2009/7/18-2009/7/20

Itinerary:
Time	Schedule	Detailed activity
7/18 10:08	Leave Tokyo for Utsunomiya	Take Max Yamabiko #111 bullet train to Utsunomiya station.
11:09	Leave Utsunomiya to Mashiko	Take Toya bus and move to Mashiko.
12:15	Arrive in Mashiko and lunch	Arrive in Mashiko and have lunch at a local Japanese restaurant.
13:00	Start half day tour!Ceramic Art Messe Mashiko	Meet a local ceramic expert as a tour attendant, and have a lecture about Mashiko, glazes and artists.Visit museums with expert’s explanations, and appreciate pieces.
15:00	Mashiko Reference Collection Museum	Visit actual Noborigama that Hamada Shoji was using, his historical house and studio. Also, appreciate great works he collected from all over the world.
17:00	Get to accommodation	Go to Mashiko-Dokei, a small but cute pension. Enjoy an open air bath, and relax.
19:00	Enjoy dinner	Enjoy dinner at local Japanese restaurant.(The meal fee will be on customers’expense)
7/19 8:00	Breakfast in accommodation	You can choose either Japanese style with rice and miso soup or western style with bread and soup..
10:00	Making pottery session in Komine-Gama	Make you own works in Komine-Gama, and concentrate on making your works whole day.
12:00	Have a break and lunch	You can have lunch at your accommodation.
13:00	Get back to the session	Start making pottery again.
17:00	Finish the session	Complete the session and get back to the accommodation.
17:15	Arrive in the accommodation and have a private time	Have a slow bath, dinner and relax.See you tomorrow!
7/20 8:00	Breakfast in accommodation	You can choose either Japanese style with rice and miso soup or western style with bread and soup.
10:30	Free time	Visit pottery shops on Jonaizaka street.
	Thank You	Take your time, and get back to Tokyo whenever you like.

Message from our customer:
We had a truly wonderful journey into the world of Japanese pottery! A guide showed us what life is like in Mashiko, and answered every question we had with professional and passionate ardor. A visit without this tour would have left us confused and lacking such interesting stories about the masters who had lived and continue to live in this quiet place. After being inspired we were able to proceed and make our own pottery in a studio, taking breaks to enjoy delicious Japanese food in the local restaurants. Japanese pottery doesn’t get any more real than this, and we will be certain to suggest own experience to anyone interested in learning about this art. Thank you Cool Japan Project for an unforgettable experience! 5 stars with no hesitation. (By A.R)

I really enjoyed my trip to Mashiko. The schedule was well planned with sufficient time to rest, relax and reflect. The people in the town shared the same passion regardless of their profession-potters, restaurant owners, and pottery shop owners/staffs. Hands-on experience was excellent, too. After 6 hours of practice on the wheel (and numerous times of failing), I have fallen in love making pottery. I am so glad I went on this tour. It has taught me to appreciate pottery more than ever before. (By E.C)

Special Thanks to A.R and E.C

Testimonial #2

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:01:15 +0000

Customer: Belgian/Female/34 Danish/Male/32 Russian/Female/38
Destination: Mino
Duration: 2009/7/10-2009/7/12

Itinerary:
Time	Schedule	Detailed activity
7/10 19:30	Leave Tokyo for Nagoya	Take Nozomi #399 bullet train to Nagoya station and change trains to JR Chuo Honsen line to Tajimi.
21:28	Leave Nagoya for Tajimi	Take JR Chuo Honsen line to Tajimi
22:10	Arrive in Hotel	Take a taxi from Tajimi station, and arrive in hotel.
7/11 9:45	Gifu Prefectural Ceramic Museum	Appreciate historical Mino ware ranging from Heian period (8C through 12C) to present.
10:30	Ceramic Park Mino	Visit a museum, and appreciate the beauty of traditional glazes special for Mino.
12:00	Koubei-Gama	Visit a studio winning two Michelin stars, and works of Living National Treasure.
13:30	Lunch at Coupe de Cinnamon	Eat pizza made in a big stone oven, with a lovely surprise of blueberry and plum.
14:40	Making pottery session in Kokei-Gama	Make you own works in Kokei-Gama, surrounded in fresh air and green.
17:00	Finish the session	Finish making pottery
18:00	Dinner in Japanese restaurant	Have Japanese food for dinner
20:00	Get back to hotel by car	Have a good night!
7/12 10:30	Free time	Take to Eihouji temple, and start free time.
	Thank You	Take your time, and get back to Tokyo whenever you like.

Message from our customer:
We left Tokyo Friday evening around 7PM for Mino. It took less than 3 hours to get away from the busy city and enjoy a different pace of life.
Our first day in Mino was well organized and we didn’t feel rushed. We had enough time to relax, ask questions, take pictures and get a feel for the place. The two ladies who accompanied us were there to talk about their area and types of ceramics in Mino. I found them very friendly and helpful.
We particularly enjoyed the Ceramics Park. It offers the visitor the opportunity to enjoy the modern architecture of the beautifully built museum, bright and spacious, surrounded by nature, its surroundings and a very interesting collection of potteries from various artists from all over the world. We could have easily spent more time, probably a couple of hours. We loved the gallery walk that takes you to the main entrance; the ceiling is covered in multiple fragments of ceramics, the observatory point where you get a good panoramic view of the area and the beautiful potteries on display. Not to be missed if you visit this area. We loved it!
We spent the afternoon making potteries and that was the really fun part of the day. I was more of a beginner while my friends had more experience but with the instructors help, we all managed to make nice things to take home. I can’t wait to see what my cup and bowl will look like when cooked and glazed. I will get them in a couple of weeks!
On Sunday, we decided to visit Eihouji temple which is being renovated at the moment. It is a nice temple and there is a Japanese coffee shop nearby that is a very nice place to relax after visiting the temple. It is called Akariya. The waitress was very friendly and she even gave us a lift to the station. After that, we went to Honmachi Oribe street to buy a few potteries. We bought most of our gifts in a shopping center called Tajimi Souzoukan. It has 3 floors of potteries and some of the items we bought were really cheap and from the area.
The tour was a lot of fun and I think it has a lot to offer to young or older people. Even kids would enjoy this tour I think. We saw kids making potteries and they seemed to really enjoy it!
I would recommend this tour to anybody interested in Japanese culture, who wants to discover the?REAL not so touristy Japan, off the beaten tracks. In fact, we didn’t meet any foreigners during our stay in Mino!
Whether you are a complete beginner or experienced potter, I think this tour is a lot of fun and you get to learn a lot about the area and types of potteries from the area. The organisers were very flexible so you could do it at your desired pace.
A two day trip was a bit short though, I would recommend 3 days to make the most of it! (by L.D)

Thank you for organizing an amazing and fantastic weekend for us – it was what I was looking for and then some. Great insights and places I would never have found on my own. I’ve been to this area many times before, but I had no idea some of these places existed.
The Museum of Modern Ceramic Art was one of the best I’ve visited in recent years and I’ll definitely return to with friends. Also the two Michelin star awarded Kobeiyama was excellent.
It’s just amazing to get out of Tokyo and meet friendly people who are open minded and helpful. I wish I could move my job out of Tokyo sometimes. Thank you for arranging this trip for me and my friends. (by L.J)

I would like to thanks the organizers of the pottery tour to Tajimi city because I really enjoyed doing the pottery at one of the most famous kiln by the name of Koubei Gama. On my opinion the selection of the sightseeing cites covered the most meaningful and beautiful places. Among them I would like to mention the Ceramic Park Mino, which impressed me by its architecture, originality of the exposed items, shops, fountain and the observatory from where I could get a perfect view of the valley with Tajimi city and surrounding area. A lot of greenery from one side, that represents the forces of Nature and the amazing crafts of local and foreigners artists from the other, such combination of the Natural beauty and the man-made beauty created an atmosphere of the perfect harmony for what Japan is famous for. I would recommend all Japanese culture lovers to experience doing pottery in Japan. (by I.P)

Special Thanks to L.D, L.J and I.P

Testimonial #1

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:00:08 +0000

Customer: Canadian/male/38
Destination: Mashiko
Duration: 2nights 3 days (26 Jun 2009 — 28 Jun 2009)

Itinerary:
Time	Schedule	Detailed activity
7/26 19:40	Leave Tokyo for Mashiko	Take Yamabiko #219 bullet train to Utsunomiya station and get to Hotel Sunshine Mashiko
7/27 9:30	Ceramic art Messe Mashiko	Visit a Noborigama (replica) and historical house of Shoji Hamada, and Museum of Ceramic Art with the lectures by a local ceramic expert.
12:00	Mashiko Reference Collection Museum	Visit a real Noborigama and a historical house used by Shoji Hamada. Appreciate crafts that Hamada collected from over the world, and enjoy tea time in Hamada’s house.
13:15	Lunch time	Enjoy a Kamameshi lunch (The pot used for Kamameshi is a Mashiko ware)
14:00	Making pottery	Make your own ceramics with an instruction from the export. Both electric wheel and hand forming are available. You will receive your works in about 2 months.
17:00	Get back to hotel	Enjoy bath slowly and you will be surprised that dinner comes on the plate that the expert you stayed with made.
7/28 9:30	Free time	Enjoy Mashiko! (You can walk Jonaizaka street and find souvenirs)
11:00	Leave Mashiko for Tokyo	Take Nasuno bullet train and get back to Tokyo.
13:00	Finish!	Thank you!

Message from our customer:
Thanks for your efforts in making a very memorable experience for my family and me. The tour itinerary was really enjoyable and good. It was very enjoyable to talk with Andrew since he is very knowledgeable. It is very nice to meet him! Even though I personally don’t like museums so much, I thought both museums were of very high quality. During the tour, I especially enjoyed the activity of pottery throwing. If the itinerary had been longer, I would have liked to have tried painting, glazing and firing pottery. I also want to try a 2-studio session at least, pottery making and finishing for example. In addition to ceramic-related activities, I very much enjoyed the fresh air in Mashiko! I felt really relaxed. I want to ride bicycle around, walk around, visit other crafts people and meet some Japanese crafts people. I am sure that this project is appealing enough for pottery fans overseas to visit Japan.

Special Thanks to E.L, M.I and N.I