Ceramics Tour of Japan

(10 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Fukuoka & Saga, Kyoto, Yamashiro Onsen & Kanazawa, Tokyo

This private ceramics tour of Japan features an ideal combination of major cultural sites, interesting smaller towns, and important ceramics destinations. Visit studios and kilns, learn about different types of Japanese ceramics, meet local artists and browse upscale shops. The tour includes private cultural touring with your own guide and driver, accommodation in luxury hotels and ryokan (traditional inns), private airport transfers, internal flights and first-class train travel, luggage transfers and access to a wide range of unique activities that engage you in real Japanese culture.

Begin in Fukuoka on the southern island of Kyushu. During a flexible private excursion in neighboring Saga Prefecture—one of the most important ceramics regions in Japan—visit notable ceramics towns such as Karatsu (known for rustic pottery popular for the tea ceremony), Okawachiyama (the Village of the Secret Kilns that produces Nabeshima), and Arita and Imari, which are synonymous with fine export porcelain.

Next, travel by first-class shinkansen (bullet train) to enchanting Kyoto, the heart of Japanese culture and tradition. During touring with your private guide and driver, experience the best of this elegant city. Visit important temples and shrines. Gain access to imperial villas such as Katsura Rikyu. Enjoy an exclusive private tea ceremony. Stroll through a bamboo forest. Enjoy a Buddhist vegetarian lunch at a local temple. An appointment will be made to meet with one of Japan's leading ceramics experts. Tour traditional geisha districts such as Gion. Explore antiques districts, and browse our favorite shops for exquisite ceramics, lacquerware and other crafts. If desired, also visit the Kiyomizuyaki Pottery Complex. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can also arrange a wide range of other unique activities in and around Kyoto, an exclusive private dinner accompanied by geisha and maiko entertainment, private Zen meditation in a local Buddhist temple, meetings with local craftspeople, ikebana (flower arranging) lessons, visiting a master swordsmith, tea tastings and tea plantation visits, attending a sumo tournament, manga drawing lessons, a visit to a private machiya (traditional merchant house) and private Japanese cooking classes.

Continue to Yamashiro Onsen, a resort town famous for hot springs and ceramics. Stay at a luxury ryokan inn, enjoy kaiseki ryori (seasonal tasting menu) dinners served on locally made Kutani-yaki ceramics, and relax in your private open-air bath. During private touring, explore the traditional town and its prestigious ceramics boutiques and temples and shrines. Time permitting, perhaps also visit nearby Yamanaka Onsen, another resort town famous for crafts.

Next, enjoy private touring in Kanazawa, a cultural gem. One of Japan’s wealthiest cities during the feudal era, Kanazawa is known for beautiful gardens, traditional architecture, acclaimed contemporary art and folk art museums, and fresh seafood from the nearby Sea of Japan. With your expert local guide, tour former samurai and geisha neighborhoods. Explore the renowned Kenrokuen Garden, one of the most famous gardens in Japan, and visit museums such as the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art and Ishikawa Museum for Traditional Products and Crafts. Also visit the city’s central food market, a pottery kiln and shops specializing in Kanazawa’s celebrated silk, lacquer and gold leaf products.

End in Tokyo, a dynamic city where tradition and modernity co-exist. With your private guide and driver, tour Tokyo’s top cultural attractions, as well as interesting neighborhoods such as Ginza, Harajuku and Aoyama. Also visit top ceramics museums, galleries and shops, such as the Idemitsu Museum, Toguri Museum, Nezu Museum, Mingeikan (Japan Folk Crafts Museum) and Tokyo National Museum.