From ancient climbing kilns to candlelit tea ceremonies, Shigaraki is one of Japan’s most renowned craft destinations, and one of its least visited.
One of the country’s Six Ancient Kilns, the town is home to over 50 active workshops, where families six and seven generations deep are still firing the same clay that has defined the region for over 800 years.
Just over an hour from Kyoto, Shigaraki is the ideal destination for design-conscious travellers looking to connect with Japan’s most revered ceramic traditions at close range.
Mutsumi-an Restaurant
Start your Shigaraki journey at Mutsumi-an; occupying a converted traditional storehouse in the Kouyama pottery district. This local restaurant was founded by Mutsumi Tanaka. Born into the historic Kitahan Seitou kiln family, and a former special needs educator whose teaching instincts shape every visit. Guests select their own Shigaraki-ware rice bowl on arrival before cooking locally grown Koshihikari rice in a clay donabe, using pottery formed from the same ancient lake sediment that defines the region’s craft.
