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Hirashimizu Artistries Tour: Pottery, Sake, and Silk

Organized by Derek
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Experience Details
Experience Location
Duration
3.5 hours
Number of Guests
2 - 25 guests
Language
Japanese, English
Try your hand at pottery making in a homey and peaceful village of Yamagata Prefecture! Then, enjoy Japanese sake to match the beautiful handmade "ochoko" sake cups at a sake local shop.

Highlights

A hands-on ceramic experience at the historic Shichiemongama workshop
Your finished handmade dish can be shipped to you, anywhere in the world
Tour of Shichiemongama Factory and ceramics showroom
Guided sake tasting at local boutique
Tour of Kameya, a boutique silk shop selling some of Yamagata's most famous craft goods
For each guest that attends this experience, byFood will donate
10 meals

Experience Details

Are you an artsy type and epicurean, do you like sake and hands-on activities? This Japanese artisan tour is made for you. Explore Hirashimizu, once a pottery village at the edge of Yamagata City, now studded with diverse artisanal shops. Hit one of the only two remaining artisan kilns in the village, the 150-year-old family-run Shichiemongama pottery workshop, for a pottery class. Beginners are welcome and your guide will carefully show you the molding method unique to Hirashimizu. Because of the special characteristics of the raw material collected from nearby Mt. Chitoseyama, the pottery techniques used are particular to the area. Challenge yourself to create your own hand-made tableware. This is the ideal spot to learn how to craft a lovely souvenir dish, bowl, or sake cup! The pottery experience follows a guided tour of the facility and an explanation of the journey of each piece, from clay to completion. You’ll move to the Shichemongama showroom and feast your eyes on their stunning production, including some rare antiquities from the early age of the kiln. Take also a look at the old wood-fired kiln, used only once or twice a year, as nowadays kilns are gas-fired. In a special room right behind their workshop, you will then have the chance to meet one of Yamagata's most famous sommeliers for an in-depth sake workshop. This will include a flight of Yamagata's finest sake selected from breweries from across this region. Together with the sommelier, you will learn about this region's brewing practices and the types of local food the breweries here targeted when creating their spirits in this special pairing class showcasing some of the best that this region has to offer. At the end of the experience, you will then visit the silk shop of Kameya where you will meet the artisans here and learn about the benibana dyes and samurai silk that together played a key role in Yamagata's prosperity in a special access tour of their shop.

Inclusions

Pottery making class
Sake class including sake tasting and food pairing
Tour of Kameya

Exclusions

Any additional food and beverages
Shipping cost

Meeting Point and Meeting Time

Shichiemongama pottery workshop

Remarks

Non-alcoholic options are available for the tasting portion of the tour

Cancellation Policy

Cancel your booking at least 2 days before the experience start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
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Experience Location

Yamagata City is the capital of the prefecture by the same name, home to the hot spring town of Kaminoyama Onsen and ski resorts like Zao Onsen (known for their famous snowscape of “snow monsters” - trees enrobed with a layer of snow, shaped by the strong chilly winds). The lands are fruitful, and Yamagata City hosts the annual Yamagata Cherry Festival in the summer to celebrate its abundance, while autumn is prime grape-picking season.
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(20 - 90)
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October
2024
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Earliest available date: October 18, 2024
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¥10,000
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Please note that the time is in Japan Standard Time.
Free cancellation (2 days notice)
For each guest that attends this experience, byFood will donate
10 meals