Japanese Pottery Workshop Near Nijo Castle in Kyoto

Unlike other Japanese art forms, the country's pottery intentionally embraces imperfection. Lacquerware items, for instance, are painstakingly precise; ceramic cups or bowls, on the other hand, often come in irregular shapes and bleeding colors. Defects are perhaps most evident in kintsugi, the Japanese art of fixing broken ceramic items with lacquer and powdered gold. Other pottery items, too, reveal the artisan's skill with distinguishing features that the untrained eye might mistake for faults but actually make the item more prized for being unique. So, whether you are a trained potter or new to the craft, Japan is a great place to experiment with pottery! In this beginner-friendly pottery class, you'll shape two cups or dishes out of clay on an electric potter's wheel with the help of an instructor. Once you've shaped the items, your teacher will finish and fire them. No need to worry about something breaking inside your suitcase! Your pottery pieces will be shipped to your address (this takes about a month, and shipping costs are not included in the experience price). Receive your items at home as a memorable souvenir of your time in Kyoto! Itinerary: -Meet your host at the pottery studio and learn a brief overview of Japanese ceramics. -Create up to two pottery items (cups or dishes) using the electric potter’s wheel. -Your teacher will finish your work, fire it in the pottery kiln, and ship it to your designated address for an additional fee (this process takes about a month). -Receive your pottery items at home! This workshop is within walking distance from Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once the home of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan's first shogun during the Edo Period, the castle grounds also house a beautiful Japanese landscape garden, Ninomaru Palace Garden. Alternatively, the workshop can be reached via a short train ride from Kyoto Station.