Nerikomi Pottery Lesson With a Famous Potter in Seto, Aichi
Overview
Learn about nerikomi pottery, which uses kneaded clay to make elaborately patterned ceramics, from popular artist Tomoro Mizuno! Watch him at work, knead clay to make your own 'mamezara' plate, and take home a mamezara by Mr. Mizuno as a souvenir.
Highlights
- Look around the Mizuno family’s gallery
- Take home a mamezara made by Mr. Mizuno right after the activity
- A rare opportunity — Mr. Mizuno is popular, and his creations sell out quickly at exhibits
- Learn all there is to know about nerikomi pottery from Tomoro Mizuno, who’s a viral sensation online
- Watch a demonstration by Mr. Mizuno, and try kneading clay yourself to make your own 'mamezara' decorative plate
Key Information
Important Information
• The mamezara that you'll make will not yet be ready for taking home right after the activity; it will be heated in a kiln. If you wish to receive your finished creation, domestic and international shipping are available as add-ons • Participants must be aged 15 or older • You will need at least conversational-level Japanese to participate in this activity without an interpreter. If you cannot speak Japanese, please book Option 2, which includes an English-speaking guide
Booking
Description
A technique that's over 1,000 years old, 'nerikomi' is a pottery technique that involves kneading then piling up layers of clay to create intricately patterned ceramics. In this activity, you'll learn nerikomi pottery from Tomoro Mizuno, a distinguished nerikomi artist whose creations have become a social media sensation in Japan and around the world.
Seto, the town where Mr. Mizuno is based, has a long history of creating high-quality ceramics — over 1,000 years! Ceramics made in Seto are called 'Seto-yaki,' and are known for their glazes. Today, many artisans, including Mr. Mizuno himself, continue to keep time-honored pottery and ceramics techniques alive.
This activity is available all year round. It starts at 10:00, and roughly follows this itinerary:
10:00 — Meet at Mizuno Norio Gallery. Take a tour of the gallery, and watch a nerikomi demonstration accompanied by a lecture. 11:00 — Try kneading clay under the guidance of Tomoro Mizuno. You will make your own mamezara plate. 12:00 — Activity ends.
After the activity, you will receive a tiny decorative plate called 'mamezara' — a Tomoro Mizuno creation — as a souvenir. As Mr. Mizuno is a popular artist, his works usually sell out immediately at exhibits, so you normally can't get a hold of his creations easily! Additionally, once it's ready, the nerikomi item that you made yourself can be shipped within Japan or internationally for an additional fee.
