Seto City in Aichi Prefecture is the city where the word "Setomono" (pottery) originated, and is a production area that has been producing pottery for over a thousand years.
Due to its long history, it has been designated as one of the "Six Ancient Kilns of Japan" and a Japanese Heritage Site. The reason it is a pottery producing area is because of the high-quality clay it produces.
By blending the clay, it is possible to create both pottery and porcelain, and not only tableware but also dolls, insulators, building materials, and anything else that is desired.
In Seto, you can enjoy a trip that is unique to the region from a variety of angles. Today, we would like to introduce a two-day, one-night trip that is perfect for first-time visitors!
[Day 1] Take the train from Nagoya Station to Seto in about an hour
Seto City in Aichi Prefecture is a town surrounded by mountains, located about 20km northeast of Nagoya Station. The gateway to the city is Owari Seto Station on the Meitetsu Seto Line, which can be reached in about an hour from Nagoya Station.
Pottery wholesalers line the riverside near the station.
Morimoto Touen is a Seto ware shop that sells Kiseto and Oribe ware. If you go in from the side of the shop, you will find a path that leads to the arcade shopping street, Seto Ginza Street.
Along the way, you'll find Gallery Moyu, run by ceramic artist Akiko Nomura. Many of the staff here are artists themselves, and they sell their own works, as well as works by other artists they have connections with, mainly ceramics and glass.
Gallery Moyu
48-1 Asahicho, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture
Business hours: 11:00 - 17:00
Closed: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Opposite the shop is Teshigotoya "An." The owner, Yoko Kozuka, has a keen eye for art, and handles a wide range of works, from ceramic artist Tozaburo Kato, whose ancestor was the founder of Seto pottery, to works by contemporary artists.
It may seem intimidating at first glance, but once you step inside, you'll be greeted by some beautiful pottery.
An
47 Asahi-cho, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture
Business hours: 10:30am - 7pm
Closed: Irregular holidays
Ceramics enjoyed in everyday life
If you look closely, you will see that Seto city is overflowing with pottery.
For example, in the parking lot of Miso-katsu Rest Sakae , there is an incredible number of dolls lined up, all made by the owner. Each one is bursting with personality.
Seto Ginza Shopping Street, with over 100 years of history
Located close to Sakae is the Seto Ginza Shopping Arcade, which flourished as the gateway to Fukagawa Shrine, which was founded in 771 .
There are many charming, long-established tea shops and dried goods stores, and in recent years, the number of shops opened by young people has been increasing. This is the shopping street that often appears on TV as a shopping district supporting the throne of Sota Fujii.
Stay at the 140-year-old traditional Japanese inn "Masukichi"
Masukichi is a hostel that we renovated from an old Japanese house and founded in 2018. It is located quietly in a residential area, about a 3-minute walk from the Seto Ginza Shopping Street.
The museum is renovating the mansion that was once home to Masukichi Kawamoto, a potter active during the Meiji period who exhibited his works at the Vienna World Exposition, the first time the Japanese government participated in the event.
Masukichi aims to be a base for traveling around Seto, a pottery producing region, and has created an original map to guide guests to the surrounding towns.
We have also created a guidebook entitled "Walking the Town, Connecting in Seto" (Hitotsuchi Publishing) which is available for free reading.
The museum also has a cafe and souvenir shop, stocking a wide selection of "Made in Seto" pottery. We hope that "Masukichi" will help you learn about the current state of Seto and its manufacturing.
Masukichi -hostel cafe souvenir guide-
22 Nakakiricho, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture
Hours: Monday to Thursday 5pm to 9pm, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 1pm to 9pm
Closed: None
[Day 2] In search of the landscapes that speak of a pottery town
On the second day, try walking across the Seto River to the Seto Suehirocho Shopping Street. There seem to be more local shops than in Ginza Street.
One of the joys of traveling in Aichi is the breakfast.
This is a great value service where when you order a drink, you get a meal such as toast or eggs for free or for a small fee.
This event is also being held at various cafes around Masukichi, so I hope you will check it out.
Our top recommendation is "Cafe NISSIN" located in the Seto Suehirocho Shopping Arcade. It is a long-established coffee shop that has been in business since 1945. It is a place where locals gather to relax, and you can really enjoy the atmosphere.
The fourth generation Asai Rika-chan and the third generation You will be greeted by Mayumi, a walking encyclopedia who knows everything about Seto.
Cafe NISSIN
3-7 Suehirocho, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture
Business hours: 8:30am - 3:30pm
Closed: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
In the Seto Suehirocho Shopping Arcade, there is a face-in panel painted by the two people from " Art Space & Cafe Barrack ." The picture is based on the history of Seto, but the position of the face-in panel is quite surreal and full of wonderful humor.
After "Cafe NISSIN", we went to "Hon Hitoshizuku", which is about a one-minute walk away.
This bookstore has a great selection of books from small publishers and zines. There is a low table on the raised floor, and it's a mysterious space that makes you want to chat even just while you're in the bookstore.
Book Hitoshizuku
24 Toseicho, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture
Business hours: 10:00 - 16:30
Closed: Monday to Wednesday
A landscape unique to Seto: "Kamagaki Alley Walls"
Once you leave the shopping street, you'll enter the Hora district, where many potteries are located. The atmosphere changes dramatically, and if you look carefully, you'll find places here and there that make you wonder if they're potteries too.
The "kamagaki" is a sight that can only be seen in Seto. In the past, when pottery was fired in large climbing kilns, kiln tools were used as covers to protect the shelves and pottery.
As they were fired in kilns many times, they deteriorated and once their usefulness was fulfilled, they were reused as walls or fences for houses.
The "Kamagaki Alley Walls" is a 400-meter-long path lined with these kiln fences, and was originally a main street where artisans came and went. The houses of potters line the street, and the scenery of a pottery production area remains strong.
They look like geometric art. Some are piled up very messily and weathered, while others are stacked up beautifully, which is one of the interesting things about them. They have been carefully protected by the local residents.
Meet the pioneer of Japanese tiles at the Kamagaki-no-Komichi Museum
The Kamagaki no Komichi Museum is a museum that has been preserved almost exactly as it was in the home of the Terada family, who originally ran a pottery kiln.
There are many exhibits of "Hongyo Tile," the first mass-produced ceramic tiles in Japan, which were often made in the Hora area, and the bathrooms are particularly impressive.
The annex also houses footage showing how craftsmanship was once carried out in Seto, and the footage of the climbing kiln being fired is a must-see.
Kamagaki Path Museum
39 Nakahoracho, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture
Business hours: 11:00 - 15:00
Closed: Monday to Wednesday
Visit the Seto Folk Crafts Museum, a museum of craftsmanship and lifestyle run by an active potter
If you continue along the kiln fence path, you will arrive at the Seto Folk Crafts Museum, a museum of craftsmanship and lifestyles.
This facility is run by Seto Hongyo gama, a pottery manufacturer that has been in business for over 250 years. Cherishing the philosophy of folk art, they continue to create hand-crafted pottery using Seto soil and natural glazes, much as they have done since the Edo period.
There is a shop at the entrance that anyone can enter, and admission is 600 yen for adults (300 yen for high school students and younger). There are exhibits and materials that convey the craftsmanship of the Seto and Hora areas, with a focus on pottery.
The second floor is a space that not only displays pottery but also conveys the lifestyle of the people, and also houses handwritten letters from Yanagi Soetsu, the father of the Mingei movement.
Outside, there is also an exhibit of a climbing kiln that was in use until about 45 years ago. A video of the final firing is playing on the second floor, so be sure to check it out.
Seto Folk Crafts Museum: A Museum of Manufacturing and Lifestyle
17 Higashihoracho, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture
Business hours: 10:00 - 16:30
Closed: Monday to Wednesday
Located right next to the climbing kiln take a break at the medicinal tea cafe "SoybeanFlour"
Right next to the climbing kiln is the medicinal tea shop "Soybean Flour," where you can take a break and relax.
You can enjoy medicinal cuisine served in Seto Hongyo Kiln tableware, medicinal tea, etc. For lunch, the standard dish is a plate full of seasonal vegetables and curry.
Medicinal Tea Soybean Flour
1-6 Higashimachi, Seto City, Aichi Prefecture (Inside the Seto Folk Crafts Museum)
Business hours: 11:00 - 16:00
Closed: Monday to Friday
*It is often crowded, so we recommend making a reservation. You can use this facility without entering the building, but a facility management fee of 200 yen will be charged.
How was your two-day, one-night trip?
This is a plan that we often propose at "Masukichi."
Seto's central city area is compact, so you can walk through the shopping district and enjoy the scenery typical of a pottery production area.
If you have the chance, please come and visit.
