For pottery buffs and ceramic connoisseurs, Bizen is simply not to be missed when building a Japan itinerary. What draws travelers to this sleepy country town in Okayama Prefecture? The claim to fame of being one of Japan’s “six ancient kilns.” Along with Echizen, Seto, Tokoname, Shigaraki, and Tamba Pottery, Bizen Pottery boasts a distinguished, continuous heritage of exquisite Japanese ceramics uninterrupted from medieval times up to the present.
How to Get to Bizen
Compared to the other ancient kiln areas, Bizen is a simple, straight shot from all of its nearby major cities (Okayama, Himeji, Kobe, and Osaka). Most pottery workshops and all of the sights introduced here are located near Bizen City’s Imbe Station on the JR Ako line. All trains going to Imbe Station are covered by the JR Pass.
From Okayama Station – 40 minutes
From Himeji Station – 1 hour 40 minutes
From Kobe Sannomiya Station – 2.5 hours
From Osaka Station – 3 hours
What is Bizen Pottery?
Bizen Pottery is created from iron-rich clay found in Bizen City, creating distinct reddish pottery unique to the area. Unlike most ceramics, Bizen Pottery is not glazed. Instead, the surface finishes and colors are products of the pottery’s firing. The interaction of clay, wood, ash, and flames ensures each piece of Bizen Pottery is one of a kind.
Types of Finishes/Styles
Sangiri – occurs when a piece of pottery is deprived of oxygen, such as being covered in ash or placed in an area of low oxygen. The lack of oxygen during the firing process results in blueish gray coloring.
Botamochi – historically born out of space optimization, currently used for decoration. Items often used to be stacked before firing which resulted in distinct circular markings atop the surfaces.
Goma – wayward ash melted into the pottery designs, named after the word for “sesame seeds.”
Hidasuki – to prevent pieces from sticking together in the kilns, straw is placed in between. The burning straw reacts with the clay’s iron content, leaving unique red streaks after the blaze.
What to do in Bizen
Bizen Pottery Workshop at Shurakukan
Shurakukan is a charming farmhouse in the center of Imbe Village. Here visitors partake in a Bizen Pottery workshop under the guidance of local staff. Guests can make either a simple bowl or vase. The entire experience takes only about ten minutes, depending on how precise one hopes to be when molding the clay into their ideal souvenir. The firing process can take up to six months, so the final product will be mailed. To book, visit here:
Location: 597 Inbe, Bizen, Okayama 705-0001
Bizen Beef Burger Lunch at Shurakukan
Japanese beef is known worldwide as Wagyu (literally “Japanese cow”). Many regions of the country proudly breed and raise their own strain of Wagyu beef, including Bizen. Bizen Beef, while one of the lesser-known types of Wagyu beef, is just as tender and savory as its relatives. The Bizen Pottery workshop at Shurakukan comes in a set with a Bizen Beef burger, the perfect reward after a Bizen Pottery session!
Location: 597 Inbe, Bizen, Okayama 705-0001
Hashimoto Gallery
Bizen is home to countless pottery shops, especially around Imbe Station. Hashimoto Gallery is particularly spacious with a wide selection of Bizen Pottery souvenirs including vases, plates, and even miniature flower pots. The owner was especially happy to show her husbands’ works, giving detailed explanations of the various styles of Bizen Pottery as we moved about the shop. The second floor houses an impressive gallery of paintings collected by the family along with antique Bizen Pottery no longer sold to the public.
Location: 606-1 Inbe, Bizen, Okayama 705-0001
Amatsu Shrine
Decorated with ceramics in every nook and cranny from hidden monkeys to guardian dogs, Amatsu Shrine is closely tied to Bizen’s pottery heritage and often referred to as the pottery shrine. As one climbs the steps from the entrance up to the main building, a glance every which way will reveal one more unique use for Bizen Pottery. Roof tiles, paving stones, fences, and statues are all made from Bizen Pottery. Prayer plaques for writing wishes can be purchased at the main building after ascending the stairs, also made from Bizen Pottery.
Location: 629 Inbe, Bizen, Okayama 705-0001
Tempo Kiln
While walking through Bizen, visitors will come across many tall chimneys jutting out from the roofs of local potters’ homes. These are all connected to the small personal kilns firing Bizen Pottery made by their owners – cozy, smaller versions of the town’s once-thriving humongous communal kilns. Although most of these small private kilns are off-limits to public viewing, the impressive remains of the historic communal Tempo Kiln still stands today as a testament to Bizen’s transition from the huge communal kilns of the medieval era to the small home kilns of the modern day. Built during the Tempo era (1830–1843) in a noborigama (climbing kiln) style, Tempo Kiln is quite smaller than its medieval predecessors due to the gradual decline of pottery demand over the centuries. Its firing process was still the same as its older counterparts, strategically built on a slope allowing the fire from the ground chamber to rise to the higher chambers.
Location: 34.741983, 134.160993
Gallery and Cafe Rihou
Shop and sip tea in Bizen Pottery cups at this little hideaway near Imbe Station! Gallery and Cafe Rihou provides a well-deserved resting spot after exploring the village. In true Bizen fashion, delicious matcha and traditional sweets are served up with Bizen Pottery plates and cups. Among the generous lineup of Bizen Pottery shops around Imbe Station, Rihou was the only one I saw offering an on the spot Bizen Pottery tea experience.
Location: 1530 Inbe, Bizen, Okayama 705-0001
Minami-Ogama Kiln Site
The Minami-Ogama Kiln Site was once home to one of Imbe Village’s main communal kilns. Believed to have been built in the 1500s, this kiln site produced Bizen Pottery until the 1800s under the protection of the Okayama Samurai Clan. While the kilns themselves are long lost to time, the Minami-Ogama Kiln Site is a resting place for old Bizen Pottery remains spanning centuries of history.Location: 1967-3 Inbe, Bizen, Okayama 705-0001Bizen Pottery MuseumThe Bizen Pottery Museum is an excellent stop to familiarize yourself with Bizen Pottery’s extensive history. Exceptional examples of Bizen Pottery’s predecessor, unglazed stone Sueki Ware dating back nearly a millennium are displayed along with contemporary Bizen Pottery crafted by current craftspeople. On the third floor, there is a small observation room for viewing the Minami-Ogama Kiln Site for those who don’t have time to make the walk over.
Location: 1659-6 Inbe, Bizen, Okayama 705-0001
Bizen Pottery Museum
The Bizen Pottery Museum is an excellent stop to familiarize yourself with Bizen Pottery’s extensive history. Exceptional examples of Bizen Pottery’s predecessor, unglazed stone Sueki Ware dating back nearly a millennium are displayed along with contemporary Bizen Pottery crafted by current craftspeople. On the third floor, there is a small observation room for viewing the Minami-Ogama Kiln Site for those who don’t have time to make the walk over.
Location: 1659-6 Inbe, Bizen, Okayama 705-0001
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