Make A SAMURAI HELMET!!! 01

Authentic pottery experience / Seto Shinano Ceramics Center

Japan has a long history, with many traditional arts. One of those arts is pottery, which is used to drink Japanese tea, sake and eat noodles.

The Chubridge team traveled to Seto, Japan. It is 33 km from where we are based in live in Minokamo. The kind of soil there can be used for pottery. The place we went to had equipment used for the digging and processing of this soil to make clay. They dig it right out of the mountain and the ground. The place we visited is a school and is also a shop famous for making and selling Japanese pottery. The place is about 40 years old and going on strong. It is an icon and landmark of the area. Around there it has developed many other stores and restaurants too. They have all joined together to become a rest area and Oasis for travelers and pottery enthusiasts. We were able to work with the owner and other teachers to try making pottery for ourselves, and documented this process for all to see.

It was the perfect place for me to travel, with my Japanese partners to not just make pottery but to come together. Not only could we enjoy and benefit from the process but this is also a cheaper way to get Japanese pottery. There is beautiful pottery at expensive prices and the work is exquisite, however crafting it yourself, under the guidance of teachers, allowed for beginners like us to do it in a fun and comfortable way. This really deepened our appreciation and seeing what we made is a good reminder of the good time we had. Every morning when I drink my coffee from the mug, I’ll have good memories. Japan is full of artisans and we become artisans ourselves. There is soon to be a huge tourist boom in Japan, and we took part in activities that we know they are going to love. There are some things you can only learn in Japan and it is a country that values education. We want to impart the kind of thinking that expands knowledge through Japanese art and welcomes people to connect through their passions. We can display the work of artisans, engineers and other skills in Japan, as a display of the resources Japan has to offer.  We bring this to people to entice them to connect with us as cultural ambassadors. Art and good works are the key to good relations amongst people.

Shinano toujiki center, (Shinano ceramics center)

【Class description】

There are two pottery classes, making and painting pottery.

Making Pottery has two techniques. The Japanese kneading technique is done by hand. The Wheel technique uses a machine in the shaping of round ceramic ware.

【Cost】

It is 1,620 for Adults, and 1,080 for Kids（under 15years old, middle school）

You can make as much pottery as you want and get charged for the amount of pottery you choose and their weight, Calcination cost will also be charged. There are 9 colors of glaze so you can choose your favorite color.

It is 108yen for 100g for the Kneading pottery and, 216yen for 100g for the pottery wheel.

For this specific trip, the helmet (Kabuto) was 648yen for 600g, and the 2 parts of the Dung beetle were 540yen for 500g with kneading pottery.

Big size tumbler is 1,296 yen for 600g, regular size tumbler is 864 yen for 400g with the wheel pottery.