Take a selfie in Aichi Prefecture! Tour the home of Tokoname ware

Ai Nishimura

Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.

Tokoname Pottery Walk: A natural landscape of reddish brown clay pipes and greenery

The "Ceramics Walking Path" that stretches around Tokoname Station is a walking path where you can enjoy the pottery town of Tokoname while strolling through the narrow, winding alleys.
The roads lined with brick chimneys and clay pipes are still rich in nature, allowing you to enjoy the mysterious scenery as you feel the change of seasons. The area has also been developed as a tourist spot, so you can walk freely while checking out the ceramic road signs scattered throughout the area, and enjoy shopping and stopping by cafes. The unique scenery, where the subdued reddish-brown scenery mixes with blooming flowers and lush greenery, is perfect for taking some great photos.

If you head towards Tokoname Maneki Neko Street from Tokoname Station, you will be greeted by a variety of ceramic maneki neko (beckoning cats).
The giant "Watching Over Tokonyan" is a must-see photo spot. You can take a closer shot from the footbridge that leads off the Yakimono Path.

In Tokoname, with its beautiful townscape where time seems to stand still and exciting strolls down narrow, maze-like lanes, I was able to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
It is easily accessible from Nagoya, about 50 minutes by train.

Tokoname Pottery Walk

Enjoy lunch in a cozy atmosphere at "Kominka Cafe Nuu"

The "Yakimono Sanpo-michi" is dotted with climbing kilns and potteries, and the sight of brick chimneys standing there makes it reminiscent of a "pottery village." There are also souvenir shops, restaurants, and cafes, and the narrow alleys give it a nice feel.
For lunch on this day, we went to "Kominka Cafe Nuu," located along a lush green path and which is a great place to stop by during your stroll.
Enter the cafe through the gate of the old house and through the spacious garden. The interior is filled with warm antique colors and has a subdued light on the first floor and a bright, sunny second floor. Decorated with greenery, it is a relaxing space filled with a gentle atmosphere.

For lunch, you can enjoy dishes prepared in the cafe's rented kitchen. On this day, we had the "Rice Ball Deli Plate," a nuu collaboration lunch made by Matsumoto of "Yururigamori." It is a set meal style meal that comes with more than 10 kinds of side dishes, rice balls, and miso soup.
Each side dish was carefully prepared and there were plenty of vegetables. It was the kind of lunch you'd want to enjoy while chatting leisurely.
The tableware used is made by Tokoname ware artists, and is sold in the store. If you like something, you can buy it on the spot, and it's a store where you can feel close to pottery.
The store's name "nuu" comes from the Japanese character for "sew." The owner is a skilled Japanese dressmaker, and she also sells kimonos and accessories sewn by her.

Old-style house cafe nuu

INAX Live Museum: A garden and pottery museum where you can experience the changing seasons

This is a museum consisting of six facilities that convey the history of Tokoname pottery and the spirit of craftsmanship.
The "Kiln Plaza and Museum" in the center of the facility, where a large chimney stands, is the main reception area, where you can get a "Highlights Map" that gives an easy-to-understand explanation of the museum. This building was built in 1921 as a clay pipe factory over 100 years ago, and is designated as a nationally registered tangible cultural property and a modern industrial heritage site. In the kiln inside, projection mapping is used to clearly show how clay pipes are fired.

The spacious grounds are planted with trees that change with the seasons, making it a pleasant spot. Terracotta Park displays some of the tiles and terracotta used in modern Japanese architecture. Part of a tile mural by master Togo Murano, who designed the Maruei Department Store in central Nagoya, which sadly closed in 2018, as well as parts of lost buildings and structures are preserved and exhibited.
In addition, at the "Architectural Ceramics Origins Museum," you can see the Tokoname-made "yellow brick (scratch tile)" pillars that were made under the direction of Frank Lloyd Wright when the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo's former Japanese wing was being built. Tokoname was entrusted with the manufacture of bricks for the hotel's construction, and the Imperial Hotel Brick Factory was established to bake these bricks, which became the roots of INAX, giving a sense of the story.

The World Tile Museum is filled with so many cute tiles!
Decorative tiles from around the world and their history are on display in an easy-to-understand way, and anyone will surely be drawn into the charm of tiles. As the facility is run by LIXIL, a leading Japanese manufacturer of toilets, tiles, and other water-related products, there are many toilet ceramics on display that are like works of art. The "Toilet in the Middle of Nowhere," which went on sale last year and was so popular that it was out of stock for a time, is also available for purchase at the museum shop.

There are many other attractions at the facility, such as mosaic tile experiences, making glowing mud balls, and limited-time exhibitions. It is a popular spot in Tokoname that can be visited in conjunction with the "Ceramics Walk."

INAX Live Museum

Bar & Bistro Kyoei Gama: Enjoy cocktails and seasonal cakes at the remains of a Tokoname kiln

Bar & Bistro Kyoei Gama, located right near Tokoname Station, is a restaurant where you can immerse yourself in the world of Tokoname ware, renovated from a kiln built in 1954 that manufactured clay pipes.
It has been eight years since it was used as a restaurant, and before that it was used as a gallery and an art school, and currently a pottery class is held in a separate building.

During the Meiji period, large kilns capable of mass production began to be built one after another in Tokoname.
This was also one of the kilns that began producing clay pipes during the Meiji period.
The kiln site currently used as a bar is a large "downward-flame square kiln" that was reconstructed in the Showa era, and features a long counter that makes use of the original fire openings and other parts, creating an atmospheric space. The inside of the kiln is coated with a shiny, vitreous substance. This comes from the fact that salt was used in the clay pipe manufacturing process, which resulted in the entire kiln being covered in a salt glaze, creating a beautiful, lustrous surface.

This is a rare establishment that not only serves food, drinks, and cocktails, but also allows you to eat and purchase sweets such as cakes and baked goods until late into the night.
On this day, I had a Cosmopolitan cocktail and cheesecake.
They can create cocktails based on your mood and flavor, and they also have a wide selection of food.
This is a shop where adults can spend some relaxing time in a dome-shaped kiln.

Bar & Bistro Kyoeiyo

Enjoy the first Boeing 787 up close! Chubu Centrair International Airport "Flight of Dreams"

This is a spot in Chubu Centrair International Airport where you can eat, play, and experience things. When you arrive at Centrair or before your flight back, you can stop by Flight of Dreams, where the first Boeing 787 made by Boeing, a large passenger aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Chicago, USA, is on display, and there are also cafes, restaurants, and a food court where you can eat and drink while watching the planes.

The first thing that catches your eye is the impressive sight of an airplane with its large wings spread.
At the Flight Park on the first floor, you can get up close and personal with the details of planes that you normally can't see, go inside to see the cockpit, go under, and enjoy the aircraft to your heart's content. Panel displays explain and introduce the aircraft, and you can see the engines and tires, making this a facility that appeals to both vehicle enthusiasts and travel lovers alike, and offers a dynamic experience that lets you feel closer to the plane than if you were actually on it.

In the kids' area, there are plenty of athletic play equipment, such as the "Mokumoku Cloud," a large net playground where you can jump and play on slides and net trampolines. If you get tired, you can enjoy a meal under the wing of the airplane, making it a spot that will satisfy both adults and children.
Also, since it is an indoor facility, it is a convenient place to visit on those unfortunate rainy days during your trip.
Although some content requires a fee, entry to the facility is free. This is a rare opportunity to enjoy a real airplane, and will surely help create some great memories of your trip.

Chubu Centrair International Airport Flight of Dreams