Tajimi is famous for its ceramic wear and as such there are lots of places around town where you can throw your own pottery. Using a pottery wheel or a mould, you can experience first hand one of Gifu's oldest industries, ceramic making. And, depending on the facility, there are even courses where you can paint your piece, or pick your favorite glaze.

With this knowledge in mind, and a deep fascination with potter that must've been birthed in my second grade art class, circa 1993, I happily joined a tour to see and experience the ceramic culture of Tajimi.

We met in the morning, boarded a rental bus (that had a chandelier!!) and headed toward Tajimi. When we arrived at the place, we visited a pottery museum. At the time, there was a ceramic art competition going on and we were able to see the winning entries as well as the museum's permanent collection. After looking around, I bought a pretty pink rice bowl at the gift shop.

After that we got to make pottery. I made a bowl, which worked out pretty well. I used clay stamps and a comb-like tool to create the effect of flowers floating on a current of water on the face of the bowl. I had a little trouble getting it off the mould and had to have the instructor help me get it off in the end. For the glaze, I picked a deep green color, often used in Oribe ceramics. A month or two later, my bowl arrived by post. All nice and shiny, and best of all, my very own!

If you're going to Tajimi and ceramics are your thing, as I would expect they are, you should also probably stop by one of the many ceramics museums like Kobeigama (幸兵衛窯), Ichinokura Sakazuki Art Museum (市之倉さかづき美術館), Gifu Prefectural Ceramic Museum (岐阜県陶磁資料館), or the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu (岐阜県現代陶芸美術館). All kinds of ceramics including Oribe, Mino, and Shino styles are on display, and some stuff is even for sale. Likewise, I would definitely recommend the ceramic enthusiast to take the time to visit one of the Oribe Street (オリベ・ストリート) areas in Ichinokura (市之倉), or Honmachi (本町) for great finds on locally crafted ceramic ware.

For more on Tajimi, visit the Tokai Product Creation Tour Homepage

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