Located on the Chita peninsula, close to Chubu International Airport, Tokoname is one of the oldest ceramic production centers in Japan. This peaceful place, still little visited by foreign tourists, reveals a rich artisanal, architectural and cultural heritage, inherited from more than nine centuries of know-how.
A city of potters in the millennia past
Tokoname’s ceramic tradition dates back to the Heian period. From that time its furnaces supplied the country with utility objects, water pipes and architectural elements. Tokoname is now one of the six ancient kiln cities in Japan, along with Bizen, Echizen, Seto, Shigaraki and Tanba.
During the Edo period, Tokoname is distinguished by the scale of its production, especially its famous red teapots calledshudei kyūsu. The city also remains associated with the manufacture of statues ofmaneki neko, these lucky cats of which she is the main producer in Japan.
The Paths of Ceramics
Tokoname’s visit begins ideally at the exit of the train station on Tokoname Maneki Neko Street. Course A, marked with signs, leads to theCeramic Hall, which exhibits local creations and offers a shop. The route crosses alleys lined with traditional blackened wood houses, a preserved urban landscape.
The iconic passage of Dokanzaka deserves special attention: the walls and the floor are built from used ceramic pipes, bottles and cooking rings. This creative recycling demonstrates a close link between urban planning and crafts. There are also several brick chimneys preserved since the Meiji era.
A little further, the Takeda residence allows to imagine the life of a local merchant in the Edo era. The shipping business of the family business, linking Tokoname to Edo (present-day Tokyo), was based on the exchange of ceramics for rice, soy or fishery fertilizers. The house, with its tatami floors, period furniture and garden, offers a valuable insight into the everyday life of the past.
TheClimbing Kiln Squarehouses an ovennobrigamaunique in Japan by its size and state of conservation. This upstairs oven, built on a hillside, has ten chimneys spread over a 17-degree slope. Used between 1887 and 1974, it testifies to the technical ingenuity deployed to increase production.
The site is accessible to visitors, who can observe inside and discover an educational space where pottery activities are offered. For the enthusiasts, the “Course B” allows to extend the exploration towards theCeramic Art Instituteand the folklore museum, with exhibitions of ancient pottery and objects of domestic life.
Ono-cho and its port remains
Ono-cho, a historic seaside area, recalls the prosperous past of Tokoname. Formerly known as Ono Minato, this port hosted rice warehouses and offices of the sea administration of the Owari estate. Today, the area lends itself to a quiet walk between shrines, old houses and visible traces of a dense commercial activity. To better understand the places, thematic guided tours can be organized on site.
INAX museums: the world of clay declined
Further south, the INAX museum complex offers a more contemporary approach to ceramic material. TheKiln Plaza, installed in an old oven, introduced when cooking pipes. TheTile Museumexhibits an impressive collection of tiles from around the world, whileClayworksexplores the link between man and clay.
Workshops allow you to paint your own patterns on tiles or manipulate the material. TheWorkshop TileandLabo TileThey offer creative experiences and immersion in the technological evolution of Japanese ceramics.
This part of the city, linking potter paths to INAX museums, crosses a shopping area marked by shops, ceramic sculptures and even a decorative mechanical clock. There is also a statue of Hoju Koie, a local figure who revolutionized the production of clay pipes with wooden moulds.
FLIGHT OF DREAMS: an immersive aeronautical space
Right next door, at Chubu Centrair Airport, the complexFLIGHT OF DREAMSadds an unexpected dimension to Tokoname. Around a true Boeing 787 permanently exposed, the building houses interactive installations created byteamLab, famous for their immersive digital environments.
Visitors can test flight simulators, draw aircraft projected into a dome, or explore the mechanisms of flight in an educational space. The venue is for both children and adults, combining technological art, fun learning and sensory experiences.
The top floor welcomes theSeattle Terrace, a commercial area inspired by the hometown of Boeing. There are restaurants, original shops and Japan’s only Boeing store.
In Whisker Away (far from me, near you) – Discover Tokoname with anime
AnimeA Whisker Away(Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu) directly draws its decor from the alleys of Tokoname. Several emblematic places of the Pottery Footpath appear, such as the ceramic-lined slopes or the maneki-neko statues scattered throughout the city. The scenes of separation between the main characters were even inspired by specific places that fans can find on the spot. This strong visual connection reinforces the melancholic and poetic atmosphere of the work. Tokoname thus becomes a place of discreet pilgrimage for lovers of Japanese animation.
Access and transport
Tokoname is particularly well served. From Nagoya, the Meitetsu train takes about 35 minutes. Two stops are sufficient from Chubu International Airport. High-speed boats also link the airport to Tsu and Matsusaka.
For journeys by car, Highway 155 and Chitahanto Road lead directly to Tokoname via the Tokoname I.C. interchange.
Discoveries attached to Tokoname
The city is also home to the site of the Castle of Ono, a former marine observation post converted into a park with panoramic platform. In the Ono-cho district, once a thriving commercial port, a walk still reveals many temples, ancient houses and traces of the past.
A must-see photo stop is the giant statue of maneki-neko nicknamedTokonyan, 3.8 meters high. She monitors visitors from the top of a wall and embodies Tokoname’s attachment to this popular figure.
Tokoname combines living crafts, maritime history and contemporary creativity. An ideal excursion for travellers curious to understand Japan through its gestures, objects and discreet landscapes.
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