March 29th - April 12th, 2027

Leave for Japan from your home airport! Most flights from the US arrive in Japan the next day due to the time change. Fly into Kansai airport, KIX, in Osaka.

Arrive at the Kansai, KIX, airport anytime between 9am and 9pm. Sheri will meet you as you arrive. We'll stay at the 5-star Nikko hotel located at the airport. Rest up after a long flight for a busy tour starting tomorrow. 

Day tour of Osaka with our guide, Yoriko. We'll go to the Rikyu Museum and learn about the tea ceremony, and enjoy one too, watch a knife being forged, and visit the Ceramics Museum. Take a train to Kyoto afterwards.

We'll take a day tour of Shigaraki today with Seita, our tour guide. It's one of the six ancient kiln towns. We'll visit three different well known potter's studios, and the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park which is incredible. 

We'll take a tour of Kyoto today, visiting the Golden Pavilion, the Robert Yellin ceramics gallery, and the Raku Museum. Learn about the Raku family and their unique firing method and see multi-generation's work.

We'll take a day trip to Bizen, one of the six ancient kilns. We'll visit a few studios, meeting the potters, and go to the Bizen Museum of Art that concentrates on Bizen pottery. 

Viaiting another six ancient kiln, Tamba, we'll go to the Museum of Ceramic Art, Hyogo. We'll also go to a few ceramic studio visits and see their work, studios, and kilns, unique to Tamba. 

We'll take another tour of Kyoto today, visiting the iconic Kiyomizu-dera temple, the Kyoto Ceramics Center, and do a fun, hands=on  basket making workshop in the afternoon.

We'll leave Kyoto in the morning to Echizen, another ancient kiln town. We'll see the Echizen Old Kiln Museum, the Fukui Prefectural Museum and a potter's studio. Afterwards, the bus will take us to Kanazawa.

Today, we'll visit the National Crafts Museum, the Kanazawa Castle, do a fun Shodo - Japanese Calligraphy workshop, and visit the Kutani Kozen ceramic studios. 

There is so much great art in Kanazawa! We'll go see the 21st Century Museum of Modern Art, the Kenrokuen Japanese Garden, and the Higashi Chaya district. 

We'll travel to Nagoya today after free time to enjoy other parts of Kanazawa. They are known for their use of gold and gold leaf. There are historic districts to see and enjoy.

We'll take a day tour of Seto today, one of the ancient kilns. We'll visit Shingo Takeuchi's studio, see the Setogura Museum, the Blue and White Museum, and Maneki-neko shop.

We'll take a day trip to the last of the six ancient kilns on our tour, Tokoname. We'll see the INAX Museums and the Tokoname Tou no Mori Museum, and walk the Pottery Path.

We'll travel back to the Kansai airport in Osaka via train for about two hours in the morning. Book flights leaving after 2pm today or stay longer in Japan independently.