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Mashiko Pottery Fair

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Find your favorite pottery ware at the Mashiko Pottery Fair

The Mashiko Pottery Fair is held twice a year, in spring during Japan’s Golden Week holidays (late April to early May), and in the fall around November 3. The entire town of Mashiko turns into the event venue, with streets lined with around 50 shops and 500 tents where you can encounter a variety of potteries including traditional Mashiko wares and modern works by rising artists. With various craft shops and delicious food stalls as well, the fair is so full of fun that you will need more than a day to enjoy them all.

A pottery town loved by Shoji Hamada, a Living National Treasure

Shoji Hamada (1894-1978), the late potter designated as a Living National Treasure, was the one responsible for introducing Mashiko pottery to the world. At the age of 30, he began his pottery career in Mashiko, which greatly impacted the Mashiko pottery industry as a whole. The Shoji Hamada Memorial Mashiko Sankokan Museum, opened in 1977, exhibits not only his own works but also around 2,000 of his valuable collections. Stop by and gain even deeper insight into the history of Mashiko pottery.

Interact with the artists and their works

The venue of the Mashiko Pottery Fair is quite large and crowded with many visitors. Various potters set up tents to showcase their works, and about 500 tents are dotted throughout the venue with many tent villages. The highlight of Mashiko Pottery Fair is the wide range of artists, from young to veteran, and you can encounter works of various styles. Take the opportunity to speak directly with up-and-coming artists and potters for an even more fulfilling shopping experience.

Location

Name Mashiko Pottery Fair
Website http://www.mashiko-kankou.org/english/mta1/mashikoyaki/toukiiti/tokiichi.htmOpens in a new window. In the case of an external site, it may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.
Address 1539-2 Mashiko, Mashiko-machi, Haga-gun, Tochigi (Mashiko Town Tourist Association)
Access Approximately 20 minutes' walk from Mashiko Station on the Mooka Railway
From JR Utsunomiya Station, take the Kanto Bus Mashiko line for approximately 60 minutes and get off at Togei Messe Entrance bus stop
From Akihabara Station, take the Highway Bus Kanto Yakimono Liner for approximately 2 hours 30 minutes and get off at Togei Messe Entrance bus stop
Approximately 20 minutes' drive from the Sakuragawa-Chikusei IC on the Kita-Kanto Expressway
Business Hours 9:00 to 17:00 (Opening times depend on shops.)
Inquiries TEL: 0285-70-1120 (Mashiko Town Tourist Association)

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