- Duration
- About 2 hours 30 minutes
- Group size
- 4–50 pax
- Cities
- Kyoto
- Indicative budget
- From ¥42,500 per person
The workshop opens with a short introduction to Kyoto ceramics, a tradition that grew up on the slopes of Higashiyama and around the city's taste for tea and refined tableware. A ceramist then shows the basic gestures: centering the clay, opening it and raising the walls. Each participant makes one or two pieces, on the wheel or by hand-building (easier for beginners), then chooses a glaze color from a selection offered by the studio.
Pottery works well for groups because it puts everyone on the same level: clay makes no distinction between a director and a new hire, and the first failed attempts quickly break the ice. The format leaves time to talk with the person at the next bench, making it a good informal exchange in the middle of a seminar. Beyond a dozen people, we split the group between wheel and hand-building, or between two nearby studios, with one interpreter per sub-group.
The pieces do not leave on the day: they need to dry, be glazed and then fired. The studio ships them about two months later, to participants' homes or to company headquarters. That delay becomes an asset: a handmade object arriving well after the trip extends the memory of the seminar, and can serve as a gift for each participant.
Objectives
- Create an informal moment where hierarchy fades
- Introduce a living Kyoto craft through hands-on practice
- Give each participant a personal object delivered after the trip
How it works
- 1Technique chosen in advance (wheel, hand-building, or both in rotation) according to headcount.
- 2Welcome at the studio, aprons provided, introduction to Kyoto ceramics.
- 3Demonstration by the ceramist, then making the pieces with guidance.
- 4Glaze selection and registration of the delivery address.
- 5Drying, glazing, firing and shipping by the studio, about two months later.
Good to know
- Studios usually hold 8 to 15 people; large groups rotate or use several studios in the same neighborhood.
- Aprons are provided, but clay stains: avoid evening wear, and short nails help on the wheel.
- International shipping costs depend on the country; bulk delivery to headquarters is possible.
- Indoor activity, suitable for all levels, including people who have never worked with clay.
- Can be combined with a walk through the ceramics quarter and dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Indicative budget
From ¥42,500 per person (private studio, small-group basis, firing included). Group rate quoted according to headcount; international shipping, interpreter and transfers optional.
Frequently asked questions
Can participants take their piece home on the day?
No. Ceramics have to dry, be glazed and then fired, which takes several weeks. The studio ships the pieces about two months after the session.
How many people can take part at the same time?
A studio usually holds 8 to 15 people. For 30 to 50 participants, we organize rotations between wheel and hand-building or spread the group across several nearby studios, with one interpreter per sub-group.
Can the pieces be used as a corporate gift?
Yes. We can arrange bulk delivery to headquarters, with packaging and a card bearing the event name if you wish, to hand out at a follow-up meeting.
Is the potter's wheel too difficult for beginners?
It takes some patience, but the ceramist helps each participant center the clay. Those who want a more predictable result can choose hand-building.
