A Creative Escape
Life as a Pottery Retreat Visitor in Tajimi
Tajimi's pottery classes are a major draw for visitors to the city. We spoke with four international artists about their time in Gifu Prefecture's pottery town, learning about their daily lives filled with morning workouts, home-cooked meals in the workshops, and evenings spent enjoying the local hot springs. Retreat participants attended classes at the renowned Ho-Ca and Kusanokashiragama studios. The month-long pottery courses provided a framework for learning, but the enchanting everyday rhythms and cultural nuances of Tajimi also captivated the students.
Daily Rituals and Studio Life
Participants’ mornings, much like those of Andrea Hiroki Ishii, a Swiss workshop student, were surprisingly relaxed;he typically woke between 8 and 9 a.m., did some light exercise, had a home-cooked breakfast, and then went to the shared studio to practise. Andrea frequently prepared hot meals to keep warm during his January trip. His culinary creations included teriyaki and yakiniku, along with ramen and miso soup.
The tempura at the onsen nearby the Ho-Ca retreat is everyone's favourite dish
“We'd have morning meetings at the studio, work until lunch. Then, back to the clay again until five, or sometimes later if there is some work that needs to be finished. It’s a no-stress, very pleasant environment.”
The Swiss architect was a frequent guest at the nearby onsen, where he also enjoyed dinner. This is a common theme among the students. This casual workflow allow for creative bursts interspersed with rest, embodying Tajimi's blend of productivity and tranquillity. Andrea showed a special interest in the locals’ preservation and restoration of old buildings, notably the Kamawa-an teahouse. Located in central Tajimi City, its distinctive design celebrates the region's ceramic heritage with kiln brick walls and Mino washi paper. The young architect also found the well-preserved, historic Tamaki liquor store on Nagase Street notable.
One of his Ho-Ca classmates, Stefania Catani from Italy, experimented with Japanese cooking during her time here. “We enjoyed sukiyaki and pasta dinners as well, at the studio,” she says. She also enjoyed the onsen, sometimes dining there. She would occasionally take the afternoon off to go for a bike ride.Museum of Modern Ceramic Art, Gifu and Mino Ceramic Art Museum,Tajimi were among her destinations. Stefania accompanied her fellow students on a trip to Seto City to shop for pottery tools. She loved learning hand-building classic tea bowls and teapots, something that was new to her.
I interviewed the Ho-Ca students before their tea-ceremony experience at the ceramics Park Mino tea-room, a modernistic, beautiful space built in a way that makes it seem to float on water. The English translation of the name of the room is indeed “The Anchored Boat”.
The workshop lent the two women in the group beautiful kimonos for the occasion. Veteran Shibata-sensei, the workshop Master, had placed a simple ikebana arrangement in the tokonoma alcove beneath a hanging scroll with a seasonal poem. The single flower in the vase, a red Botan, likewise was part of this seasonal arrangement.
Exploring the City
Sophie van Dalen from Canada, another group member, told me she had dined out the previous evening, savouring omurice, a staple of Japanese home cooking. She enjoyed a local eel dinner—a Tajimi specialty—followed by coffee at a Komeda Coffee shop, a regional favourite. She also planned to try the local Goheimochi rice dish — it's a tasty, vegetarian-friendly traditional dish. That’s a good choice for the many retreat guests that don't eat meat. Goheimochi is sold in many shops and restaurants around the city.
“My room is in the same building as the studio, it is so convenient,” Sophie says. She describes the first twenty days as hectic, explaining that she spent them preparing everything for the firing. “I concentrated on completing everything on time”, she says. “With everything in the kiln, I could finally go exploring more. It was incredibly special; I learned so much about Tajimi," she explained.
Stefania and Sofie had some pleasant surprises while exploring the city
The trendiness of the city pleasantly surprised her, as the youngest member: “We had a great time exploring the vibrant art scene and discovering hidden gems.”
“We were laughing,” Stephanie adds, “because all the people we met were potters too.”
Sophie feels that even if the one month flies by quickly, some of the experience will follow her back home. ”There are so many skills and insights I gained here that I bring back, skills I cannot easily learn elsewhere. I especially enjoyed learning about the different kilns.”
time travel through clay
I also spoke to Ms Belle Chen, a retreat visitor from the United States. She had the unique opportunity to fire the large anagama kiln that Aoyama-sensei constructed in the hills near the Kusanokashiragama workshop. Her work schedule differed from that of the Ho-Ca students, as the old style cave kiln needs to be kept going around the clock. This is part of Master Sokei Aoyama’s lifelong project to recreate the famed Japanese Shiro tenmoku tea bowls. The master has revived a 500-year-old production method, which is recognised by Tajimi City as an intangible cultural asset.
I interviewed Belle, an American physician, as she sat before the anagama kiln, firing her pottery. The firings are nearly a week long, requiring shift work to feed the kiln. She talks about her experience practicing at the Kusanokashiragama workshop.
Like many others that take these courses, she walked every morning from the apartment that the workshop provides to the workshop in Onada village. It’s a couple of kilometres, and there are buses in the morning and evening, but many guests seem to prefer exploring the town by foot.
“My teachers were incredibly patient. At first, they were almost overly polite,” she chuckles, “so I asked for more feedback. After that, everything went really well.” Because Bell is Taiwanese Chinese, her instructors were sensitive to her cultural background. “Initially, I focused on traditional Japanese styles, but later we transitioned to Chinese designs,” she explains. Master Aoyama went through some of his books with her and they decided together what designs to try.
One beautiful day, Master Aoyama took Belle to a strawberry farm. “I picked strawberries, and they made pizzas for us, it was wonderful,” she says. “I also visited several art galleries and museums on weekends. My culinary experiences have been a source of great joy for me as well. I had so much vegetables here; I feel really healthy. This family feels like it's become a part of me. Leaving is difficult, but I have to!”
The scent of wood-smoke and the heat from the ancient-style wood kiln are now imprinted on Belle's memory. The memory evokes the scene of Tajimi potters of old, the sharp crackle of burning wood echoing through the forest, their livelihood hanging on securing commissions from wealthy patrons for their exquisite tea bowls.
Cultural References
Gohei Mochi: Tajimi’s Edible Heritage
- Origins: Origin: There are various theories, but it is highly likely that the origin is from those who lived in the mountains of the Kiso and Ina regions in the mid-Edo period (1651-1745). It is said that it was named after the Shinto deity 'Gohei' or that a person named 'Gohei' started making this dish
- Traditional Recipe:
- Shape the rice around the chopstick into an oval "waraji" (straw sandal) shape
- Coat in sweet-savoury paste of walnuts, miso, and mirin
- Grille over binchotan charcoal for smoky flavour
Tajimi Onsen: Tenko No Yu
- The hot spring water features a rare natural radon spring.: This "breathing hot spring," a natural radon spring, offers skin contact and inhalation benefits. People believe inhaling the steam removes uric acid, neutral fats, cholesterol, and nitrogen oxides, boosts cell activity, strengthens immunity and healing, and improves metabolism.
- Etiquette Essentials:
- Full-body wash before entering baths.
- Tie up long hair to avoid contaminating water.
- Pat dry with hand towel before re-entering locker rooms.
Architectural Footnotes
Kamawa-an Teahouse
- Materials: Reclaimed kiln bricks + Mino washi paper walls
Tamaki Sake Store
- Architecture: Retains original Showa-period (1926–1989) design with wooden shelves, sliding glass doors, and vintage beer posters under its ceiling
