An 11-day kiln hopping tour amidst the blooming spring flower season, travelling through 5 prefectures on the Southern Island of Kyushu. Ceramic (Tōgei) is one of Japan's oldest art forms, dating back to the New Stone Age. Japan boasts one of the world's oldest ceramic traditions. Japan is further distinguished by the unusual esteem that ceramics hold within its artistic tradition, owing to the enduring popularity of the tea ceremony, embodying the aesthetic principles of wabi-sabi.  Along our journey of visiting kiln villages, we experience tea making at the most delicious green tea producer, sand bathing and learn about Kamikaze, Japan’s special attack unit during WW Ⅱ.  

This is a fully guided small group tour. We welcome pottery and flower enthusiasts ready to travel deep into rural Japan and enjoy some serendipity during the colourful spring season. The tour starts in vibrant Hakata, home of Tonkotsu Ramen (milky pork bone broth), and finishes in Takeo Onsen, an Onsen town with a 1300-year history. We travel by private vehicle throughout the tour with one Shinkansen ride.