Teaware in Japan

[purringtons]

i'm going to japan for about 15 days and i'd appreciate any suggestions on interesting tea houses or teaware shops to check out :~)

i'm aware that tokoname is the place to be for teaware but unfortunately it is slightly out of the way and not enough of a tourist attraction for me to convince my friends to go along... so far i've planned on going to kyoto, nara, osaka, naoshima, kanazawa, and tokyo. it would be great if someone could point me in the direction of any shop around the main tourist attractions or really any that's not too out of the way, thanks!

[William]

New wares or antique ones?

[kyarazen]

i'm going to japan for about 15 days and i'd appreciate any suggestions on interesting tea houses or teaware shops to check out :~)

i'm aware that tokoname is the place to be for teaware but unfortunately it is slightly out of the way and not enough of a tourist attraction for me to convince my friends to go along... so far i've planned on going to kyoto, nara, osaka, naoshima, kanazawa, and tokyo. it would be great if someone could point me in the direction of any shop around the main tourist attractions or really any that's not too out of the way, thanks!

you can go along the street leading to kiyomizudera, lots of nice kiyomizu-yaki. along the way to nara you can drop by uji and bounce around the different tea shops along the way to bya-doin~

[hobin]

in kyoto this is the place to go:
http://www.raku-yaki.or.jp/e/museum/

[William]

in kyoto this is the place to go:
http://www.raku-yaki.or.jp/e/museum/

Agree. Still have to go there, but friends told me that place is amazing!

[purringtons]

New wares or antique ones?

new ones! i'm a struggling postgrad i can't afford antiques hahaha

[purringtons]

i'm going to japan for about 15 days and i'd appreciate any suggestions on interesting tea houses or teaware shops to check out :~)

i'm aware that tokoname is the place to be for teaware but unfortunately it is slightly out of the way and not enough of a tourist attraction for me to convince my friends to go along... so far i've planned on going to kyoto, nara, osaka, naoshima, kanazawa, and tokyo. it would be great if someone could point me in the direction of any shop around the main tourist attractions or really any that's not too out of the way, thanks!

you can go along the street leading to kiyomizudera, lots of nice kiyomizu-yaki. along the way to nara you can drop by uji and bounce around the different tea shops along the way to bya-doin~

thank u! should i allocate an entire day for uji? i feel like i may end up going to tokoname anyway lol

[purringtons]

in kyoto this is the place to go:
http://www.raku-yaki.or.jp/e/museum/

ah this is great i'll be in kyoto for like a week definitely hitting this place up!!

[kyarazen]

you can go along the street leading to kiyomizudera, lots of nice kiyomizu-yaki. along the way to nara you can drop by uji and bounce around the different tea shops along the way to bya-doin~

thank u! should i allocate an entire day for uji? i feel like i may end up going to tokoname anyway lol[/quote]

probably a day if you want to hit different attractions, i.e. ujigami shrine (along the way you should be able to drop by fukujuen?)
you should go early in the morning, its pretty cool to see the mist fill the streets and then start to disappear/ascend the mountains as the sun warms.

there's a super delicious hot plate fried rice at a little rustic "cafe" along the main street, just opposite the shunsho tea museum (http://www.shunsho.co.jp). since the shops dont open that early, you can have breakfast at this cafe before going over to shunsho to have a look at all the family heirlooms they use in tea processing etc. walking down further from there you will chance upon Tsuen located at a junction/bridge (ujigawa bridge?) which is supposedly the oldest tea shop in uji?
then over to byadoin to have a peek at amithaba buddha, have lunch in a restaurant along uji river, then have some tea at the government-run tea house (Taiho-an?).. hike to ujigami, and back. that should be late afternoon, and just about right to start going around buying teas.

there are several small "tea houses" which are homes of tea masters that would host you and make some tea but they look kinda intimidating so I did not explore them

[purringtons]

you can go along the street leading to kiyomizudera, lots of nice kiyomizu-yaki. along the way to nara you can drop by uji and bounce around the different tea shops along the way to bya-doin~

thank u! should i allocate an entire day for uji? i feel like i may end up going to tokoname anyway lol

probably a day if you want to hit different attractions, i.e. ujigami shrine (along the way you should be able to drop by fukujuen?)
you should go early in the morning, its pretty cool to see the mist fill the streets and then start to disappear/ascend the mountains as the sun warms.

there's a super delicious hot plate fried rice at a little rustic "cafe" along the main street, just opposite the shunsho tea museum (http://www.shunsho.co.jp). since the shops dont open that early, you can have breakfast at this cafe before going over to shunsho to have a look at all the family heirlooms they use in tea processing etc. walking down further from there you will chance upon Tsuen located at a junction/bridge (ujigawa bridge?) which is supposedly the oldest tea shop in uji?
then over to byadoin to have a peek at amithaba buddha, have lunch in a restaurant along uji river, then have some tea at the government-run tea house (Taiho-an?).. hike to ujigami, and back. that should be late afternoon, and just about right to start going around buying teas.

there are several small "tea houses" which are homes of tea masters that would host you and make some tea but they look kinda intimidating so I did not explore them[/quote]

this is really helpful thank u so much!! :~)

[rdl]

purringtons,
When in Kanazawa, after leaving the great train station check out Ohi ware.
There is one small shop I regret not having purchased the tea ware I was considering, and I cannot remember the location (I could dig it out of my notes if necessary) and there is the Ohi Museum I believe. Kenroku-en garden has a tea house, and I am sure there is a location in or next to the garden also to purchase Ohi-yaki. Kanazawa is a great city to explore.
http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/zoom ... ctId=53683
(example of a beautiful Ohi-yaki piece).
As for the other areas you will travel to, including those that have replied there are many suggestions in older travel topics on TC with lots of information. A quick search should find it.
Have a safe and adventurous trip!

[purringtons]

purringtons,
When in Kanazawa, after leaving the great train station check out Ohi ware.
There is one small shop I regret not having purchased the tea ware I was considering, and I cannot remember the location (I could dig it out of my notes if necessary) and there is the Ohi Museum I believe. Kenroku-en garden has a tea house, and I am sure there is a location in or next to the garden also to purchase Ohi-yaki. Kanazawa is a great city to explore.
http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/zoom ... ctId=53683
(example of a beautiful Ohi-yaki piece).
As for the other areas you will travel to, including those that have replied there are many suggestions in older travel topics on TC with lots of information. A quick search should find it.
Have a safe and adventurous trip!

thank u!! i'm taking so much notes hahah i'll be going to kenrokuen (and 21st century museum) so def be hitting up that tea house if i see it

[rdl]

thank u!! i'm taking so much notes hahah i'll be going to kenrokuen (and 21st century museum) so def be hitting up that tea house if i see it [/quote]
The architects of the 21 C. Museum won the Pritzker Architecture Prize a few years ago, so make sure to also see the building complex, not just the great art work.
Kawamura sweet bean shop sells delicious sweets made with traditional rice syrup.
http://www.kanazawa-kankoukyoukai.or.jp ... rse09.html

[purringtons]

thank u!! i'm taking so much notes hahah i'll be going to kenrokuen (and 21st century museum) so def be hitting up that tea house if i see it

The architects of the 21 C. Museum won the Pritzker Architecture Prize a few years ago, so make sure to also see the building complex, not just the great art work.
Kawamura sweet bean shop sells delicious sweets made with traditional rice syrup.
http://www.kanazawa-kankoukyoukai.or.jp ... rse09.html[/quote]

yessss not forgetting nishizawa but sejima is one of my fav female architects i love the new museum down in bowery as well :~)

[rdl]

I wrote this earlier in TC and thought it may be helpful to you:
If you visit Byodo-in you must then enter and also buy a ticket outside the Phoenix Hall to visit it. There is usually a delay since only a certain # of visitors are allowed in during a time-scheduled tour so the idea is to go directly outside Phoenix Hall, buy your ticket to enter it at some appointed time in the day, then visit the grounds of Byodo-in, the great museum there, etc... then keep a watch on the time so as not to miss your Phoenix Hall tour. if you do miss it you'll have to buy a new ticket for some time later in the day.
I have had time to picnic by the river which was really nice after stopping at the supermarket on the main road from the station to buy lunch, but have never had time for this:
"Kyo pottery has been a cherished local tradition since the Muromachi period. Asashiyaki Pottery is on the east side of the river, near Kosho-ji, and Shizugawa Togei Kyoshitsu is further to the south. Visitors who are especially interested can take a taxi to Sumiyama Pottery Village (2-2 Kuda, Sumiyama, Uji City), about 6.5 km from the city center. At Sumiyama, visitors can tour factories manufacturing pottery in the Kyo and Kiyomizu traditions."
http://wikitravel.org/en/Uji
The Fukujuen building also carries a selection of Asashiyaki, as well as different fun ways to engage with tea.