Jul 25, 2013 - 1 min read

Yomitan Pottery Village in Okinawa

Explore a Unique Local Craft Industry

By Chris Barnes

Community writer

The red-tiled kiln with a number of linked chambers

Beautiful old kiln houses are scattered throughout the village

Take the time wandering around the village, each workshop produces something different from the next

Throughout the village there are pottery bowls drying in the sun

There are numerous shops throughout the village where you can buy locally made pottery

In some workshops, visitor access is restricted

Artisans can be seen working throughout the village

Yomitan Pottery village is best explored on foot

Some beautiful bowls on display in one of the many shops

A great place to buy a unique Okinawan gift

Artisans finishing their finely crafted pottery pieces

Most workshops are off limits for visitors however you can still observe the works in progress

The Yomitan Pottery Village is well known for its Tsuboya pottery. In this quaint little village, you can wander around exploring the workshops of 45 artisans who work their magic creating unique, Okinawan pottery. There are numerous red tiled pottery kilns and workshops scattered throughout the village where you can watch artisans preparing the clay mixtures, shaping, decorating and glazing, and then baking each piece. Throughout the village, there are also endless rows of bowls drying off in the sun and numerous shops selling some of the most impressive pieces Okinawa has to offer. To access the village from Naha, proceed north on Route 58, turn left onto Route 12 and follow the signs to Yomitan Pottery Village. The village is open year round however some shops close on Tuesdays.

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Chris Barnes

By Chris Barnes

Community writer

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Chris Barnes

Chris Barnes Photographer 12 years ago

Thanks Michael. Pottery is not really my thing, but I found wandering the village really interesting, especially the architecture.

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Michael Flemming

Michael Flemming 12 years ago

Chris, Those are really great photographs of the artists village in Yomitan.

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