Yomitan Pottery Village Tour

Immerse yourself in Okinawan art and culture on theYomitan Pottery Village Walking Tour on May 9 from 9 a.m. until noon. View pottery being fired, a mid-air glass blowing demonstration, and browse through the village’s several shops in search of a pottery or Ryukyu glass masterpiece at Yomitan’s Yachimun-
no-Sato, or the Village of the Potters.

Yachimun-no-Sato is a small community of pottery masters from throughout the island that live and create ceramic works of art together. This idyllic hamlet, renowned for its many artists and artisans, is located near the ruins of Zakimi Castle, a fortress from the Ryukyu Kingdom Era.

Not limited to pottery, Yachimun-no-Sato is also home to Seikichi lnamine—a master in the creation of blown glass art. Inamine-san is famous for his innovation. He experiments with different natural materials, fusing substances such as curry powder, coffee grounds, potters clay, and others into molten glass to extract spectacular colors.

This colony for artisans was originally built by the village authorities of Yomitan Village’s Kina district, which is the birthplace of Kinaware pottery and the location of one of the oldest kiln sites on Okinawa. Officials of Yomitan invited well-known potters from throughout the prefecture, including the late Jiro Kinjo of Tsuboya, the only local potter to have been designated a Living
National Treasure.

The Yomitan Village Walking Tour will depart from the Camp Foster Personal Services Center. Participants must register by May 2 (childcare may be available with earlyregistration). Bring yen for purchases.