Craft a Kiyomizu Souvenir Cup in 30 Minutes

【Outline】

This is a unique opportunity to use a potter's wheel and make your own, one-of-a-kind souvenir cup as a memory of your time in Kyoto!

In addition to visiting Kiyomizu in Kyoto, why not experience another facet of Kyoto's traditional culture? In this short plan, you will visit a pottery with a 250 year history and use an electric potter's wheel to craft your own "Kiyomizu-yaki" style cup. "Kiyomizu-yaki" is traditional pottery of the Kiyomizu region and is well-known for its quality and design. 

Professional pottery artists will be there to support you along the way, meaning even beginners are able to craft a cup in just 30 minutes. As a memory of your trip to Kyoto or as a present to your loved one, we invite you to make a unique and beautiful cup with us!

【Highlights】

• Learn from professional pottery artists in a pottery style established in 1771.
• Beginners need not worry, as craftsmen will guide you along the entire process.
• The finished product will be thin, light, and of professional quality.
• The pottery is close to a number of popular tourist spots in Kyoto, making this a convenient activity for a day of sightseeing.

【Schedule】 

Arrival→Pottery→End

【Details】

This is a beginner-friendly activity, as the staff will guide you from putting a lump of clay on the potter's wheel all the way to forming an actual cup. The staff will also take pictures. You will be able to choose from five types of glaze (colors): white, amber, lemon, turquoise blue, and bronze.

"Kiyomizu-yaki," a traditional form of pottery created in the Kyomizu region, is the type of pottery you will be creating and is known for its high quality and exquisite design. In order to maintain this high quality, the process of firing the artwork is essential and will be done by our craftsmen. It takes one and a half to two months for your work to be delivered to you. Once it is finished and in your hands, we hope your handiwork will serve as your favorite for a long time to come.

【Things to note】

• Time：30 min. / 1 Person
• Meeting point：Kyoto Zuikougama Kiyomizudera Studio     [MAP]
  385-5 Yasaka Kamimachi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-city, Kyoto
  
• Access：
  A 15-minutes walk from Kiyomizu-Gojo Station or Gion-Shijo Station on Keihan Line.　
  Leave the exit number 4 of Kiyomizu-Goyo Station and go straight to the direction of  Kiyomizu temple, around 650 meters.
  Turn left at the end of the street and walk straight ahead for 500 meters.
  When you turn right at the third traffic light of Yasaka Dori there is  special narrow road where you can see the tower of Yasaka. Go to that direction and walk for around 200 meters. When you climb up the slope and go to your right at the end, you will see the sign of Zuikougama.
  
  Leave exit number 7 of Gion-Shijo Station and go straight to the direction of the Yasuka Shrine, around 650 meters.
  Turn left at the end of the street and walk straight ahead for 500 meters.
  When you turn right at the third traffic light of Yasaka Dori there is  special narrow road where you can see the tower of Yasaka. Go to that direction and walk for around 200 meters. When you climb up the slope and go to your right at the end, you will see the sign of Zuikougama. 
• Language support：Japanese, English
• Included ：Experience fee, Materials, Tools, Finishing by craftsman
• Excluded ：Shipping fee
• Participation requirements ：10 years and older
• Free Wi-Fi ：×

【HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES】

・Face masks required for travelers in public areas
・Face masks required for guides in public areas
・Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
・Gear/equipment sanitized between uses
・Guides required to regularly wash hands

【Fun Facts】

"Kiyomizu-yaki," or Kiyomizu-ware, is one of the traditional products that represents Kyoto. It gets its name from the fact that it was made in potteries within the Kiyomizu slope going towards the Kiyomizu Temple. When the tea ceremony became more popular in the 16th century, various tea utensils and vessels were made in Kyoto, and in the Edo Period (1603-1868), these crafts were loved by the nobility and samurai living in the capital. Kiyomizu-ware is said to be very valuable partly because it is entirely handmade. 

【Nearby area introduction】 

Kiyomizu Temple, famous for being a World Heritage Site, is also famous for its gorgeous sunset. A long time ago, it seems that training was held here in attempts to reach paradise, while keeping the round shape of the sun at heart. At dusk, the west gate and the three-storied pagoda light up in orange colors, and you can look around the cityscape of Kyoto and the beautiful sun setting beyond the mountain ridge. The Kiyomizu Temple grounds also become quite sparse in the evening. After your experience with Kiyomizu-ware, why not look at the spectacular sunset from Kiyomizu Temple? 

【Cancellation policy】 

7 to 4 days before the tour date 40% of the tour price
3 to 2 days before the tour date 60% of the tour price
The day before the tour date, on the day of the tour 100% of the tour price
※Right after the online settlement is made, a cancellation fee of 10% will be incurred in case of cancellation.
※The cancellation fee includes handling charges.