39th Himeji National Pottery Fair 2026

Dates & time: October 30, 2026 (Fri) - November 3, 2026 (Tue) 10:00–17:00
Price & booking: Pottery and workshops are paid The wheel-throwing, painting and kintsugi sessions take advance applications until Oct 13 (Tue); a lottery is held if oversubscribed. Walk-ins are accepted if spaces remain.
Apply: Application form (Japanese)
Venue & access: Otemae Park (Himeji, Hyogo) About a 10-minute walk (approx. 850 m) north along Otemae-dori from JR / Sanyo Himeji Station; the park is on the right

There are 12 car parks within a 12-minute walk of Otemae Park (Himeji, Hyogo), and 8 public restrooms within 8 minutes. The map shows each with its walking time.

Facility data comes from OpenStreetMap. It does not include opening hours, fees or availability.

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Why You Should Visit

A five-day pottery fair in Otemae Park, just below Himeji Castle, bringing together ceramics from 27 production areas across Japan. You can pick out tableware such as Arita, Bizen, Shigaraki, Hasami and Tanba ware directly from the makers' booths. There are hands-on sessions for wheel-throwing, painting and kintsugi repair (bring your own broken piece), plus wheel-throwing demonstrations by craftspeople, and a national pottery exhibition on the theme "The Future Dinner Table" runs throughout. Your purchases are weighed and turned into shopping vouchers for the arcades between the park and Himeji Station. A good fit if you are looking for everyday dishes or want to combine it with a walk around Himeji Castle.

NOTE

Pottery styles (planned)

Obori Soma (Fukushima) / Kasama (Ibaraki) / Echizen (Fukui) / Kutani (Ishikawa)
Mino (Gifu) / Seto, Akazu, Tokoname (Aichi) / Banko, Iga (Mie)
Shigaraki (Shiga) / Kiyomizu (Kyoto) / Tanba (Hyogo) / Bizen (Okayama)
Iwami (Shimane) / Hagi (Yamaguchi) / Koishiwara, Agano (Fukuoka)
Arita, Imari, Nabeshima, Karatsu (Saga) / Hasami, Utsutsugawa, Mikawachi (Nagasaki)
Satsuma (Kagoshima) / Tsuboya (Okinawa)

Workshops

Wheel-throwing: daily 10:30 / 14:00 (20 per session, approx. 30 min), ¥2,500. Make a bowl or dish on a hand wheel; it is fired and shipped to you later
Painting: daily 10:00 / 13:00 (30 per session, approx. 30 min), ¥1,500. Ages 5 to 6th grade, with a guardian. Same-day entry costs an extra ¥1,000
Kintsugi: Oct 31 (Sat) & Nov 1 (Sun) 10:00 / 13:00 / 15:30 (10 per session, approx. 1.5 hrs), ¥6,000. Junior high age and up. Instructor: lacquer artist Kunio Eto

Wheel-throwing demonstrations

Oct 31 (Sat), Nov 1 (Sun), Nov 3 (Tue, holiday) 11:00 / 15:00 (approx. 1 hr each)

Throughout the fair

National pottery exhibition on the theme "The Future Dinner Table"; visitors vote for favorites, and works are given away by lottery
"Cashback by the gram": purchases are weighed and exchanged for shopping vouchers usable at about 500 member shops of the Himeji Shopping Street Federation

Held at the same time (Otemae Park and around)

Himeji Kashi Matsuri 2026, Himeji Castle Leather Festival 2026, and more

*Workshop fees include shipping and tax, paid in cash on the day. Fired pieces take about two months to arrive.

*Kintsugi: up to 2 pieces per person, each up to about 20 cm in diameter. Pieces are bonded with resin and the seams filled with lacquer, and you take them home the same day. Lacquer can cause skin rash.

Market Marche Culture Art Shopping Family

出典: 姫路市「第39回姫路全国陶器市のご案内」（ひめじ町衆の祭典実行委員会事務局）

Kobe · Gluten-free

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FAQ

Do I need to book the workshops?

Wheel-throwing, painting and kintsugi take advance applications until Oct 13 (Tue), with a lottery if oversubscribed. If spaces remain, you can join on the day.

Are there activities for children?

The painting workshop is for ages 5 to 6th grade (with a guardian), decorating unglazed small plates or cups. The wheel-throwing workshop has no age limit.

What should I bring to the kintsugi workshop?

Bring your cracked, chipped or broken pottery (up to 2 pieces, each up to about 20 cm across) and a box to carry it home. Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty, and arm covers if you like.