Arita - Day Trip from Hakata

Arita is well known around the world for its beautiful fine porcelain made with Kaolin clay. An annual pottery fair is held in Arita from 29 April to 5 May, therefore pottery connoisseurs are highly encouraged to visit the fair. Ceramic Artworks are sold at a discount and pay a visit to one of the many workshops in the area. They are a treasure trove for ceramic pieces, that are not exported to your home country.

I visited the city, a day after the fair and it felt like a "ghost town". Most of the shops and workshops were shut. Here are some pictures around town:













I visited Tozan Shrine, which is famous for its porcelain archway and other items made of porcelain. In other shrines, these items are usually made of stone.






Containers all ready for export!


Other spots to visit -
1) Ri Sam Pei Monument - from the above, you will have a scenic view over the houses and kilns of Arita
2) Big Ginko Tree
3) Tombai walls in the back roads - they are built using bricks dismantled from the traditional Japanese Kiln
4) Kyushu Ceramic Museum ( it is closed on Mondays and admission is free)
5) The Kilns
6) If you have extra time, hop to Takeo Onsen, where you can soak your tired body in one of the traditional baths.

Getting there-
From JR line from Hakata Station and alight at Kami Arita Station.