Hello! This is Taki from the Uchiru Editorial Department, a pottery market that you can enjoy at home.
Mino ware is a general term for ceramics produced in some areas of the Tono region of Gifu Prefecture. Mino ware, which is said to be characterized by its lack of character, is a pottery that has become a familiar part of our daily lives, and we often see it on the table without consciously picking it up.
This time, we would like to introduce you to the Toki Minoyaki Festival, an event where Minoyaki is brought together.
What is Toki Minoyaki Festival?
Toki Minoyaki Festival Overview
Toki Minoyaki Festival is a Minoyaki pottery fair held every year during Golden Week in Toki City, Gifu Prefecture. It is considered one of Japan's three major pottery festivals, along with Arita Pottery Fair in Saga Prefecture and Setomono Festival in Aichi Prefecture.
It is a large-scale pottery fair with over 300 exhibitors and 300,000 visitors each year.
The event in 2023 is scheduled for May 3rd (Wednesday) to May 5th (Friday), 2023. For the latest information, visitofficial website Please check .
What is Mino ware
Mino ware is a general term for ceramics produced in parts of the Tono region of Gifu Prefecture (Toki City, Tajimi City, Mizunami City, and Kani City).
It appeared during the Momoyama period with a free idea that had never existed before, and is also called "Mino Momoyama pottery."
Among them, ``Oribe Komi'', which was developed by Furuta Oribe (1543-1615), who was a military commander and a tea master, is famous.
Charm of Toki Minoyaki Festival
Toki City, Gifu Prefecture is said to be the number one producer of ceramics in Japan. The Toki Mino Ware Festival held in such a place has a rich variety and quantity of products.
In addition, this event is an annual sale held by Mino ware wholesalers, so you can buy high-quality pottery at reasonable prices.
*Wholesale trading companies and pottery tents (approximately 90 stores)
Mainly bargain items and value items are lined up.
*Kuradashi City where warehouses of wholesale trading companies are opened (approximately 30 stores)
Oribe Hills Shop and warehouses of wholesale trading companies are opened to sell at low prices. We have super cheap items, unlimited baggage, and products for commercial use, which are very popular.
＊Artists' tents from all over the country (approximately 160 shops)
In addition to containers, the artists' tents sell products made of wood, leather, glass, and cloth. There are also handmade goods and accessories available.
One of the charms of the Toki Minoyaki Festival is that you can see a wide range of genres all at once, from the unique and innovative pottery of young artists to traditional Minoyaki.
The large tent market for wholesalers and manufacturers will be on the red street (on the map above) to the northeast of the venue, and the craft exhibition for artists and others will be on the blue street on the west and south sides of the venue.
The Toki Mino Ware Festival not only sells ceramics, but also includes a stamp rally, a pottery experience corner, and performances by street performers, so you can enjoy it not only as a shopping event but also as an event.
There are plenty of gourmet tents for food and food stalls, so you can enjoy everything from lunch to dessert.
How to enjoy and go around the Toki Minoyaki Festival
Anyway, there are a lot of shops and products, and the area is wide, so first get a flyer with a map of the venue at the entrance.
If you get tired from touring pottery, fill your stomach with delicious gourmet food and go around some more. You can enjoy the whole day to the fullest.
It's also fun to be able to talk with the artists who are actually making pottery on the spot.
If you find the right time to talk to him, you might even be able to hear some of the fun stories that led to the creation of his work.
The Minoyaki Festival also has toilets and nursing rooms. It is fully equipped in the Oribe Hills General Information Center building, which is right next to the place where the food stalls gather.
Toki Mino Ware Festival Application Edition
On the first day of the event, many people come to the event eager to buy good things. Bargain items tend to sell out quickly, so if you're a big shopper, we recommend that you aim for them on the first day.
However, there may be unexpected discounts on the last day.
Also, since the products are made of ceramic, it is difficult to carry all the purchased products by hand as they are heavy and bulky. It is very convenient to have a foldable backpack or carry bag.
There will be a post office at the venue, so you can have your purchases delivered to your home. If you plan on purchasing a lot, it might be a good idea to check the location in advance.
Venue is Oribe Hills
Oribe Hills is a Toki Mino Ware wholesale commercial complex located in the northern part of Toki City.
Ceramics wholesalers come together, and there are wholesale direct sales stores that carry everything from Japanese tableware, rice bowls, and flowerpots, to shops that offer high-quality items that are carefully selected by the owners.The wide selection of products is like a ceramics department store. Good morning.
Kirakuan Satsuzuki Kiln, which has a gallery and has a wealth of works by artists, and Nature Avenue, which mainly sells products that women like, such as French fragrance products, pottery, and glass, sells honey and has an adjacent cafe. You can meet a variety of colorful potteries and manufacturers, such as La Fiore, a pottery shop, and Cafe Blossom, a miscellaneous goods cafe.
Access, parking
If you are going to the Toki Minoyaki Festival by car, you can go by the following route.
・2 minutes by car from Tokai Kanjo Expressway "Gotomaki Smart IC"
・Approximately 10 minutes by car from Chuo Expressway "Toki IC" or Tokai Loop Road "Toki Minami Tajimi IC"
During the event period, it is Golden Week, so congestion and traffic jams are expected, so please take that into consideration.
The Toki Minoyaki Festival has a special parking lot, from which a free shuttle bus leaves every 15 minutes to the vicinity of the venue.
We recommend arriving early to avoid parking being full.
Artists you can meet at the Toki Minoyaki Festival
From here, we will introduce the artists exhibiting at the Toki Mino Ware Festival. (Please check the official website for the latest information.)
Yutaka Ito (Mizunami City)
Mr. Ito is an artist active in Mizunami City, Gifu Prefecture, which is the production area of Mino ware.
After being formed on the potter's wheel, patterns such as ``shinogi'', ``block'', and stamp-like ``flower patterns'' are applied by hand one by one.
You can view Yutaka Ito's works here.
Yutaka Ito product list page
KANEAKI SAKAI POTTERY
KANEAKI SAKAI POTTERY's desire is to ``deliver utensils that people really want,'' and they create products that bring beauty into everyday life and make everyday dining a little more special. He creates pottery that is comfortable and makes you want to use it for a long time.
You can also view KANEAKI SAKAI POTTERY's utensils here.
KANEAKI SAKAI POTTERY product list page
S U I Y O
S U I Y O's vessels have beautiful patterns based on Western paintings.
The engraved series is created from plaster molds carved directly from hand-drawn pictures.
The transparent deep green color is tasteful, and the shading created by the glaze pools is also attractive.
You can also see S U I Y O's pottery here.
S U I Y O Product List Page
South kiln
Minami Kiln, which has been in business for 50 years in Dachi-cho, Toki City, Gifu Prefecture, is a major Mino-yaki production area, and mainly produces handmade pottery such as Oribe, Shino, Kouhiki, Akae, Annan style Gosu-e, etc. Mr. Minamigama.
The charm is the cuteness of the paintings, each carefully drawn with each stroke, in a calm atmosphere.
While it is a work that gives you a sense of tradition, it is a modern and easy-to-use pottery that suits modern life.
You can view Nanagama's pottery here.
Nami kiln list page
Shinyuki Nakanishi (Tokushima/Komoegama)
Mr. Nakanishi's adorable Toriyugiga series was inspired by the small birds that were brought over from Vietnam during the Edo period and were depicted on Annante (pottery that was loved by many tea ceremony masters). That's what it is.
In China, small birds and cranes are considered lucky animals. The small bird was dynamic and cute, and he came up with the idea to draw it with a sparrow as a motif.
The unique pieces, which give off a somewhat oriental atmosphere, can be used at everyday dining tables without pretense, and the dishes they serve will also show off a lovely and rich expression.
Finally
The same goes for containers and the same goes for food.
Incorporating your own beauty and favorite things into your daily life will enrich your daily life.
I feel that the colors that are carefully woven into our lives naturally bring relief to our hearts, which tend to be caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Why not visit the Toki Mino Ware Festival once to encounter your favorite beautiful pottery and experience the passion of craftsmen for craftsmanship?
If you are unable to visit the Toki Minoyaki Festival right away or would like to see more Minoyaki pottery, please take a look at the Minoyaki pottery that we carry at our store.
In addition to the Japanese tableware introduced above, we also sell a variety of pottery, so if you'd like, please visit Uchiru, a pottery market that you can enjoy at home.
Home Enjoy pottery market Uchiru
I hope you find your favorite Mino ware or utensils and enjoy your daily table scenes even more!