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Workshop

Bizen trip

· Bizen, Okayama, Japan

A loaded wood-fired kiln with Bizen pieces prepared for firing.
Bizen trip
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Learning Bizen from the inside.

An immersion in the daily ceramic life of Bizen: its clays, its forms, its kilns, and the people who keep one of Japan's oldest ceramic traditions alive. Not a conventional trip; you work alongside local ceramicists.

Dates
15 Jan – 15 Feb 2027
Format
Workshop
Location
Bizen
Status
Program coming soon
Read the project story

The experience

  • Prepare and work Bizen clay, on the wheel and by hand.
  • Make chawan and enter the culture of tea; sake bottles and cups, teapots, and service pieces.
  • Prepare pieces for wood firing and learn how placement shapes the effects of flame and ash.
  • Visit workshops, kilns, and places tied to Bizen's history.
  • Meet ceramicists of different generations, from inherited tradition to contemporary work.
  • Daily studio time for your own practice.

Who it's for

For ceramicists and people with a serious interest in Japanese ceramic practice. Different levels can join; some experience with clay is recommended to make the most of the studio time. The group is kept small for studio access, individual guidance, and life with the local ceramicists.

The team

Built on MK Pottery Studio's collaboration with Taiga Mori and ceramicists of Bizen. Magali coordinates the program and the relationship between the international group and the local community. The final teaching team for 2027 will be announced with the full program.

Program

Arrival

Settle into the accommodation, meet the group, and take a first walk through the pottery district.

Bizen clay

History, origin, and preparation of the material. First practice on the wheel and by hand.

Tea culture

The forms of tea, and building chawan.

New generations

Meeting contemporary ceramicists and their techniques, languages, and ways of working.

Fine forms

Teapots, vessels, bottles, and cups: demonstrations and practice.

Preparing the firing

Finishing pieces, placement criteria, and understanding the effects of the wood kiln.

Closing

Reviewing the work, organising the pieces, and a final gathering. The order of activities may vary with the availability of ceramicists, studios, and kilns.

Practical information

Format
Small groups between 15 January and 15 February 2027; each group has its own dates and length, published as they are confirmed. Mornings of demonstrations, accompanied practice, personal studio time, visits, and shared meals.
Accommodation and meals
The program includes accommodation in Bizen and shared meals. Room options, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners will be detailed in the final information, along with the activities, local transport, and visits included.
Pieces and shipping
Work can be prepared for a later firing in Bizen and may stay in Japan after the group leaves. Firing, packing, and international shipping conditions will be confirmed before booking.
Plan your journey

Price

The price, each group's dates, payment conditions, and the cancellation policy will be announced with the final program. Joining the interest list involves no payment and does not guarantee a place, but you receive the information before booking opens publicly.

Conditions

  • International flights, transfers to Bizen, travel insurance, personal expenses, and international shipping of pieces are not included unless the final program states otherwise.
  • Firing times may require pieces to stay in Japan after the group leaves; shipping is not included unless expressly stated.

From past editions

I learned about Bizen clay and firing, but I also found an extraordinary community.

Lisa, New Zealand

An inspiring experience, with an enormous amount of knowledge concentrated in very little time.

Lara, United Kingdom

Frequently asked questions

Why Bizen?

Bizen ceramics use local clays, traditionally no applied glazes, and long wood firings: flame, ash, and placement make every surface unrepeatable. And it is a living territory, where new generations of ceramicists reinterpret the tradition.

Interested in this event?

Join the interest list and we will share confirmed details when they are published.

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Get the program first

Leave your name and email. We will send the confirmed program and booking opening when they are ready.