Arita-Ceramics

Hello! I have a few quiet days ahead so I’ll try to catch up a bit on stories!!

Last week, Nozomi drove us over to Arita so we could try not to buy ceramics.

While over all there were plenty of shops for us to look in, and lots of beautiful pieces to agonise over, it’s almost a ghost town with so many places shut and not many people visiting.

A stark contrast to last year when I was lucky enough to be here for the ceramics festival!!

The amazing wall made of kiln bricks and pottery bits

We popped in to so many shops. If they had all been open there would be no way we would have been able to leave within daylight hours!

I didn’t take pics of the work from the high end stuff… Felt weird. But sometimes even the more mass produced stuff is fun to rummage about in.

Lots of interesting details all over the place if you are prepared to look around.

His and Hers loo signs in ceramics for example.

Random wall parts

Some kind of lantern?

Creative cafe frontage

A closer look at the water trough

Alleyways…

Driveway embellishments

Pavers

A massive 1000 year old Gingko tree!

Still too warm and the leaves are resolutely not turning yellow yet.

ok… Maybe I see a bit of yellow…

Many owls…

Overall, we all had a fun day out together, hanging out, oohing and ahhing over gorgeous ceramics, chatting to locals, eating…

We hope this sleepy little town comes back to life and people discover all its delights!

xxx

(Unexpected manhole cover design)