The 98th Mashiko Pottery Market, a pottery sales event in Mashiko Town, Tochigi, will be held from November 3rd to November 7th, 2016.

"Mashiko ware" is said to have started in the same area during the Edo period. Currently, there are about 250 pottery shops and about 50 pottery shops, and young artists are also active.


Mashiko Pottery Market is an event held twice a year during Golden Week and autumn in Mashiko Town. Since it is close to Tokyo, it is said that a total of about 600,000 people will visit. The author has visited several times, and for those who are wondering if this is the first time to visit, I have summarized the atmosphere and access methods of the venue (the image is from the spring of 2016).

access

The venue is Jonaisaka-dori, Satoyama-dori and its surroundings, about 1km away from "Mashiko Station" on the Moka Railway.


If you go by train, it takes about two and a half hours one way from Tokyo. SL also operates on the Moka Railway that connects Shimodate and Mashiko Station, and is popular with railroad fans (check the Moka Railway website for operating dates and times).

By car, about 25 minutes from the Moka IC on the Kita Kanto Expressway and about 20 minutes from the Sakuragawa Chikusei IC. Free and paid parking lots are also available near the venue. Congestion is inevitable around the venue in the morning, so be prepared.

There are also high-speed buses that go directly to Mashiko from Akihabara and Utsunomiya stations (capacity available).

venue

The tents of each artist are lined up on both sides of Jonaisaka-dori and Satoyama-dori on the main street, and around them. Many traditional kilns are also open at the joint sales center, and there are also products that can be bought in bulk at a great price.



On the small hill, there is "Kamagure no Oka" where local artists also participate. As you can see, the venue is wide and ups and downs are intense, so let's think that you can not make many round trips on a day trip. You can turn around efficiently by checking the artists you care about in advance and imagining the vessels you want.




For those who are not confident to see all of them, we recommend the stores along the street, the gallery shop "Moegi Jonaizaka", and the select shop "g + oo". You can see the works of various artists in one store, and you can meet wonderful vessels with high probability.

There are plenty of restaurants, food courts, and toilets. If the weather is nice, you may want to bring your lunch and eat it in the park.

charm

At the pottery market, it is attractive to be able to talk directly with the artist. Private tents may be willing to negotiate prices.

Mashiko ware has a wide range of expressions, and you can really enjoy it just by looking at it. Not only vessels but also works of art and agricultural products are sold, so suitcases and large bags are essential.

The correct answer is to go from the morning

It is very busy in the daytime, but it calms down in a blink of an eye around 17:00. The surrounding restaurants close early, so it's best to go in the morning for a day trip. Also, if you are aiming for the work of a popular artist, it is better to go to the beginning of the session.

If you have time, please drop in at the ceramics theme park "Tsukamoto" and the lifestyle shop "starnet" by car or patrol bus. You can meet sophisticated Mashiko ware and miscellaneous goods.



There are other historical attractions such as the former Hamada Shoji residence and the climbing kiln, but the venue is so large that you can do your best just by looking at the pottery ...! It gets cold when the sun goes down, so please be careful about your physical condition and enjoy yourself.

* Please refer to the website of "Mashiko Town Tourism Association" for event details, parking lots, information on each artist, etc.