A slow weekend in Mashiko
Mashiko sits in Tochigi Prefecture and has been a pottery town since the nineteenth century. Its reputation grew when Hamada Shoji settled there in 1924 and helped make it a centre of the mingei folk craft movement.
The main street is lined with kilns and small shops, but the better finds are often down side roads, where a potter may be working behind the shop and happy to talk if you ask about the glaze.
When to go
The town holds large pottery fairs in spring and autumn. They are lively and crowded. For quieter conversation, come on an ordinary weekend in between.
What to bring home
Everyday Mashiko ware is sturdy and thick-walled, made for use. A plain rice bowl or a teacup with a persimmon glaze travels well when wrapped in clothes at the centre of a suitcase.