Tokoname: City of Ceramics Past and Present

Chubu Centrair International Airport is built on an artificial island off the Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture, to the south of Nagoya. The architecture is contemporary but the interior has been laid out with many traditional Japanese design elements. From the airport, it takes just five minutes by train to reach Tokoname, one of Japan's longtime centers for traditional pottery. Just about everything in the city is connected with ceramics production. Visitors will see many factories with their distinctive brick chimneys. They will also notice pottery items displayed along the streets, and can follow walking routes that are paved and lined with old pieces of earthenware. One of the main districts for traditional pottery lies on a hillside overlooking the city. Production here peaked in the years before World War II, but has since declined. Today, it makes a fascinating place to visit, thanks to its mixture of traditional pottery workshops, galleries, and old factories that have been refurbished for new uses. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Estella Mak first looks around Centrair Airport, before moving on to explore Tokoname. She is given a guided tour along the Pottery Footpath, and meets some of the local people whose lives have a long connection with pottery production. Next, she visits the Ono District, where she discovers another side of Tokoname. This area was once a prosperous port and the main town on the Chita Peninsula. She talks with a local group that is working to revitalize the community, and meets some of the younger people who have moved into the area.