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Amazing pottery and ceramics tour in Seto

made by 14 year old customer

Amazing pottery and ceramics tour in Seto

Car Tour (driving guide)

Joined 2024

Serge R.

5.00 / 5

(8 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

Aichi

Dutch (Native), English (Native), Japanese

7 hours

Private tour (only you and Serge R.)

Up to 6 people

Discover Seto, a haven for pottery enthusiasts! Visit a pottery museum, watch a master potter, explore shops, and even join a workshop. Stroll along Kamagaki no Komichi, a 400-meter path lined with old kiln tools showcasing Seto's ceramic heritage. Stop by the Maneki Neko Museum, home to the largest collection of "Goodluck" cats. Enjoy lunch at a scenic soba restaurant before heading to Tajimi to explore the Mino Ceramics Park, with exhibits by local and global artists, a tea ceremony, and more.

Itinerary

This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!

09:00 AM

Meeting Point

hotel, hostel, airbnb, station, etc

- Any place within a reasonable reach in and around Nagoya

10:00 AM

Seto-Gura museum

The best place to learn about the History of Japan’s Pottery, this museum offers an immersive journey through the history of pottery, featuring a recreated pottery workshop, coal kiln, and chimney, all centered around the 20th century in Seto. Visitors can explore over 1,000 years of Seto ware history and discover the close connection between ceramics production and the Setoden railway. A genuine Setoden train car is also on display, adding to the unique experience.

11:10 AM

kamagaki no michi

a 400-meter-long winding footpath in the eastern foothills of the town. This narrow street is lined with old pottery tools and kiln parts, offering a glimpse into Seto's rich ceramic heritage. The house of a potter built in Meiji Era is restored and used as a museum. Tools for ceramic manufacturing and the products manufactured in the Meiji Era are exhibited. If you are up for it we can visit a local shrine, the Suehiko Shrine which enshrines the spirit of Toshiro Kato, the master potter who established Seto as a ceramic center.

observe and chat with a pottery master, or attend a workshop

The title says it all

12:00 PM

Lunch time!

The original plan is to have lunch at a lovely place situated in a small forrest. The main menu is soba or buckwheat noodles. Delicious and affordable. However if you are a meat, sushi, Mc Donalds fan, no problems!

01:20 PM

Visit Mino Ceramic Park

A beautiful building located in the forrest and mountains, they have different exhibitions each month, please ask me about this beforehand. I don't think there is another place like this, anywhere, a huge building completely focussed on ceramics and pottery.

03:00 AM

go for a walk in Tajimi, Honmachi Oribe Street

Honmachi Oribe Street is a shopping district dedicated entirely to ceramics, offering everything from affordable souvenirs to stunning, high-end works of art—catering to every taste and budget. Tajimi, renowned for over a thousand years as a hub of Minoyaki ceramics, is especially famous for its distinctive deep-green copper glaze. Along the street, you'll find a small information center, antique shops, and charming eateries

03:10 PM

Recharge your soul

Once you've had your fill of ceramics, and prefer to skip Honmachi Horibe Stree, we can also make a trip to Kokeizan Eihoji Temple for some quiet contemplation. Founded in 1313, Eihoji sits on the bank of the Toki River and is reached via a steep, twisting path through an ancient forest.

The temple features a huge pond filled with giant carp and small Buddhist Jizo statues hidden in the treeline. A meditation hut is placed high on a rock from which a waterfall cascades down to the pond. Monks are still trained at Eihoji, which adds to the spiritual atmosphere.

Ending Point

Bnb/hotel/cardboard box under a bridge

Want to personalize this tour?

This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.

Inclusions & Exclusions

What‘s included

Transport by minivan/Delica D5

in car Wifi

refreshments

Seto Gura museum entrance

gasoline/parking

some really bad singing (optional)

guidance

What‘s not included

(own)lunch

entrance fees

Tour Important Information

This tour involves a lot of pottery, so make sure you love pottery and ceramics.

The whole itinerary is flexible, we can cut things, add things, whatever you please. We can even call it a "pottery tour", but instead visit all local sake breweries, your spouse never has to know.

No mondays as museums are closed

Cancellation Policy

Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time

Joined 2024

Serge R.

5.00 / 5

(8 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

About Tour Guide Serge R.

Hi lovely travelers,

I'm Serge, originally from the Netherlands, and Japan has been my home for over three decades now. What brought me here initially was love, and that love has kept me rooted in this beautiful country ever since. Along the way, I discovered another love: Japan itself. Following my stint as a radio jockey and TV presenter, where I co-hosted a dedicated program for the Nagoya Grampus soccer team, I transitioned to a behind-the-scenes role as a media fixer for international media outlets.

Though my job as media fixer, I've been traveling and working throughout all of Japan, exploring unique places and meeting lots of very interesting people.

I would love to share and make you, my dear traveler, experience these places as well. Visiting and getting a tour at Japan's oldest traditional vinegar maker, or experience and taste at a traditional "katsuo bushi" bonito flake maker, or do you prefer to visit some old local shrines or temples. with no-one around you, except for the crickets and trees. Maybe you just want a friend to bring you to your desired locations and interpret and be at your beck and call 24 hours (like I do for the media). If you're looking for flexibility (time, places. transport), you won't find a better match than me.

My work as a fixer taught me a valuable lesson: the key to traveling together successfully, lies in a blend of humor, professionalism, and adaptability.

Reviews

Lesley R.

5 / 5

Nov 30, 2025

Nagoya: car tour to the beauty of Korankei valley

Nov 30, 2025

Nagoya

7 hours

“Best tour of our trip!”

Our guide adjusted the tour at the last minute to accommodate our request to walk around Ghibli Park since the weather was perfect! She was a lot of fun and a great guide and companion for the day! Our time with her is one of our best memories of the entire trip!

Serge R.

Thank you so much, Tomoko really enjoyed the time with the both of you and I was also happy to have had the chance of meeting you both. Again, thank you so much, and I hope we'll see again! Serge and Tomoko

Bob B.

5 / 5

Nov 22, 2025

Nagoya: car tour to the beauty of Korankei valley

Nov 22, 2025

Nagoya

7 hours

“SERGE-Japan Korenkei Gorge - Knowledgeable, fun, safe and willing.”

My wife and I booked Serge several months before our tour 20th November 2025.We weren't nervous about it as he kept in contact with us before our tour. Japan is a pretty well regulated country and the only thing we had to worry about was the presence of Autumn colour in the area. We needn't have worried, Serge made some sort of sacrifice to the spirit world and it was nothing short of amazing. However, Serge made it Super-Amazing. He is very knowledgeable about his home town area of Nagoya/Toyota. He has a sense of fun and was chatty all the way through our experience. He is a very safe driver. He had snacks and drinks for us when he picked us up in a very spacious car. He speaks fluent English and Japanese and was able to charm his way into a parking space almost on top of the gorge despite the crowded roads and obvious lack of parking facilities. Later in the afternoon he took us to a temple famous for cherry blossom and Autumn maple leaf colour AT THE SAME TIME It's true, I tell yuh! He introduced us to the priest too. We got the full treatment from Serge. We had his undivided attention for the full time in the contact and a little bit more on top too. He has been doing this for a while now and is a very competent guide. Right at the start I explained about a health issue I have. He checked on me regularly but without being intrusive and gave me his contact details in case I needed any help later on in our holiday. Oh yeah, he is a bit of a photographer too. He will show you some neat techniques and take loads of photos of you, for you. A grand day out. If you're in the area look him up. In case you didn't realise, we thought he was prett-darn good.

Serge R.

You were right Bob, I just pulled out a hankey. Thank you so much for this beautiful review..and yeah it doesn't happen very often, but I'm speechless. The only times this happend was during the birth of my sons (panic attacks), when my wife said "I do" at my wedding (again panic attack) and when I was born (until the doctor smacked me on my bum.... he unknowingly unleashed an evil). You thought that on the way back we would run out of topics and drive back in silence.... never underestimate the power of the blabbing Dutchman! I also love the detail in your review, and how you remembered every tiny thing. The cherry on top was me being able to give you a hug and break through your wall of English stubbornness....you guys are great, and I'm sure that the goat is smiling from goat heaven, knowing that he/she got sacrificed for a great cause. Love Serge

Lisa H.

5 / 5

Jul 15, 2025

Nagoya Private Car Tour for Auto Enthusiasts

Jul 15, 2025

Nagoya

7 hours

“Great day for Toyota fan!”

We had a great day with Serge visiting key Toyota locations. Serge was flexible with the itinerary and allowed us to make some changes to accommodate the group's interest. He was knowledgeable, friendly and safely navigated us around Nagoya and Toyota City. The day was an absolute highlight for the massive Toyota fan in our party, and we are extremely happy that we made the decision to ask Serge to facilitate this day trip for us! We would not hesitate to recommend Serge for this tour or any other that he provides. It was wonderful to meet you, Serge, and thank you again!

Serge R.

Dear Lisa, thank you so much for choosing me, I had a wonderful time with you all and I'm so happy I could fulfill your partner's wish to visit the mecca of Toyota. I wish you all the best and never hesitate to contact me if you have questions or need something. With kind regards, Serge