We visit Mashiko village outskirt of Utsunomiya, capital of Tochigi prefecture. Making Mashiko famous is Hamada Shoji after he moved to Mashiko. Mas...
JR Utsunomiya station
Hamada Shoji Memorial Mashiko Sankokan Museum
Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art
Jonaizaka (Kyohan center and Mashiko ware shops)
Higeta Indigo Dye Studio
Cafe lunch in the bush setting
Saimyoji Temple (Statue of Laughing King of Hell)
JR Utsunomiya station
We visit Mashiko village outskirt of Utsunomiya, capital of Tochigi prefecture. Making Mashiko famous is Hamada Shoji after he moved to Mashiko. Mashiko ware was for daily use ceramics like pots, plates as such. Therefore it was not really an art, initially but since Hamada Shoji settled in this village, ｐractical utility and artistic beauty combine to make us comfortable life. Now Mashiko village accept a lot of artists from other area. Actually not only artists but entrepreneurs. You can enjoy nice Cafes in Mashiko. You can enjoy cups, plates using Mashiko ware and food itself is superb. So we visit this town and see museums and shops and also indigo dye factory. In Saimyoji temple, we can see a laughing King of Hell statue.
Guide fee
Transportation Utsunomiya-Mashiko
Admission fees (Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art 600 yen, Hamada Shoji Memorial Mashiko Sankokan Museum 800 yen)
Lunch at Cafe (own expense)
If you want to enjoy Nikko, please think about staying Nikko or Utsunomiya, I will take you around the night tour if you stay in Utsunomiya.
Jack met us at the train station. From the start he was very thorough. His tour in Nikko was just perfect for our family. We saw all the major highlights of the area. His English is very good and knew the area extremely well. Thank you for an amazing day!
Thank you for your compliment. I really enjoyed myself with your family a whole day. It was quite hard to walk on icy road, though. I'm glad you liked my tour on Christmas day. Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!! Jack
We are so happy with out tour- really wonderful person that made us discover Nikko in a very efficient way. Don’t hesitate to book
Thank you for your nice comment. I really enjoyed being with you. I learned a lot of things from you. Thank you and wishing you have merry Christmas and a happy new year! Jack
Our family of 4 {2 adults, 2 children) had a great day out with Jack. Jack brought us around the temple complex and the Imperial Villa Park. He filled us in with great historical information and interesting facts, giving us a dimension and depth that we would never have, had we done the visit by ourselves. Thank you Jack for sharing this great Japanese treasure with us and we wish you good luck and all the best! Julian, Geraldine {Jelly Bean} , Josh & Amber
Thank you for your compliments. I really enjoyed walking around Nikko with your family, Julian. I thought bit boring for your kids. Unfortunately quite a lot of restaurants were closed without any notice. Next time you come to Nikko, please drive up to Chuzenji and Yumoto area where you can enjoy a great nature up there. Please don't forget to book me even it will happen after 5 years. I'll be ready for you. Thank you again for a nice company. Jack
Jack was a wonderful tour guide. We spent the day with him in Nikko. It was interesting, fun, and even delicious. He picked a wonderful spot for lunch on top of creating a beautifully-paced itinerary for the day. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and responsive. I recommend very highly!
Hello Jessica, thank you for your nice comment. I really enjoyed the day with Patrick, Katherine and of course you, Jessica. Kind regards, Jack