Between AM & Interns from Slot 2 & 3
▶️ Play the song Mong · 옴 – Omm.. on youtube while reading through this blog ▶️
Ah, Tokoname.
It’s one of those places you’ll keep hearing about at Obubu. Every now and then, someone will mention a new teapot they found there, a cozy cafe tucked away in a side street, or a spontaneous day trip that somehow turned into one of their favorite memories.
So, dear future interns and future Assistant Managers, add Tokoname to your list. Trust me.
I (Ambre – AM #15) first visited Tokoname about a month ago, wandering its streets on my own. This time was different. I went back with a group of friends: Liszt, Chong Jun, Dhvani, Leah, Donovan, and Garance. As much as I enjoyed discovering the town by myself, sharing it with friends gave the day a completely different feeling. Every little discovery became something to laugh about, every café stop turned into a long conversation, and somehow the streets felt even more alive.
For over a thousand years, this small coastal town has been shaping clay into pottery. Today, it’s considered one of Japan’s six ancient kiln towns and is especially famous for its beautiful unglazed red clay teapots. Once you start learning about tea, you quickly realize that the cup is only half the story, the vessel matters just as much.
Walking along the famous Pottery Footpath feels like stepping into another era. Narrow lanes wind between old kilns, traditional workshops, and towering brick chimneys that have watched over generations of potters. Every shop has its own atmosphere. Some display delicate handmade kyusu lined up with perfect precision, while others feel wonderfully chaotic, overflowing with cups, bowls, tiny ceramic cats, wind chimes, and little treasures waiting to be discovered.
One of my favorite moments happened in one of those tiny pottery shops. We spent far longer than expected comparing teapots, debating which shapes we liked best and trying to justify buying “just one more.” It’s funny how quickly a simple shopping stop can turn into one of the highlights of the day when you’re surrounded by good company.
Between the pottery shops, we stopped for lunch before continuing our walk. There was no itinerary to follow and nowhere we absolutely had to be. We simply wandered, followed whichever street looked interesting, and occasionally peeked into shops we hadn’t planned on visiting. Great unplanned moments.
Beyond the pottery, Tokoname has a quiet charm that makes it easy to slow down. Small cafes hide between workshops, family-run restaurants welcome tired travelers, and if you keep walking, you’ll eventually find yourself near the sea. After spending weeks surrounded by tea fields in Wazuka, seeing the ocean again felt unexpectedly refreshing.
By the time we headed back, the afternoon had slipped away almost without us noticing. Our backpacks were a little heavier than when we arrived, but what stayed with us most wasn’t what we bought.
Spending time in Tokoname reminded me that tea doesn’t end in the fields.
Every cup carries the work of so many hands, from the people who grow the leaves to the potters who shape the vessels we drink from. Visiting Tokoname made me appreciate that connection a little more.
And maybe that’s what I loved most about the day.
Not just the pottery, or the cafés, or even the beautiful streets, but sharing all of it with people who turned an ordinary day trip into a memory I’ll look back on long after my time at Obubu.
Here’s to beautiful places, good company, and the stories we collect along the way. Until the next adventure.
