Craft Hills

Kasama has been a center of pottery production in Japan for over 300 years, and Craft Hills is where you get hands-on with that tradition. The complex holds artists' studios, showrooms, and working kilns, with workshops available for throwing and painting ceramics. A large spring festival in late April and early May brings potters from across the country and fills the grounds with temporary stalls. Outside festival season, it's a quieter visit where you can browse studios, watch work in progress, and pick up pieces directly from makers. Kasama is about two hours from Tokyo by train, making it a manageable day trip.