Bonsai Viewing and Ceramic Throwing in the Bonsai Mecca of Takamatsu on the Shimmering Seto Inland Sea

Dive into the Internationally Beloved Art of Bonsai in Takamatsu City, a Cradle of the Craft

Takamatsu City is a premier bonsai production region, and here Nakanishi Chinshoen offers bonsai fields and gardens in which visitors can view a variety of black pine bonsai, from sixth-month new sprouts to venerable treasures over three centuries old. Bonsai has recently found increasing global popularity, and Nakanishi Chinshoen followed suit into the export business. Its facility also offers a gallery space known as “Takumikumo Village,” run by Kagawa Prefecture’s Takumikumo association of artisans. The gallery displays works by artists and artisans working in Japan and abroad, and fosters a fully immersive experience in Japanese traditional crafts.

The approach to Nakanishi Chinshoen and Takumikumo Village welcomes visitors with a stately pine bonsai

Begin with a five minute walk from Nakanishi Chinshoen to the lush pine orchards in which original trees of the bonsai are grown. The master of these orchards is Yoichi Nakanishi, and they have been in his family’s hands for five generations including his own. His wife Kana serves as guide, offering engrossing and informative explanations on the history of the Kinashi area’s bonsai traditions, the trees’ care regimen, and how to develop an eye for appreciating a high quality bonsai.

The orchard’s pines range anywhere from a few years old to half a century, and although some may share a similar height or general look, no two trees are the same. Twice a year they are pruned, and once every five to six years they are uprooted for root pruning as well. Bonsai cultivation is a long and careful process, with the value of a tree said to come from its age.

In this orchard grow black pines ranging from 20 to 30 years old

After taking in the orchards where the original trees of bonsai are raised, head to Nakanishi Chinshoen’s bonsai garden to view potted specimens including black, white, and red pines. It’s stunning to take in the innumerable potted bonsai trees lined up, from three year seed-grown trees small enough to fit in the palm of the hand, to magnificent mature specimens over three centuries old.

The Bonsai Garden features venerable bonsai specimens over 300 years old

“A practiced eye can judge the age of a tree from its bark,” explains Kana Nakanishi. “As a tree accumulates age, it increases in value.” Branch formation and overall shape also play a role in the beauty of a tree, and each bonsai also has a unique personal style passed down from one gardener to another over the many years of its life. Peruse them all and find your favorite.

Pro-led Pottery Throwing and Sanuki Blue Celadon from the Volcanic Tuff of Kagawa

After the bonsai garden, return to the Takumikumo Village gallery space for the pottery experience. Tomomi Hiraoka, a multiple-award-winning potter and the proprietress of Takamatsu’s Hoka Gama studio, leads the experience directly. Hiraoka has extensive experience working with celadon, which is particularly challenging for its high rate of failure during the firing phase.

Hiraokae will be at your side throughout and guide you

Tuff is a rough, white mineral formed from volcanic ash, and Hiraoka is particular about gathering it in Takamatsu for use in her work – to the point that she goes out with a pickaxe to collect it from Eastern Kagawa herself. “If I’m going to make Takamatsu pottery,” she says, “I want to do it with genuine local materials.” Enjoy her expertise and passion as she begins the experience with a talk on this tuff, and the three types of clay you’ll use. 

Since she was little, Hiraoka has always loved the blue of the Seto Inland Sea and its skies. These hues inspired her to create her own unique glaze hue from local minerals, a glaze that has become synonymous with her work: “Sanuki blue.” The works you create in this experience will be finished in her Sanuki blue, fired, and delivered by parcel two to three months after the experience (additional shipping charges apply).

Volcanic tuff that Hiraoka herself gathers

After the talk on theory, it’s time to get hands-on with practice. Beginners are advised to aim for a Japanese teacup or matcha bowl. Begin by wetting your palms and gently stepping on the pedal to turn the wheel. Stretch the piece of clay from its place in the center upward and outward using the fingers and palms of both hands.

The finesse required to precisely direct both vertical and lateral force while throwing can be a real challenge

Working in the quiet gallery space with the soft soothing touch of moist earth in your hands, it’s hard not to be transported. Hiraokae will be at your side throughout, guiding you on finger placement and technique so that even absolute beginners can throw with confidence. Finally, the lip of your cup is finished by polishing with a piece of tanned hide to give it a subtly thinness and smoothness to the touch when drinking from it.

Fine Italian Dining with Tableware by Takamatsu Artisans

In addition to garden strolls and pottery making, this experience offers the optional add-on of a meal course of Italian cuisine served up on tableware and with chopsticks and other utensils all produced by the local artisans of Takumikumo Village (additional charges apply). Chef Seiji Nakano, proprietor of La Cucina Italiana La Salute in Takamatsu’s Mure neighborhood, is passionate about using local ingredients and seasonings in his signature dishes, such as olive pork and Sanuki wine. The chef even brews and serves up the after-meal matcha tea himself.

Pottery made by local lacquer artists and potters at Takumikumo Village

This optional meal course is served on tableware made by the potter Hiraoka herself and the instructor of the alternate lacquer-carving experience, Kota Matsumoto. Chef Nakano explains his meticulousness about the dishes under his dishes: “It takes good tableware to really bring out the best in food.” Indulge his delightful gustatory creations while his wife Takako explains the details of each course and the vessels they are served in.

This round serveware with its wavy light blue plate surface is one a Hiraoka signature work

One such creation is Nakano’s grilled olive beef, a fine branded Kagawa beef served with sauce made of wine from Sanuki Winery, which brews using Kagawa grapes. Hiraoka has always been captivated by the blue waters and skies of the Seto Inland Sea and the climate of Takamatsu, and her ceramics convey these feelings, resonating harmoniously with local fare crafted from local ingredients. Enjoy a slow moment to savor – with all five senses – the best that Takamatsu and its artisans have to offer with all five senses.

Unforgettable Memories of the Setouchi Coast, Viewing Bonsai and Crafting Sanuki Blue Ceramics

Bonsai trees are works of living art painstakingly created over many years of attentive care, and this craft without shortcuts is the pride of Takamatsu City. Bask in the tranquility of a quiet moment as you take in these incredible trees, and lose yourself in the clay of a potter’s wheel, working under a local ceramics artist acclaimed for her “Sanuki blue” glaze that captures the sky and waters of the Seto Inland Sea. When you receive your finished and glazed piece in the weeks after the experience, find it imbued with her love of her hometown and the beautiful coastal scenery of the Seto Inland Sea. Escape the clamor and stress of the day-to-day, and discover a surprising serenity in pottery.

The view from the gallery, where experiences and meals alike are enjoyed in a space with seamless flow