About Nagasaki
Hasami Workshop Giveaway
Presented by the Hasami Town Tourism Association
Workshop Giveaway
Create it. Paint it. Plate it.
Win a free pottery workshop in Hasami and experience over 400 years of ceramic culture firsthand.
The Hasami Workshop Giveaway gives 11 lucky participants the chance to join one of three unique workshops, each highlighting a different aspect of Hasami’s rich pottery tradition. Read on to discover the experiences you could enjoy!
How to Enter
Entries are open until January 31, 2026. Winners will be drawn on February 1, and workshops can be booked for any date between February 1 - July 31, 2026.
Good luck!
A. Hand-Built Pottery Workshop - Roll, Shape, and Paint!
Roll out clay, cut and shape a plate by hand, then paint your piece
You'll begin by rolling your clay into an even slab, then use a mushroom-shaped “hump” mold to create a gentle curve in your plate. Excess clay around the edges is then trimmed off. You can choose to keep the edge rounded or use a knife to add scalloped edging. Once you're happy with the shape, it’s time to decorate using paint and brushes. To achieve the best finish, try to avoid going over the same area too many times. Throughout the workshop, instructor Ms. Takagi is on hand to offer guidance and support. Finished pieces are glazed, fired, and shipped at a later date (shipping is included in the prize).
Managed by artist Saori Takagi, the Denshuukan hosts three regular workshops and one monthly special event (as of Jan 2026).
Drop-in workshops (no reservation required)
■ Ceramic Decal Workshop (40–60 min) Participants decorate a vessel using decals (similar to stickers). The decals are applied with water and become permanently affixed after firing.
■ Washi Paper Dyeing Workshop (60–90 min) Participants apply paint with a dropper onto a paper stencil (pre-made or drawn by you), then peel the paper away to reveal a transferred design on the plate.
Monthly Special Event (reservation required)
■ Free Hand-Building Workshop (120 min) - Held on the 3rd Sunday of every month. Make a tea bowl by rolling out clay into long coils, stacking them on top of each other, and blending them together by hand or with tools. Participation is free but shipping is not included. Reservation by DM to @densyuukan_833.
B. Underglaze Painting Workshop - Your Shape, Your Design
Paint a Plate, Bowl, or Cup Using Ten Colors
You'll start by choosing from a selection of plates, bowls, and cups in various sizes, with options such as handled or handle-less cups, or round and square plates. You’ll then decorate your piece using up to ten colors. Before painting, you may wish to sketch a design in pencil, which will disappear during the firing process. A range of brush sizes is available, along with a banding wheel (turntable), making it easy to create clean, even lines by spinning the piece while holding the brush steady. Instructors are available to offer guidance, and a step-by-step instruction sheet in English is provided. Finished pieces are glazed, fired, and shipped at a later date (shipping is included in the prize).
In addition to Underglaze Painting, The Chimney Workshop also offers one other workshop (as of Jan 2026). Visitors may choose to stop by the main Takayama factory for a tour while in the area.
■ Ceramic Decal Workshop (approx. 60 min)
Decorate pottery using the workshop’s original decals - choose between dinosaurs, sea creatures, space, and more. Shipping fees apply (local pickup available). Finished pieces are ready after several weeks.
■ HSOCA – Potter’s Wheel Workshop (30–60 min)
Located underneath The Chimney Workshop, create small pieces such as a teacup, mug, bowl, plate, or small vase. Shipping fees apply (local pickup available). Finished pieces are ready in 1-2 months.
■ Free Factory Tour (approx. 30 min)
Located opposite The Chimney Workshop, tours are available most days 9:00–12:00 / 13:00–16:00. Go behind the scenes to see how robots, artisans, and a conveyor-belt work together to make modern pottery. Booking via Instagram DM is recommended.
C. Mini Plate Decorating - Design a Dish in Miniature
Arrange your favorite dish onto an adorable mini Hasami Plate
In addition to the Mini Plate Decorating workshop, Fake Food Hasami offers two other workshops (as of Jan 2026).
■ Mini Parfait Making Workshop (15-40 min)
Choose your toppings, then mix, pour, squeeze, place, and sprinkle to create a mini parfait that looks good enough to eat. Recommended for children aged 3 and up with adult supervision.
■ Wax Tempura Making Workshop (20–60 min)
Experience a traditional method of Japanese food-sample making using wax. With instructor guidance, watch heated wax transform into lettuce and tempura batter before your eyes. This workshop uses wax heated to 80°C and is suitable for 4th graders and up.
Please check the calendar pinned on @ff_hasami for openings. Reservations for the Wax Tempura Workshop and for days marked △ (limited availability) must be made at least 5 days in advance. When making a reservation, include:
• Preferred date and time
• Desired workshop(s) and number of participants
• Representative’s name and phone number
Hasami Town, Nagasaki Prefecture
For those looking to take the road less traveled, Hasami offers a relaxed and rewarding alternative to Kyushu’s more crowded sightseeing destinations. Cafés throughout town serve dishes on locally made Hasami porcelain, while galleries showcase work from the town’s 35 major producers. Visitors can join a free factory tour and step behind the scenes of modern Hasami ware production at Midou, or head to Nakaoyama to glimpse the ruins of the world’s second-longest climbing kiln (160 meters), which once enabled Hasami to produce more than 600,000 teacups a year during the Edo period. While production has slowed since its Edo-period peak, Hasami’s pottery heritage remains deeply embedded in daily life. Unused factories have been thoughtfully repurposed into areas like Nishinohara, where pottery galleries and ice cream shops now occupy former drying rooms and workshops, preserving Hasami’s distinctive character. Small details leave a lasting impression: pottery drying in front gardens, red-brick chimneys rising above the townscape, and iconic green trucks puttering down narrow roads, carefully transporting unfired porcelain through the streets. From Hasami, it’s easy to expand your journey to nearby towns that enrich the experience with porcelain history and soothing hot springs.
Arita Town - 15 Minutes North of Hasami
© Saga Prefectural Tourism Federation
Neighboring Arita Town in Saga Prefecture is widely regarded as the birthplace of Japanese porcelain. While Hasami and Arita once belonged to different feudal domains, their histories are closely linked, even as their ceramic styles evolved in distinct directions. Visiting both towns makes exploring shops and galleries especially rewarding. Arita is also home to key cultural landmarks, including Tozan Shrine, known for its rare porcelain torii gate, and the Kyushu Ceramic Museum, which traces the history, techniques, and artistry of regional ceramics. Nearby Izumiyama Quarry, where porcelain stone was first discovered in Japan in the early 1600s, adds further historical depth. With points of interest located just minutes apart by car, Arita is easy to explore and pairs naturally with a creative day in Hasami.
Ureshino City - 15 Minutes East of Hasami
© Saga Prefectural Tourism Federation
For those looking to slow the pace even further, a short drive through the hills brings you to another gem of Saga:Ureshino City, an onsen town cherished for its exceptionally soft, mineral-rich hot spring water and long history as a place of rest and retreat. With more than 30 hotels and ryokan, it makes an ideal base for an overnight stay. Beyond its baths, Ureshino is renowned for its green tea, cultivated locally for nearly 600 years. At the Ureshino Tea Exchange Center, visitors can enjoy hands-on experiences such as tea brewing and tea-dyeing workshops. At Ureshino Chadoku, guests can sit on a raised pavilion above tea fields and enjoy freshly brewed tea and traditional sweets while overlooking Omura Bay. Comforting specialties like onsen yudofu (tofu simmered in hot spring water) or green tea soft serve complete the experience, and the town’s relaxed atmosphere makes it the perfect place to unwind.
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