Welcome to Arita, Saga, a small town in Kyushu known as the birthplace of Japanese porcelain.
Twice a year, the quiet streets bloom to life with visitors and activity during the Arita Ceramics Fair. Throughout this special event, the area is filled with hundreds of shops and pottery of all types – much of it at a discounted price, so craft enthusiasts won’t want to miss out!
Continue reading to learn more about this ceramic event and Arita’s unique history of porcelain!
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Table of contents
- Arita Ceramics Fair Video
- When is the Arita Ceramics Fair?
- Access the Arita Ceramics Fair
- What Can You Buy at the Fair?
- Other Things to Do in Arita
- Where to Stay in Arita
- Final Thoughts
Arita Ceramics Fair Video
Walk the Arita Ceramics Fair with me! We’ll see plenty of unique items, eat a meal in a cafe that serves its dishes on Arita-yaki, and buy some cool ceramic pieces!
When is the Arita Ceramics Fair?
The Arita Ceramics Fair takes place twice a year, once in the Spring during the Golden Week holiday and again in the Fall.
During this time, the street from Arita Station to Kami-Arita Station is lined with hundreds of shops selling their wares.
The fair starts in the morning around 9 am. Each shop has its own opening hours, but places start to operate around this time.
As the event draws more than a million guests each year, it can get quite crowded so arrive early if you want to avoid the crowds.
Check out the “News” page here for updated information on the Ceramics Fair each year.
Access the Arita Ceramics Fair
The main portion of the fair takes place on the street between Arita Station and Kami-Arita Station. Along this 3km stretch is a walking route that’s well-marked with decorative flags and shops so you shouldn’t get lost!
Walking from station to station normally takes about 40 minutes. However, with shopping involved, it can easily take a few hours or more.
Since the fair is right by the JR train stations, it is easy to access via public transportation. From Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the ride is about an hour and a half to Arita Station.
Outside of the main street, there are other shops and kilns to explore around Arita. (See below for more things to do in the area)
What Can You Buy at the Fair?
At the fair, there is an overwhelming amount of goods on sale from over 450 shops.
Find colorful pieces with unique glazes, simple items in mellow colors, items with hand-painted elements, and much, much, more. Believe me, the amount of items for sale is overwhelming!
Pieces range the spectrum when it comes to price, from a few dollars to thousands of dollars each. There should be something for every budget.
In addition to ceramics, other items like plants, wood crafts, and rugs can be found.
Along the street, there are food stalls and cafes. If you are looking for a place to rest your legs, head into one of these and enjoy a drink or meal.
At the Arita Porcelain Lab, you can enjoy a meal served on Aritaware!
*Some vendors accept cash only, so it’s best to bring some.
Other Things to Do in Arita
If shopping doesn’t wear you completely out, there are other places in Arita to explore too! For more ideas, see my full Saga Guide, coming soon!
Izumiyama Quarry
A 15-minute walk from Kami-Arita JR Station is Izumiyama Quarry, the birthplace of Arita porcelain. A Korean potter discovered this site in the early 1600s finding that it held large quantities of high-quality “ceramic stone”. This discovery marked the beginning of porcelain production in Japan.
The depths of the quarry are closed to the public except for once a year in the fall, but the bright orange and white rock face can be gazed upon from the viewing area.
Near Izumiyama Quarry is Ishiba Shrine which has a statue of Yi Sam-pyeong (Kanagae Sanbei in Japanese), who is the “father of Japan porcelain.”
Sueyama Shrine
15 minutes from Kami-Arita Station is Sueyama Shinto Shrine. Unlike other shrine gates in Japan that are constructed from wood and painted bright vermillion red, the gate at Sueyama Shrine gleams bright white and blue – it’s made of porcelain!
*This shrine is also referred to as “Tozan Shrine.”
Arita Sera
A 5-minute drive from Arita Station or a 10-minute drive from Kami-Arita station is Arita Sera, a shopping plaza that has 22 specialty shops selling Arita ware.
Here you can enjoy eating at MARUBUN, a modern and elegant cafe that has a selection of baked goods as well as coffee, tea, and juices – all served on Arita ware.
Also located at Arita Sera is the restaurant and hotel, arita huis. There are limited accommodation facilities in Arita, but arita huis is a hotel that is conveniently located near many shops and Arita Station. Even if you don’t stay overnight, you can enjoy lunch in the spacious dining area.
Tonbai Walls
Soak up a bit of history by walking the back streets of Arita. Here you’ll find the special “Tonbai Walls” which stand out due to their orange-brown facade, and irregular texture.
These walls are made from old kiln bricks and fragments of ceramic. Upon closer inspection, you can see that parts of the bricks glisten with a dark sheen – a result of ash that adhered to the bricks and vitrified into a thin glaze.
Where to Stay in Arita
Accommodation options in Arita are limited, but there are a few options if you book early. If you can’t find a place in Arita, you can also check out hotels in nearby Ureshino Onsen and Takeo Onsen.
arita huis
arita huis was renovated in the Spring of 2018 and is located in the Arita Sera shopping complex.
The hotel has a spacious dining area and 10 guest rooms. The double room I stayed in was very compact with much of the space in the main room taken up by the bed.
The bathroom featured concrete walls and a minimal aesthetic. From the website, it looks like some of the other rooms are more spacious than the one I stayed in.
A delicious breakfast was served in the morning – I especially enjoyed the bread that came with the poached egg.
This hotel is a good place to stay given its convenience to the Arita Sera shopping street, and Arita Station.
Shukubo Shingetsu
For an upscale experience, there is the newly built Shukuo Shingetsu. I visited the area and was wowed by the exterior alone. A stay here is on my bucket list!
“Shukubo” is the term for accommodations for Buddhist monks and worshippers. “Shingetsu” is made up of the kanji “heart” and “moon” and means “having a heart as clear and bright as the moon.”
The hotel offers three private rooms in detached buildings. The rooms are constructed to highlight natural materials and elements of Arita porcelain. Breakfast and dinner are included and served at the restaurant, Yasuna.
Keramiek Arita
Keramiek means Ceramic in Dutch!
I haven’t stayed at this guesthouse yet, but I’ve only heard good things about it from those who have. Located a 5-minute drive from Arita Station, Keramiek Arita is another option for those who want to stay overnight in Arita.
The owner of the guesthouse is Dutch and can speak English, Dutch, Japanese, and some German. There are Western-style rooms with beds and Japanese-style tatami rooms available.
Ryokan Oomuraya (Ureshino)
If you choose to stay in Ureshino Onsen, I highly recommend Ryokan Oomuraya!
This hot spring inn was founded during the Edo period and is the oldest inn in Ureshino Onsen. The concept of the inn is “enjoying a post-bath experience with music and books.”
The inn has a special music lounge with records and headphones as well as a music-themed bar.
Even the rooms come with a speaker and CD player. When I walked into my room, The Beatles was playing! There are private and public baths to enjoy the special waters of Ureshino.
Final Thoughts
For pottery enthusiasts, a trip to Arita is a must! While the Ceramic Fair only happens twice a year, if you are able to attend, it’s a great event to immerse yourself in the area’s famous crafts and maybe come home with a souvenir or two.
Outside of the fair, there are still places to explore in Arita and beyond. Look for my complete Saga Guide, coming soon!
Want to see more interesting places in Kyushu? Check out my new book!
This book is a visual introduction to Japan’s Kyushu region. The over 60 pages of full-color photos and text depict various spots for sightseeing, enjoying nature, and experiencing seasonal festivals. Enjoy perusing the pages and discovering Kyushu’s less-traveled treasures! Ships internationally.
For more Kyushu adventures, check out these posts!
Thank you so much for a very interesting article!
You have already inspired me to visit some parts of Japan, and now I think that my next plan is going to be visiting Fukuoka ::)
That’s wonderful to hear! Fukuoka and Kyushu have many nice place to visit 🙂