Tokoname, a Ghibli-like town | One-day tour of the Lucky Cat Town

Tokoname, a Ghibli-like town | One-day tour of the Lucky Cat Town

Today, we will visit Tokoname, the town of Lucky cats. We will visit the museums of ceramic tile and toilet and stroll through the unique townscape where the ceramic industry flourished. Please set subtitles. Good morning. It’s 9:00 a.m. and I’m heading to Tokoname Station. Tokoname is a town of ceramics famous for its lucky cats. Tokoname Station is a 30-40 minute train ride from Nagoya Station, and I will first head to the INAX Live Museum. It’s about a 10 minute taxi ride from Tokoname Station, and the taxi fare is about 1,200 yen. The predecessor of INAX was the Ina family, who had been potters for generations here in Tokoname, and in 1924 they established a ceramic tile manufacturer called Ina Seito Co., Ltd. This is a corporate museum run by INAX, and is made up of seven sections. First, I will visit the Tile Museum. A space that recreates the temples of ancient Mesopotamian civilization with round tiles. You can enjoy experiential exhibits that recreate tile spaces from various eras around the world. And the roof of the Islamic civilization’s mosaic tile dome is a masterpiece. It’s so beautiful I could look at it forever. If you look closely, you can see that it uses very fine tiles. The lighting also reproduces the changes in the sun throughout the day, shining the tiles from various angles. A fireplace made of 17th-18th century Dutch Delft pottery. It was inspired by Vermeer’s paintings. Next, I move on to Victorian England, where I can feel the rich historical background. Finally, a space that uses modern tiles to express the Japanese seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. Let’s go up to the second floor. Don’t you think the tiles on the stairs are really nice? On the second floor, an actual tile collection is on display. Some of the oldest tiles are said to date back to around 4000 BC. The main exhibits are collections donated to Tokoname City by collectors of tiles from various eras around the world . It’s amazing that such a collection was collected by an individual. This museum is located where a kiln used to fire clay pipes used to be, and an actual kiln that was used is preserved and displayed on the premises. Then, when you enter the kiln, a projection mapping focusing on clay pipe making is shown. You can experience the flames of the clay pipes spreading through the kiln. Tokoname ware has a long history, and pottery was already being made in the 12th century. This is because the clayey soil, which contains a lot of iron, was suitable for producing pottery. In modern times, the production of ceramic clay pipes became a major industry in Tokoname. As Japan modernized and sewerage systems were developed, the demand for clay pipes was high, and 400 chimneys stood in the town of Tokoname, making the sky pitch black with smoke. When the demand for sewerage disappeared, Tokoname’s clay pipe industry declined. Next, let’s go to the Toilet Museum. It’s an old ceramic toilet, but it has beautiful painting. It’s strange how toilets look like works of art when displayed like this. The Toilet Museum was quite interesting. I can see the history of toilets, from old toilets to the appearance of flush toilets and the invention of the Washlet toilet. The exhibition space was not so large, so I finished looking around quickly, but to be honest, I didn’t want to be shown so many toilets, so the exhibition scale was just right, I thought. By the way, INAX is currently the second largest toilet manufacturer in Japan after TOTO. 30% of toilets in Japan are INAX products. The “Golden Toilet” is also a popular exhibit at the INAX Live Museum, so don’t forget to check it out when you come here. And the popular souvenir at the museum shop is the “Toilet Monaka(traditional Japanese sweet)”. Hmm… I can feel their love for the toilet. At the end of the video, I will actually try it and give my review. There was also a facility where you could do a workshop using tiles. This workshop to make “glowing mud balls” is very popular and requires reservations. I would like to participate with my children, it looks like it would be really fun. A space where large terracotta tiles are displayed in the outdoor exhibition. It feels like I’ve wandered into some mysterious ruins. It reminds me a bit of “Castle in the Sky”. The INAX Live Museum was quite interesting. It’s a little far from Tokoname Station, but it was worth the trip. On the way back, I’m going to walk around the town of Tokoname. When walking through the retro streets of Tokoname, I noticed something. Ceramic objects are displayed in various places. They are casually displayed in ordinary houses, or on top of postboxes, and it’s fun to walk around the town. I thought this fine house was decorated with a row of ceramics, and then at the entrance, there was a statue of a gentleman and a nameplate with “Ina”. the founder of INAX? It says “A Walking Path with Ceramic Sculptures”, and It seems like the whole town is involved in displaying pottery. An old tea shop with a lot of atmosphere, with the words “Matcha Ice Cream” near the entrance. They are grinding matcha inside the store. The atmosphere is too good. It has a real presence. The large Seven Lucky Gods are made of pottery. I got a matcha ice cream for 380 yen, and tea for free. The messages written by local elementary school students are nice. The playful cups are cute, and the ice cream and tea were delicious. The townscape is retro, like an anime. Judging from the name “Honmachi Taishokan”, it seems to be a building from the Taisho era. It was open as a coffee shop, and local people were chatting inside. The old brick chimney is now noticeable. From here, we enter an area called “Yakimono Sanpomichi”(Tokoname Pottery Footpath) In the area, there are many remains of kilns that used to fire clay pipes. The remains of the kilns have been turned into cafes, and there are also many pottery studios and galleries. It is a fun area to visit while checking out the various shops. Here, a large kiln site has been preserved and can be visited. The old “Noborigama”, a signboard of an important cultural property, has eight kilns lined up. It is a fairly steep slope. It is built on a slope, taking advantage of the tendency of fire and heat to rise. It says “routes”, but is this really the right path? Looking up from the back, I could see a row of chimneys. In the past, pitch black smoke rose into the sky from here. The way down is also quite hard. Let’s continue our walk on the Tokoname Pottery Footpath. The Tokoname Pottery Footpath is on top of a hill that is one level higher than the surrounding area. The kilns were built using the slope, so they seem to be concentrated on the top of the hill. The Dokanzaka, a representative landscape of Tokoname, is a mysterious space. Recycled ceramic materials are used on both sides. These are shochu bottles, and people with trypophobia will get goosebumps. Recycled ceramic materials are also used as anti-slip materials on the slope. Tokoname is close to Chubu Centrair International Airport and next to the station, so I saw a few tourists with suitcases. There are many slopes, so it seems quite difficult to walk while pulling a suitcase. I recommend leaving your luggage in the storage. What? There’s something there! A black… goat? I can see something that looks like a collar, so maybe it’s a pet? It’s almost lunchtime. It’s past 1pm, so I’m hungry. There are some cafes that have been renovated from old houses, so I headed there. The narrow alleys are like a maze, and it feels like I’ve wandered into a Ghibli movie. Wow, this atmosphere is just too good. According to Google Maps, there is a cafe with delicious food up ahead, but it was closed today… I pull myself together and head for another cafe. It was closed today… This eel restaurant was a savior for me. The menu looked delicious, and the prices were reasonable compared to Nagoya. The interior of the restaurant had a relaxing atmosphere, like a local restaurant. I ordered the eel and tempura bowl set for 2,700 yen. The eel was bigger than I expected, which was nice. The eel was sweetly seasoned, and the skin was crispy and grilled to perfection. The tempura bowl also had two shrimp on it, which was very satisfying. The plate was made from Tokoname ware, thank you for the meal. Now that I was full, I decided to go on my last mission: to see the guardian cat “Tokonyan”. This “Yakimono Sanpomichi Map” is available at Tokoname Station and the tourist information center. It was quite useful, so please get one. Tokonyan is on top of a hill, so follow the signs and match them with the numbers on the map. The route to Tokonyan was surprisingly complicated. There were a few people who looked like tourists, so I guess this is the way to go. Oh…! I can see the flat white back of the cat. Finally, I met Tokonyan, the landmark of Tokoname. Tokonyan seems to be lit up at night. Finally, we head to Tokoname Station through Maneki-neko Street. 39 ceramic cat objects made by Tokoname ceramic artists, they are lined up along this street. It’s a small outdoor gallery. It’s about time to go home. It’s snack time. Let’s try the “Toilet Monaka” I bought in Tokoname. It’s shaped like a toilet…! By the way, it cost 370 yen per box. Put the red bean paste in here. The way to eat it is the same as regular Monaka. The red bean paste is grainy. It’s all out. Set complete! Let’s eat! It’s very delicious. With Monaka, the outer part sticks to your mouth, doesn’t it? This Monaka doesn’t do that. It’s crispy and delicious. Thank you for watching.

0:00 – Intro
0:59 – INAX Live Museum / イントロ
8:58 – Tokoname Townscape / INAXライブミュージアム
10:20 – Kotobukien Tea Store / 寿園茶店
11:53 – Tokoname Pottery Footpath / 常滑やきもの散歩道
17:02 – Unagi Maruichi / うなぎ丸一
18:47 – Tokonyan / とこにゃん
19:59 – Toilet Monaka / トイレのもなか

Today, I will visit Tokoname, the town of Lucky cats.
I will visit the museums of ceramic tile and toilet and stroll through the unique townscape where the ceramic industry flourished.

本日は、招き猫の町、常滑を観光します。
陶器タイルとトイレの博物館を見学し、陶器産業が栄えた、ユニークな町並みを散策します。