TOKONAME Walking Tour – Manekineko-dori to the Pottery Footpath • Japan Walk • 4K HDR • 常滑やきもの散歩道
We begin today’s walk in Tokoname, a pottery town with over 900 years of ceramic history.
This street is Manekineko-dori, lined with 39 handmade lucky cat statues created by local artists. Tokoname itself is a small city that sits on the Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture.
It’s easily accessed from Nagoya by Meitetsu trains in about 30 minutes. It is also one stop from Chubu Centrair International Airport, which is the main airport serving Central Japan.
Many travelers visit Tokoname directly after landing because of its compact, walkable pottery district. Manekineko-dori was developed as part of Tokoname’s community art project.
Each cat represents different wishes for good fortune, health, and happiness, and was designed by an artist with ties to the city. Tokoname is one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns. Its pottery tradition dates back to the late Heian period, around the 12th century. Historically, Tokoname was known for large storage jars, water jugs, and everyday pottery.
During the Meiji era, the town became a leader in clay pipes and ceramic industrial materials. Today, Tokoname is famous worldwide for its unglazed red clay teapots called “kyusu.”
These teapots are still handmade by local potters using traditional techniques. We now enter the Tokoname Pottery Footpath, known in Japanese as Tokoname Yakimono Sampo-michi.
This route weaves through old kilns, workshops, and historic streets. The path preserves the atmosphere of Tokoname’s pottery boom, when dozens of kilns operated here.
Many walls are built from reused clay pipes and red “shudei” tiles produced locally. Here is Tokonyan, Tokoname’s giant guardian cat.
This 6-meter-wide face watches over the street and welcomes visitors with a playful smile. Tokonyan was created in 2008 using ceramic techniques unique to Tokoname.
It quickly became the town’s unofficial mascot and a popular photo spot. Many local shops sell manekineko and red-clay souvenirs.
Tokoname’s red clay gets its color from the high iron content in the soil of the Chita Peninsula. This slope is Dokanzaka, or Clay-Pipe Hill.
The walls are made of Meiji-era clay pipes and Showa-era baked tiles that were once produced in the city. During the early 20th century, Tokoname became Japan’s largest producer of clay water pipes.
These pipes transformed the cityscape and supported Japan’s modernization. We are now entering Climbing Kiln Square, home to the Toei Noborigama.
A “noborigama” is a multi-chamber kiln built on a slope to use rising heat efficiently. We won’t go inside today. The Toei Noborigama was built in 1887 and remained active until the 1970s.
It is one of the largest surviving climbing kilns in Japan. During its peak, the kiln fired countless clay pipes, tiles, and household pottery.
Workers moved pieces by hand between the many chambers, firing them step by step up the hill. Today, the kiln is preserved as an important cultural asset.
The square often hosts pottery workshops and activities for visitors. Our walk continues toward Komyoji Temple, a peaceful neighborhood temple. Just look at those stairs!
Its quiet grounds contrast beautifully with the industrial history of the pottery district. Temple areas like this have supported local communities in Japan for centuries. Tokoname remains an active pottery town today.
Dozens of studios we passed along the way continue to produce handmade ceramics. This was my first time using the DJI Osmo Pocket 3.
Thank you for your patience as many shots are slightly unsteady as I learn the new camera. Thank you for joining this walk through Tokoname’s historic pottery district.
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Experience a peaceful POV walking tour through Tokoname (常滑市) in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, filmed in 4K HDR.
Today’s walk begins on Manekineko-dori (とこなめ招き猫通り), the famous street lined with 39 lucky cat statues, before following the start of the Tokoname Pottery Footpath (常滑やきもの散歩道).
The route passes Tokonyan, clay-pipe walls, historic kilns, traditional workshops, and quiet residential backstreets that highlight why Tokoname is one of Japan’s oldest and most significant pottery towns.
Date: November 28, 2025 at 13:30pm
Weather: Partly Cloudy/Windy
Temperature: 16°C / 61°F
Humidity: 50%
Wind: 24 mph
Camera: DJI Osmo Pocket 3
Footwear: Adidas Bravada
Timestamps:
00:00 – Start of walk at Maneki-neko-dōri (とこなめ招き猫通り)
03:50 – Start of the Tokoname Pottery Path (常滑やきもの散歩道)
08:37 – Arrival at Tokonyan (the Guardian Cat of Tokoname)
30:42 – Dokanzaka – Clay Pipe Hill (土管坂)
37:58 – Climbing Kiln Square (登窯広場)
44:49 – Komyoji Temple (光明寺)
Note: This was my first time using the Osmo Pocket 3, so a few moments of the footage may not be perfect. Thank you for bearing with me as I get used to the new camera.
Best enjoyed with headphones to feel the full ASMR ambience of the surroundings.
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