Private multi-day tour · Multi-day from Tokyo
From Tokyo: 4-Day Bizen Pottery & Sword Customizable Tour
Make Bizen-yaki pottery in Imbe, one of Japan's six ancient kilns, visit the Osafune Sword Museum and the old Shizutani School.
Private · your group only◆4 days◆Up to 6 guests◆Pickup included
Road-day snapshot
This is your private tour, so the route is flexible: tell us if you want to skip a stop, stay longer somewhere or add a place nearby.
The experience
A private journey, thoughtfully paced
Okayama Prefecture is home to two great crafts. Bizen ware is pottery fired without glaze, with colors made only by fire and ash. Osafune, a few kilometers away, was the most famous sword-making town in old Japan.
On day 2 you visit Imbe, the pottery town of Bizen, where old brick chimneys rise between the houses. You see the Bizen Ware Museum and then join a hands-on pottery workshop to shape your own piece with Bizen clay.
On day 3 you visit the Osafune Sword Museum. You see fine Japanese swords and the workshops of a swordsmith, a polisher and other craftsmen. On some days a live forging demonstration is held, with sparks flying from the hot steel.
You also visit the Shizutani School, built in the 1600s as one of the first public schools in the world for common people. Its main hall, a National Treasure, has a red-tiled roof in a quiet valley.
Your English-speaking driver-guide explains clay, fire and steel in simple words.
This is a private tour. Only your group. One van, one driver-guide, 1 to 6 guests, never shared with other travelers.
If the Osafune Sword Museum or the pottery workshop is closed on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead visit another Bizen kiln or sword collection of the same kind.
DAY 1 Pickup at your Tokyo hotel in the morning and drive to Okayama (about 8 to 9 hours with breaks). Free evening.
DAY 2 Imbe pottery town, Bizen Ware Museum and your hands-on pottery workshop.
DAY 3 Osafune Sword Museum and craftsmen's workshops, then the Shizutani School.
DAY 4 Morning departure and the drive back to your Tokyo hotel (evening arrival).
Choose with confidence
Is this the right journey for your group?
Excellent fit if
- Hands-on pottery workshop with Bizen clay in Imbe
- Bizen Ware Museum and old brick kiln chimneys
- Osafune Sword Museum and the work of sword craftsmen
- Chance of a live sword forging demonstration on set days
- Shizutani School, a National Treasure from the 1600s
Said plainly
Live sword forging is held only on set days, so it may not be on your date. Your pottery is fired after the tour. Shipping abroad is optional and extra. Dietary needs can be added in the booking form. If the Osafune Sword Museum or the pottery workshop is closed on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead visit another Bizen kiln or sword collection of the same kind.
Your day
Suggested itinerary
Times are approximate. Your driver-guide adjusts the order for traffic, weather, opening hours and the best light.
Hands-on pottery workshop with Bizen clay in Imbe
Bizen Ware Museum and old brick kiln chimneys
Osafune Sword Museum and the work of sword craftsmen
Chance of a live sword forging demonstration on set days
Shizutani School, a National Treasure from the 1600s
What is covered
What you see is what you pay
Ours — included
- Private van and English-speaking driver-guide (Hindi and Urdu also spoken)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in central Tokyo
- All parking, fuel and road tolls
- Pottery workshop fee and materials
- Bizen Ware Museum entry fee
- Osafune Sword Museum entry fee
- Shizutani School entry fee
Yours — paid on the day
- Hotel accommodation (you book your own hotel in Okayama)
- Meals and drinks unless listed as included
- Gratuities, which are never expected in Japan
- Optional shipping of your finished pottery
- Optional pottery purchases
Good to know
Before you book
Languages
English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi
Pickup
Pickup and drop-off at your Tokyo hotel or accommodation (23 wards).
Group and vehicle
Private for up to 6 guests. Enter adults, children, infants and child seats separately at booking.
Dietary and mobility needs
Halal, vegetarian, allergy, walking or other practical requests go in your booking notes and are planned before the day.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can we change the route on the day?
Yes. It is a private tour in our own van, so your driver-guide can skip, extend or add stops where time allows.
Is the price per person?
No. The price is for your whole private group of up to 6 people, including the van, fuel, tolls, parking and your driver-guide.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for an automatic full refund to the original payment method. Within 24 hours, contact us directly so we can help. If a typhoon or official weather warning stops the trip, we offer a new date or a full refund. For a GetYourGuide booking, the terms shown on that booking apply.
Somewhere else in mind?
Any destination in Japan
If this route is not exactly what you need, tell us the destination, dates and group. We confirm the plan and the exact price before any payment is taken.
Plan a custom journeyYour private Japan day
Ready to reserve?
Choose a live date and complete secure payment in a few minutes.
From¥340,000
Check dates