Photograph giant Beckoning Cat and retro alleyways! A photogenic tour of Tokoname's "Tokoname Pottery Footpath"

• Table of Contents
• Let's start at the Tokoname Tourist Information Center.
• Taking a photo of the giant Beckoning Cat"Tokonyan "
• Searching for your "favorite cat" on Beckoning Cat Street
• I took a photo that's typical of Tokoname on the concrete pipe slope.
• I took a picture of a landscape with a climbing kiln and chimney.
• Photographing "everyday Tokoname" in alleys, cafes, and galleries.
• Photo shoot itinerary
• Etiquette when taking photos
• lastly

Let's start at the Tokoname Tourist Information Center.

Before starting our Pottery Footpath, we headed to the Tokoname Tourist Information Center, which is our starting point.

You can get a tourist map and leave your luggage at a designated place, allowing you to enjoy a lighthearted photo-taking stroll.

Tokoname Tourist Information Center

3-8 Sakaemachi, Tokoname City, Aichi prefecture, 479-0836

The Tokoname Tourist Information Center in Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture, is a base for visitors to Tokoname, providing easy-to-understand information about the area. Located a five-minute walk from Meitetsu Tokoname Station, it's conveniently located, making it easy for first-time visitors to Tokoname to find their way there without getting lost. The information center offers a wide range of tourist information about Tokoname City and the surrounding area, including tourist maps, brochures, and event information. Our staff is also happy to assist you with advice on sightseeing routes and recommendations for recommended spots. Our hospitality, unique to Japan, ensures that international visitors feel at ease. Tokoname is known as one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns, and is the birthplace of Tokoname ware, a craft with a thousand-year history. The information center introduces tourist attractions that allow visitors to experience the region's history and culture, including the Pottery Walk, pottery making experiences, local cuisine, and cultural assets. We also provide access information to popular, photogenic spots like Maneki-neko Street and the INAX Live Museum, making it a popular starting point for many visitors. The tourist information center also sells local specialties and Maneki-neko souvenirs, including Tokoname ware accessories and local crafts, making perfect souvenirs or gifts. Information on limited-time exhibitions and workshops is also available, so you'll always find something new no matter how many times you visit. The Tokoname Tourist Information Center also serves as a "place of interaction" connecting locals and tourists, and goes beyond simply providing information to help enrich the travel experience of visitors. Please feel free to stop by as the starting point for learning more about the charms of Tokoname.

Taking a photo of the giant Beckoning Cat"Tokonyan "

The first main photo spot is Tokonyan , the symbol of Tokoname .

This giant Beckoning Cat, measuring 3.8m in height and 6.3m in width, is striking with its face peeking out from over the wall.

Tokonyan

479-0836 Sakaemachi, Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture

A popular spot in Tokoname City, situated along the Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture, is where you can see a huge and impressive beckoning cat (maneki neko). This functions as a signpost for those aiming to visit the Tokoname Pottery Path from Tokoname Station. The cat statue peeking out from above the wall measures 3.8 meters high and 6.3 meters wide. When visiting the Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture, please come and see Tokonyan for yourself in Tokoname City.

If you want to enjoy Tokonyan and Beckoning Cat even more, be sure to check out our special Feature Articles on Tokoname in Tokoname.

Searching for your "favorite cat" on Beckoning Cat Street

The Beckoning Cat Street, located on the way to Tokonyan , is a great spot for taking photos while walking.

There's a certain enjoyment in searching for Beckoning Cat with different expressions and wishes.

Tokoname Manekineko Street

479-0836 Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture

The life-like cat is placed next to the giant beckoning cat, and even when seen up close, it looks just like a real cat. Along the road heading east from Meitetsu Tokoname Station to the Tokoname City Ceramic Hall, you'll find a giant beckoning cat statue, 39 magical beckoning cats, and 11 lifelike cat ceramics on a concrete wall. This popular spot is known as Tokoname Manekineko Street. Each lucky cat is made with love by 39 pottery artists in Tokoname City. Moreover, the 39 lucky cats are filled with various blessings. The lifelike cats are placed next to the giant beckoning cat. Even when seen up close, they resemble real felines.

If you'd like to learn more about the Maneki-neko (beckoning Beckoning Cat) of Tokoname , please also check out this Feature Articles.

I took a photo that's typical of Tokoname on the concrete pipe slope.

Among the many spots along the Pottery Footpath, the one that best captures the essence of Tokoname is the clay pipe slope.

Clay pipes and shochu bottles are used in the walls and streets on both sides, allowing you to enjoy a landscape unique to a town known for its pottery.

Dokan-zaka

Sakae Town, Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture, 479-0836

Saka , located in Tokoname City on the Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture , is about 10 meters south of the shipping wholesaler Takita Family Home, and is one of the most representative sights on the Pottery Footpath . The left and right walls are densely covered with clay pipes from the Meiji period and shochu bottles from the early Showa period, and the slope is paved with discarded "kesawa" rings used in firing clay pipes, making it easy to walk on without slipping. If you are visiting the Chita Peninsula in Aichi Prefecture , be sure to stop by Saka in Tokoname City as part of your sightseeing.

If you want to enjoy Tokoname, including the Dokanzaka slope, in half a day to a full day, please refer to this itinerary.

I took a picture of a landscape with a climbing kiln and chimney.

The Pottery Footpath retains places that evoke the history of Tokoname, a town that once flourished as a center of the pottery industry.

Photographing "everyday Tokoname" in alleys, cafes, and galleries.

The charm of Tokoname isn't limited to its famous spots.

As you stroll along the Pottery Footpath, you'll find scenes in even the most ordinary places—narrow alleys, old buildings, galleries, cafes, and landscapes filled with pottery—that are worth capturing in photographs.

Photo shoot itinerary

90-minute course

Tokoname Tourist Information Center ⇒ Beckoning Cat Street ⇒ Tokonyan ⇒ Dokanzaka Slope ⇒ Gallery & Cafe ⇒ Return to Tourist Information Center

2-3 hour course

Tokoname Tourist Information Center ⇒ Beckoning Cat Street ⇒ Tokonyan ⇒ Clay Pipe Slope ⇒ Landscape with Climbing Kiln and Chimney ⇒ Gallery & Cafe ⇒ Tokoname Pottery Shop ⇒ Return to Tourist Information Center

Etiquette when taking photos

Around the Pottery Footpath, you'll find not only tourist attractions, but also the homes of people who actually live there and shops that are still in business.

When taking photos, please remember to be considerate of the local community by not entering private property, obtaining permission to take photos inside shops, and not blocking the road.

lastly

The Tokoname Pottery Footpath is an area filled with picturesque scenery that you'll want to capture in photos, including the giant Beckoning Cat"Tokonyan," the clay pipe slope, climbing kilns, and landscapes with chimneys.

Easily accessible from Nagoya and Chubu Centrair International Airport, you can enjoy taking Tokoname and unique photos that are characteristic of Tokoname, even in a short amount of time.

Why not take a stroll through a pottery town with your camera or smartphone in hand during your trip?