Bizen Pottery Gallery & Café Kurashiki Ichiyo Gama

Welcome to our Bizen pottery shop, located in the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter.
The first floor features a Bizen pottery gallery, and the second floor is a cozy café.
We are just a 2-minute walk from the Tourist Information Center.
We would love for you to visit us!

About the Store

1F Bizen Pottery Gallery

We offer a wide range of Bizen pottery, Bizen-Yaki in Japanese, including mugs, tableware, vases, and more.
For its uniqueness of the pottery, it is perfect for daily use or as gifts. Our collection features one of a kind pieces with varied firing colors, as each design is shaped by the flames and ash during firing.
To curate the finest pieces, we personally visit the kiln studios to handpick items.
Tax-Free Shopping
We are a tax-free shop! International travelers can enjoy tax-free shopping for purchases of ¥5,000 or more (before tax).

Payment Methods Accepted
  • Cash
  • Credit Cards
  • QR Code Payments (e.g., PayPay)
  • Transportation IC Cards (e.g., Suica, ICOCA)
  • iD
  • QUICPay

2F Café

Enjoy matcha, coffee, cakes, and soft-serve ice cream all served in beautiful Bizen pottery.
Our matcha is sourced from Tsujiri-en, coffee beans from Goto Coffee, and sweet red bean paste from Anko no Naito. During summer, we offer shaved ice made with meticulously shaved block ice for a fluffy texture.
We cannot wait for you to try our delicious cafe items in our beautiful Bizen pottery.

Menu Highlights

  • Coffee Hot / Iced
  • Tea Hot / Iced
  • Café au Lait Hot / Iced
  • Matcha Latte Hot / Iced
  • Cake & Drink Set
  • Soft-Serve Ice Cream with Azuki (Sweet Red Bean) & Shiratama (Rice Flour Dumplings)
    (Available in Vanilla / Matcha / Black Sesame & Kinako)
  • Matcha & Seasonal Japanese Sweets
    (Available except in summer)
  • Shaved Ice (Summer Only)
  • Zenzai (Warm Sweet Red Bean Soup, Winter Only)

Cups & Mugs

Plates & Small Bowls

Matcha Bowls

Vases & Steampunk Figurines

Hot Coffee

Hot Matcha Latte

Matcha Soft-Serve Ice Cream

Shaved Ice with Uji Matcha and Condensed Milk

Store Information

Address
3-17 Honmachi, Kurashiki City
Opening hours
1F 10:00 - 18:00 (17:00 from December to February)
2F 11:00 - 16:30(L.O.16:00)30 minutes longer on weekends and holidays
Closed
Mondays (next day if Monday is a holiday)
2F Café has irregular weekday closures

Introduction to Bizen Pottery

Climbing Kiln

What is Bizen Pottery?

Made from high-quality clay, each piece is fired in a kiln for 10 to 14 days, using pine wood to achieve a firing temperature of approximately 1,200℃ (2,192℉). The unique patterns and colors are created by the interaction of flames and ash during the firing process, making every piece one-of-a-kind. The charm of Bizen pottery lies in its natural beauty, achieved without the use of glazes (a glassy coating applied to ceramics).

Potter's Wheel
Firewood
Beer Cup: Produces fine, long-lasting foam

Features of Bizen Pottery

Its simple, natural beauty lies in its unglazed surface, showcasing its raw charm, resulting in a surface with subtle textures and pores.
Unique characteristics that enhance its usability and aesthetic appeal, such as:

  • Flower Vases: Keeps flowers fresh longer.
  • Sake Ware: Enhances the flavor of sake and other alcohol beverage.
  • Retains content’s temperature, hot or cold, effectively.
  • Durable and less prone to cracking.
  • The more you use it, the more its handmade charm deepens.

Firing Colors

Goma (Sesame)

The design is described as sprinkled sesame seeds. Ashes from the fire on the work are vitrified at high temperatures, creating patterns resembling sesame seeds. Colors maybe shades of yellow, gold, black, or blue.

Hidasuki (Fire Rope)

Striking flame-colored patterns from wrapping the piece in straw, creating the most brilliant appearance among all Bizen pottery. This design is especially popular among younger people.

Sangiri

The most complexed design and color expression mix of gray tones with black. Black-toned is created in ash-covered areas, red from exposed parts and blue-tone gray in between.

Ao Bizen (Blue Bizen)

Rare bluish-gray or black hues achieved in oxygen-reducing conditions. It is not guaranteed to achieve this coloring in every firing, making it a rare, thus precious kind of Bizen pottery for centuries.

Botamochi

This design is created by placing a small piece of work on top of a flat piece such as a plate or bowl and baking it. The protected area from the small piece on the top creates a round pattern on plates that looks like a Botamochi (round to oblong rice cakes).

Yohen (Kiln Change)

The most alluring design and coloring of Bizen pottery. Spectacular colors like silver, vermillion, and gold from specific kiln conditions and pieces are buried in a very specific place under the firewoods.

Care Instructions

Before First Use
Soak in lukewarm water and rinse gently.
Avoid Sudden Temperature Changes
Sudden heat may cause cracks. Do not pour boiling water or expose to direct flames.
Microwave Use
Not recommended. It may not crack right away, but could damage over time.
Oven Use
Not suitable.
Before Serving Food
Soak in water for 10 minutes before serving food to prevent oil stains. Soaking also enhance the vividness of the colors.
Use a Mat
Recommend placing a mat under Bizen pottery to protect surfaces from scratches, as Bizen pottery is unglazed and slightly rough.
After Use
Wash promptly in lukewarm water with mild dish soap.
Storage
Bizen pottery surface is porous and not glazed. Ensure pieces are completely dry before storing. Keep in a safe place to avoid damage from falls or earthquakes.

The Six Kilns of Bizen Pottery

Historically, six families have been central to Bizen pottery. Our shop, opened in 1986, is an independent branch of the Kimura Ichiyo Gama, the Bizen pottery maker, owned by Kimura family, one of the original six.
When visiting Kurashiki, we warmly welcome you to explore our gallery and café!