Agano Ware Autumn Kiln Opening 2026 | October 23-25: Dates, Kilns, Shuttle Bus

The autumn kiln opening of Agano ware runs for three days, Friday October 23 to Sunday October 25, 2026, in Fukuchi, Tagawa District, Fukuoka Prefecture. Hours are 10am to 5pm. This is the 30th year.

For three days, the kilns of this tea-ware village open their shops with their new autumn work. At the Agano Ware Pottery Hall and the shops of the eight participating kilns, you can pick up Agano ware at a good price. The kiln shops also bring out special finds for this period only.

This is not a fair with hundreds of tents in rows, like the big pottery fairs. It is a fair in a small village in the hills, where you visit the kilns one by one and choose. It suits people who want to take their time and choose their pottery while talking with the artisans.

Dates for 2026

Three days, starting on a Friday. The weekend gets busier, so if you want to choose in peace, the opening Friday is the day to aim for.

The eight participating kilns

These are the eight kilns taking part in the 2026 autumn kiln opening (in no particular order).

• 梶原窯
• 光修窯
• 庚申窯
• 昇龍窯
• 天郷窯
• 十時窯
• 守窯
• 渡窯

The Pottery Hall shows pieces from every kiln together. The special finds for this period, though, are only at the kiln shops. The least wasted order is to find the kiln you like at the Pottery Hall first, then visit that kiln.

What you can do at the Agano ware autumn kiln opening

• All Agano ware 20% off　Buy Agano ware at a good price.
• Stamp rally　Collect stamps as you go round the kilns and you can enter the prize lottery draw.
• Collaboration pottery designed by Japan Airlines (JAL) cabin crew　On sale for this period only.
• Taiwanese tea served in Agano ware　October 23 and 24. Paid, reservation required
• Tea gathering　October 25. Paid
• Food trucks　The village is in the hills, so this is the convenient place to eat

On October 24 and 25, a local volleyball team also holds a try-it session.

How it differs from the spring pottery festival

Agano ware holds its fair twice a year, in spring and autumn. The venue is the same Agano village, but what is on differs a little.

The draw of autumn is that you are the first to hold the new work the kilns fired for these days.

Getting to Agano village

Agano village is in the hills, and it is not a place you walk to from the station. If you come by train, please use the shuttle bus from Akaike station. The timetable is on the Agano Ware Cooperative's official website. If you go by car, arrive in time for the 10am start and you can take your time going round the kilns.

About Agano ware

Agano ware is said to have begun about 400 years ago, when Hosokawa Tadaoki, lord of the Kokura domain in Buzen and a tea master himself, invited potters from the Korean Peninsula and built a kiln at Agano. From the start, it was a kiln making pottery for the tea ceremony.

• One of the Seven Kilns of Enshu　Counted among the seven kilns favored by Kobori Enshu, the Edo-period tea master, and loved by tea practitioners ever since.
• The character of the glaze　It is known for pieces with a copper green glaze poured over them, and even with the same glaze, every piece runs differently.
• Thin and light　The lightness in the hand, refined over its history as tea ware, is another hallmark of Agano ware.

It is designated a national Traditional Craft of Japan. It carries the standing of tea ware, yet at the kiln shops you can also pick up pottery for everyday use. That is what makes the kiln opening worthwhile.

In the same Fukuoka autumn, the Koishiwara folk pottery village festival is held in Toho, a village of folk pottery. Tea ware at Agano, folk pottery at Koishiwara. Even in the same prefecture, the character of the pottery is completely different. For a guide to Japanese pottery as a whole, see the complete guide to Japanese pottery.

How to work the Agano ware autumn kiln opening

• 1. Arrive for the 10am start　Special finds are limited in number and go during the morning.
• 2. Go to the Agano Ware Pottery Hall first　Compare pieces from all eight kilns at once and get a sense of which kiln you like.
• 3. Pick up a stamp rally card　It doubles as a map for going round the kilns.
• 4. Visit the kilns that caught your eye　Special finds are only at the kiln shops. The glaze runs differently on every piece, so line them up and choose.
• 5. Finish at the Pottery Hall with the lottery and the food trucks　If you forgot to buy anything, pick it up here and round off your kiln-opening tour.

What to bring to a pottery fair

• Cash　Some kiln shops may not take cards or electronic payment, so come prepared.
• Newspaper or a towel　Thin pieces chip easily, so something to wrap them in helps.
• A sturdy bag　Go round several kilns and your bags slowly fill up.
• Shoes you can walk in　You will walk a lot between the Pottery Hall and the kilns.

Related reading

Pottery fairs in Kyushu

• Koishiwara Folk Pottery Village Festival 2026: Free Shuttle and Traffic
• Onta Ware Folk Pottery Festival 2026 | A Special Village of Only Nine Kilns
• Japanese Pottery: The Complete Guide

Before you go to a pottery fair

• Japan Pottery Fair Calendar 2026-2027: 90 Dates and Venues
• How to Visit a Japanese Pottery Fair: Crowds, Cash, Haggling