Tsuboya Pottery Festival 2026: Yachimun a Walk From Kokusai-dori
The Tsuboya Pottery Festival runs from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 November 2026, on Tsuboya Yachimun Street in Naha, Okinawa. This is the 47th edition. Three days.
The site is within walking distance of Kokusai-dori, the main street of Okinawa. In the centre of Naha, it is one of the few pottery festivals in a producing region you can reach without a rental car.
Yachimun belongs to a different lineage from mainland pottery. Grown under Chinese and Southeast Asian influence, the pieces are thick, large and strong in colour. To an eye used to mainland work, they look like something else entirely.
This article draws together what the Tsuboya Pottery Cooperative has announced, but always check the official site before you set out.
Dates for the Tsuboya Pottery Festival 2026
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | Friday 20 to Sunday 22 November 2026 / three days |
| Edition | 47th |
| Venue | Tsuboya Yachimun Street, Naha |
Three days, Friday to Sunday. Because Friday falls inside the dates, anyone free on a weekday will find the first day the quietest and the best time to enjoy it.
November is a good season to travel in Okinawa. The heat has gone, walking is easy, and it fits neatly with sightseeing from the mainland.
A pottery region in the middle of Naha
Tsuboya Yachimun Street is walkable from Kokusai-dori. That is the single biggest thing about this pottery festival.
| Means | Route |
|---|---|
| Monorail | Walk from Makishi or Asato Station on the Yui Rail |
| On foot | South of Kokusai-dori. Through Ichiba Hondori and you are there |
| From the airport | Yui Rail from Naha Airport to Makishi Station |
You can get there from the airport on public transport alone, which makes it easy to build into an itinerary.
A car is the wrong choice here. This is central Naha, so you will spend the time looking for parking. Come on the Yui Rail and walk.
About yachimun as pottery
Yachimun is the Okinawan word for pottery. The route by which it grew is completely different from mainland ware.
The Ryukyu Kingdom traded with China, Korea and Southeast Asia. The techniques and the designs of yachimun came in from there. Because it did not pass through the tea culture of the mainland, it is not of the wabi lineage. The colours are deeper, the lines thicker, the patterns clearer.
In 1682 the Ryukyu government gathered kilns from across the islands into Tsuboya in Naha. That is where Tsuboya ware begins. Kilns and shops still line the street today.
How to tell yachimun
- Thick The opposite of the thinly thrown mainland piece, yachimun is made thick. Pick one up and the difference in weight is unmistakable
- Fish, karakusa, dotted marks The patterns have names. Fish is said to mean a good catch, karakusa scrollwork prosperity
- Amber, green, gosu blue Colours born of Okinawan clay and glaze. The brown of the amber glaze in particular is the face of yachimun
- Arayachi and joyachi Large unglazed pieces, and glazed pieces for everyday use. These are the two lines
At the festival, pick one up first. The thickness and the weight of yachimun do not come across in photographs at all. The moment it is in your hand you know it is not mainland ware.
We cover the region as a whole in yachimun, so do read up on it.
How to work the Tsuboya Pottery Festival
- 1. Walk in from Makishi Station Take the monorail towards the site, and as you come through Kokusai-dori and Ichiba Hondori the atmosphere changes, which builds the anticipation of stepping into a pottery festival.
- 2. Walk the street end to end once Yachimun Street is not long. You can see the whole of it before picking anything up.
- 3. Stop at the Tsuboya Pottery Museum Learn the history of the pieces before you handle them. That is one of the secrets to enjoying a pottery festival.
- 4. Hold them and compare the weight This is where yachimun is decided. Even in the same shape, the thickness differs from kiln to kiln. Pick them up, look, touch, and choose the one piece that is yours.
Yachimun is heavy. If you are carrying it back to the mainland, think about the weight of your luggage first. On a flight it can reach the checked-baggage limit. Asking at the time of purchase whether they can ship is reassuring.
What to bring to a pottery festival
- Cash Small kilns are sometimes cash only, so bring cash.
- Newspaper or a towel The pieces are thick, but rims do chip. They will wrap them, though sometimes only lightly, so having something to cushion with is reassuring.
- A light layer November in Okinawa is a comfortable season, but mornings and evenings are a little cool, so do not forget something warm.
Related articles
Getting to know yachimun
- Yachimun: The Okinawan Pottery Shaped by the Island’s Clay and Sea
- Mingei: The Folk Craft Movement That Changed Pottery
- Pottery Regions of Japan: A Buyer's Map
What to look for in a piece
- Yakishime: Unglazed Pottery Fired to Its Limit
- Gosu: The Cobalt Blue Behind Japanese Sometsuke
- Kodai (Foot Ring): The Part Collectors Check First
Before you go to a pottery festival
- Pottery Fair Calendar
- How to Visit a Japanese Pottery Fair: 9 Regions Compared
- Pottery Classes in Japan: Where to Try the Wheel
- How to Care for Japanese Ceramics: A Practical Guide
Pieces available at Nokaze
For the days you cannot be there
The festival runs only three days a year. Even if you cannot go on those days, we deliver pieces made one at a time by makers across Japan, direct from where they are made. Each carries its maker's name, so you can trace who made it.
See pieces by our makersFAQ
When is the Tsuboya Pottery Festival held?
How do I get to Tsuboya Yachimun Street?
How does yachimun differ from pottery on the Japanese mainland?
Shop the related pieces
Okinawan Pottery (Yachimun)
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New to Japanese pottery? Start here — its history, how pottery differs from porcelain, the clays and glazes behind each style, and how to care for a piece. → Japanese Pottery: The Complete Guide