murmurMikawachi Ware Kilns Hamazen Festival
Sasebo City · Mikawachi Sarayama pottery village
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Mikawachi Ceramic Industry Cooperative · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates not confirmed
- 2026
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early May
- How the date is set
- Every year, May 1 – May 5
- Venue
- Mikawachi Sarayama pottery village
- City
- Sasebo City, Nagasaki
About
From May 1 to 5 every year, Mikawachi Sarayama in Sasebo, where the kilns of Mikawachi ware cluster together, holds this festival. A hamazen is a round stand made of the same clay as the pottery; it sits under each piece in the kiln to stop it warping as it shrinks, and once used, it is done. The festival thanks and honors these essential tools and the potters of past generations, and at a Shinto ceremony at Toso Shrine a new stand is offered. During the festival you can walk through the charming streets of Sarayama, call in at the kilns, look around workshops that are usually closed, buy pieces at special sales venues and try painting pottery yourself. Mikawachi ware auctions give you a chance to bid on pieces the kilns are especially proud of.
Sources
- OfficialMikawachi Ceramic Industry Cooperative www.mikawachiware.or.jp
- OfficialNagasaki Prefecture Tourism Association (Nagasaki Tabinet) www.nagasaki-tabinet.com
Last checked: Oct 10, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.