Ghibli Park and the Art of Fire　A Journey to Experience Pottery Culture First-hand

Packed with recreations of the worlds within the Studio Ghibli films cherished by so many around the world, Ghibli Park came to life on November 1, 2022 in Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (Moricoro Park).
The park consists of five areas in total. On November 1, 2022, Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth, and Dondoko Forest opened in the first phase. Mononoke Village next opened on November 1, 2023 with the Valley of Witches opening in March 2024, completing the second phase.
Experience the worldview of Studio Ghibli productions using your own two feet to stroll through its characteristic forests and along its picturesque pathways.

The city of Seto is one of Japan's leading kiln location beloved by fans for its beautiful pottery. Within this artistic city lies the Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum, where you can see a collection of some 8,800 potter pieces from ancient Jomon civilication vessels to modern works of art from Japan, Asia, and the rest of the world. The museum boasts some of the most prominent pieces on display in Japan.

One thousand years of pottery, stoneware and ceramics history and culture is celebrated at the Seto-Gura Museum in one of the two major kiln areas of Aichi, Seto City. Pottery and chinaware from Seto became so famous that even now, all kiln fired items and ceramics are known as "Seto-yaki" ("Fired in Seto"), or "Seto-mono" ("Seto Goods"). Such was the artistic quality of Seto-ware, it is displayed in the Smithsonian and other museums and galleries around the world.

The Maneki-neko Museum is Japan’s largest beckoning cat museum, exhibiting thousands of pieces from personal collections. The museum building features a Western-style architecture from the Taisho period, typical of Seto. Its striking exterior has become a new landmark in Seto’s city center.
Local sculptor Yasumaro Ozawa’s tiles and three-dimensional works decorate the building’s details, with cat motifs hidden throughout. See if you can find them!

Seto is one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan and one of the world's few kiln communities with a history of more than 1,000 years.
That's where STUDIO 894–read as "Yakushi", the Japaneseword for "to fire" or "to bake"—makes its home. The studio's kiln is a variety known as yakushigama and has created auspicious items such as Chinese zodiac decorations and manekineko, or beckoning cats, for 70 years since its establishment.

Expect enticing buys along this shopping district on streets lining both sides of the Seto River just outside Owari Seto Station on the Meitetsu Seto Line. The shops here sell earthenware together with retailers offering a variety of other goods as well as a bank. Even with all these shopping options, shops selling pottery are the majority along the streets as you would expect from Seto, the City of Pottery.
These pottery vendors are simply brimming with fired pieces from dishes for home use to those at restaurants in a stunning array of variety.