On this journey we'll discover the beauty of both the incredible ceramics and lush countryside of southern Japan. Joining us as a guest lecturer on this in-depth study tour will be Robert Yellin, one of the foremost experts on Japanese ceramics. Between Robert and the many skilled potters we'll meet, expect to return home having received a real education in ceramics, from mingei pottery to high-fired, low-fired, glazed and ash-glazed yakishime.

We'll visit the great pottery centers of Kyoto, Shigaraki, Bizen, Karatsu and Hagi, exploring the unique styles of each, and learning about traditional and contemporary ceramics. Throughout the tour we will have many opportunities to be guests in potter's studios, where we'll hear about their lives and their art. We will also have a chance to see the work of various other craftspeople and to enjoy the mastery of these artists.

We'll travel Japan's rugged hills and lush valleys, which are studded with thousands of puffing, glowing kilns, producing the beautiful ceramics the region is well-known for. We'll visit small towns full of artisans still working with traditional materials in both ancient and innovative ways. And all along the way, we'll immerse ourselves in the sights, sounds, flavors and feel of Japan, meeting artists, craftspeople and storytellers, traveling as the Japanese do and staying at outstanding inns.

This tour is a dream-come-true for ceramics enthusiasts who want a real education in Japanese ceramics while enjoying a deeply personal experience of Japan's culture, arts, history, cuisine and aesthetic influences. Traveling Japan's famed ceramic centers, kiln towns and artist's studios with renowned ceramics expert and charming raconteur Robert Yellin is an experience not to be missed for the serious ceramics buff.

Day 2: Kyoto
Arrive at Osaka's Kansai International Airport. If you are on our guest flight, your tour leader will meet you at the airport and assist you in transferring to your hotel. Accommodations: The Princess Kyoto

Day 3: Kyoto
The day begins at Sanjusangen-do Temple, which features a magnificent display of carved wooden, gilded statuary. We walk a short distance to the Kawai Kanjiro Museum, where we visit the home and studio of the famed 20th C. Mingei potter. After a Kyoto style lunch, we visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple where we'll be guests of the temple priest's family in their garden and home. The garden, called the "Garden of the Moon," uses design to create a sense of space in a limited area. Then we'll visit a master potter who creates some of Kyoto's finest bowls for tea ceremonies. From there, it's a short walk to the studio of a potter making dynamic contemporary sculptural works glazed in traditional Kiyomizu celadon green. The evening is free. Accommodations: The Princess Kyoto (B,L)

Day 4: Kyoto
The first visit of the day is with a traditional brush-maker whose handmade brushes crafted from sheep hair and wood make wonderful gifts. We travel into the countryside to the Miho Museum, which houses an exquisite private collection of Asian antiquities and art in a spectacular mountain setting designed by I.M. Pei. Afterwards, we visit the studios of two well-known potters in nearby Shigaraki pottery village. We return in the late afternoon and meet again to walk to dinner. Accommodations: The Princess Kyoto (B,D)

Day 5: Kyoto
Early risers can enjoy a full Buddhist service performed by 40 chanting monks, including a fire ceremony. A local train takes us to Rengei-ji, a little-known hideaway in northern Kyoto, where the garden harmonizes perfectly with the adjacent mountains. The abbot and his wife welcome us with whisked green tea in their tearoom and discuss Tendai Buddhism with us. Lunch at an old riverside inn will be followed by a shakuhachi flute performance. Our next visit is to the studio of a calligraphy master and performance artist. There we'll see him wield his gigantic brush, dancing across paper to create a masterpiece-in-the-moment. At dinner we'll enjoy a sake tasting using fine ceramics. Our final visit of the day is to a master carver of Noh masks. We'll meet in the evening for a dessert reception at Café David with proprietor and friend of Esprit, Morimoto-san, followed by a visit to his home to view his private collection of Asian art. Accommodations: The Princess Kyoto (B,Dessert)

Day 6: Kurashiki
We depart Kyoto by train to Kurashiki. We'll visit the Ohara Museum, with its collection of Mingei works by Hamada Shoji, Munakata and Serizawa, Asian antiquities, Japanese paintings and European masters. We have free time to stroll the well-preserved and charming canal which is lined with weeping willows and full of interesting old storehouses that now house museums and shops. We meet later for dinner. Accommodations: Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel (B,D)

Day 7: Bizen/Kurashiki
We'll take the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Okayama, then a local train to the pottery village of Imbe, where wood-fired, natural pottery known as Bizenware is created. Imbe is known for its various serendipitous kiln effects and Bizen is one of Japan's renowned ceramic traditions, favored by centuries of tea ceremony masters. On the train ride to Imbe, ceramics expert Robert Yellin will explain the history of Bizen, preparing us for our visits the studios and kilns of well-known ceramic artists working in a variety of styles. We arrive in the late afternoon in Kurashiki. The evening is free. Accommodations: Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel (B)

Day 8: Kurashiki to Karatsu
We'll travel to Karatsu, on the spectacular wild coast of the southern island of Kyushu. On the way, we'll stop to visit a remarkable textile shop and learn about the essentials of collecting Japanese fabrics from the shop's proprietors, who are textile artists. The owner of the Japanese inn we'll be staying at will show us his private collection of Karatsuware after a multi-course banquet featuring traditional Japanese cuisine. Accommodations: Yoyokaku Ryokan (B,D)

Day 9: Karatsu
In the morning we'll visit an American potter who works in a studio high in the mountains. He'll explain the history of local ceramics, show us around the Nakazato Museum, and introduce us to a member of the Nakazato family who continues the work of his father, a Living National Treasure. We'll have time for a relaxing seaside stroll before another wonderful banquet meal at our inn. After dinner we'll visit a traditional basket-maker. Accommodations: Yoyokaku Ryokan (B,D)

Day 10: Karatsu to Hagi
We'll travel to Hagi, a castle town dating back to the 17th C. that is famous for its kilns and Hagi-yaki pottery, well-known for its use in the tea ceremony. On the way we'll hear an enlightening lecture by Robert Yellin about the Hagi-yaki ceramic style we'll be seeing. Upon arrival, we'll take time to stroll through the old walled town, then visit the studio and home of an internationally known potter. Dinner will be a feast for both the eye and the palette, and will include fresh treats from the sea. An after-dinner surprise event will be announced. Accommodations: Tomoe Ryokan (B,D)

Day 11: Hagi
Robert Yellin takes us to the studios of two very different ceramists, both working with Hagi clay and its stunning pinkish-gray glaze, with startlingly different results. After tea and scones in the garden of a friend's shop, located in a beautifully restored old house selling interesting local ceramics and crafts, we'll have free time to shop, walk on the beach, visit the old castle keep or take a bicycle ride across town to a dramatic hillside temple. A soothing bath and another wonderful dinner await us at the end of the day. Accommodations: Tomoe Ryokan (B,D)

Day 12: Hagi to Benesse House
We travel by train and ferry to Naoshima Island, where we'll stay at the spectacular Benesse House, a contemporary art museum/hotel designed by internationally renowned architect Tadao Ando. We tour the installation art exhibits on the island and relax in the beautiful surroundings. Our farewell dinner is in the hotel dining room. Accommodations: Benesse House (B,D)

Day 13: Depart for U.S.
We take the ferry back to the main island and train Osaka's Kansai International Airport for return flights home. (B)

Note:
This itinerary of a past tour is provided to give you a flavor of the places and people we visit, where we stay, how we travel and what we experience. Because each Esprit tour is individually crafted, your tour may not include the exact same schedule, but will be very similar to what you see here. Each tour is designed to allow us to include as many special events, personal visits with artisans, seasonal festivals, and performances as possible.

Actual visits and events will be finalized approximately 30 days prior to departure to allow for the inclusion of special exhibitions, visits and events, and are dependent on the schedules of our Japanese colleagues. A final itinerary will be sent to you about three weeks prior to tour departure.