Hiroshi Tanaka
April 18, 2026
I’ve been doing pottery as a hobby for five years back home, so I was really excited to learn traditional techniques from a local Jingdezhen master on this tour. The small class size meant my teacher could walk me through every step, from kneading the raw local clay to getting the tension right for clean wheel throwing. I’ve always struggled with consistent shaping, so his tip about adjusting the clay’s center completely changed how I approach throwing now. I ended up making a tall narrow vase to hold cherry blossoms every spring, and carved small rolling wave patterns into the side before glazing. There were no hidden fees at all, and lunch was a wonderful spread of local Jiangxi dishes I never would have found on my own. This is way more memorable than just buying mass-produced souvenirs from a tourist shop, I’m so happy I booked it.