Workshop I : Hikidashi Guro - Teabowl and Matcha Retreat - Japan
$2,700
OCTOBER 7 - 11, 2026
5 Days, 6 Nights — Check-in October 6; five core workshop retreat days in Motegi, October 7–11, with private accommodation, seasonal meals, and local transportation included. Check-out October 12.
Retreat Highlights
- 5 hands-on days learning, making and firing
- Learn the aesthetics and approaches of loosely made teabowls + an awesome collaborative hikidashi firing
- A chance to work in an incredible setting, alongside a beautiful river in the mountains of Japan. Walk along the river or forest trail immersed in nature's healing energy - a chance to unplug, slow down and connect in a serene environment.
- Learn about Japanese clays and local materials for setoguro , as well as understanding the characteristics discovered when digging wild clay.
- Learn how to make and use bamboo or wooden trimming tools to form the foot of the bowls
- Iron glaze discussion and formulation incorporating natural materials
- Glaze our work using a pouring ladle and load our pieces into the kiln on shells.
- An exciting hikidashi firing pulling the pieces at peak temperature to create the iconic surfaces and deep, lustrous blacks.
- Unloading of work, with results discussion
- Casual tea ceremony with the group and access to premium quality milled matcha + tools
- Learn about Kiribako (paulowina storage box + signing) for one of your selected pieces to take home
- Private rooms in a safe, welcoming guesthouse, nutritious and seasonally prepared meals with local ingredients
- Transportation to and from studio/accommodation included
- Curated toolshop /gallery outings (if time permits) and recommendations for visits/galleries in the region.
- Limited to 6 participants
Requirements and Safety
- Although we welcome all levels of experience, we recommend participants have basic throwing experience and are familiar with centering clay on the potters wheel. We will be introducing both hand forming and unique wheel throwing techniques during the course.
- The hikidashi firing will take place under expert guidance. There may be some smoke around the kiln during the post-firing process. Participants who wish to avoid smoke may step away during this time while still participating in other parts of the firing.
- Personal protective equipment like aprons, gloves, and safety glasses will be provided to ensure a safe experience for everyone during the firing.
Cancellations and Info
If you are unable to attend for whatever reason after payment is received, a refund will be returned upon written request via email according to the following:
-Up to 60 days before the start date: 100% refund
-Within 30 days of the start date: 50% refund
-Within 15 days of the start date: No refund
Note: transfer of your reservation to another person or for a future workshop may possible
Please note travel to and from Mashiko is not included in the workshop fee. We will provide local transportation each day for the group and for all outings, but you will be responsible for arriving to our check in location/time, and departing from our checkout location/times.
An Invitation
This workshop offers an exceptional opportunity to explore the making, firing, and use of chawan—tea bowls created specifically for drinking matcha. We will guide participants in studying the essential qualities of the chawan and develop new forming techniques that combine throwing and handbuilding in a loose, intuitive manner.
Through demonstrations and hands-on practice, we will explore approaches influenced by both Japanese and Korean ceramic traditions, including Setoguro, Ido chawan/ maksabal forms. Particular emphasis will be placed on cultivating an open and responsive mindset at the potter’s wheel, allowing each bowl to emerge with freedom and character. Participants will also learn to make and use bamboo or wooden trimming tools to carve and define the foot of their bowls.
Working with native clays and locally sourced materials, we will discuss the formulation of iron-rich glazes and apply them using traditional pouring ladles. The finished bowls will be loaded into the kiln on shells before taking part in an exciting hikidashi firing under Douglas’s guidance. At peak temperature, the chawan will be pulled directly from the kiln with long metal tongs, creating the deep, lustrous black surfaces associated with hikidashi guro.
The meaning and purpose of the chawan will come full circle as we bring the newly fired bowls into use. Participants will share in the pleasure of a casual tea ceremony, whisking and drinking matcha from their own favorite piece.
We will also explore the refined tradition of kiribako: signed paulownia-wood boxes made to protect and present a selected teabowl on its journey home.
Accommodation and meals will be organized, with clean, peaceful private rooms in a local guesthouse. Our studio time will take place in a beautiful riverside setting surrounded by forested mountains. Although the primary focus will be the making, firing, and use of teabowls, the workshop will retain a relaxed and easy-going ambiance, with space for spontaneous outings and visits as time allows, to experience the local cuisine, agricultural landscape, and vibrant community that is Mashiko.
With gratitute,
Douglas & Marco
