Yachimun no Sato (Yomitan Pottery Village)
やちむんの里
A pottery village in Yomitan Village where about 19 kilns cluster together; giant climbing kilns and red-tiled workshops offer yachimun, traditional Okinawan pottery, for sale.
Yachimun means pottery in the Okinawan dialect. In the 1980s, artisans including Living National Treasure Kinjō Jirō moved to Yomitan Village, and it became a pottery village. The village has the nine-chamber climbing kiln (Kurenbō) built into the hillside, the communal Kita climbing kiln, and workshops and direct-sale shops scattered among the trees. You can buy sturdy, simple vessels in cobalt blue, with fish patterns, karakusa vine patterns and more, at prices lower than in Kokusai-dori. Admission is free. Most shops open around 9:30 to 17:30, and some workshops have no fixed closing day. It is about a 25-minute drive from American Village, and it's a good idea to bring bubble wrap if you plan to buy pottery.
Opening hours
Approx. 09:30–17:30 (kilns vary)
Nearby sights
- Cape Maeda (Blue Cave)
- Cape Zanpa
- Southeast Botanical Gardens
- Mihama American Village
- Nakagusuku Castle Ruins
- Cape Manzamo
- Katsuren Castle Ruins
- Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum