Arita

土曜日1991年５月４日

Leafing through the ads of one of the large JR books at work, I am able to puzzle out that two or more women travelling together can get special 3-day Kyushu pass during Golden Week. So M2 and I agree to go to the Arita pottery festival together.

I met M2 at the Mister Donuts in Oita Station. We have reserved seats on the Nichirin 2 from Oita Station to Hakata Station in Fukuoka. We arrive in Fukuoka with 11 minutes to switch to the Sasebo Line which will take us to Arita. The train is absolutely packed. No reserved seats were available and we stand the hour and half ride to Arita.

The festival overflows the streets of Arita with people, stalls, and pottery everywhere. I need to eat and rest before plunging into the crowds and I'm happy to find that M2 is of like mind. We find an quiet little restaurant which is so beautifully decorated that even the toilet is attractive.

Shopping commences. Because pottery is heavy, we decide it's best to scope out the wares and then buy stuff on the trip back from Nagasaki. I do pick up some hashi-oke (chopstick rests) and some toothpick holders.

After about four hours we are shopped out and we rush to make a train and are told to go to the wrong platform. We discover our mistake and rush to the correct platform in time to catch it. Fortunately the train is late (very strange). Unfortunately, it's the wrong train. After I discover my error, we get off at Haiki and change trains. We take a Limited Express to Nagasaki and arrive around 18:00. We eat dinner at the nice restaurant in the station arcade where MJN and I ate last month. M2 wants to try sleeping in a capsule motel. This sounds like a plan, so we are off in search of one.

More Arita Links

• Gen-emon kiln
• Arita pottery festival
• History of Japanese ceramics

Posted by M Sinclair Stevens
May 03, 2003

Comments

Share Your Thoughts

Name:


Email Address (not displayed):


URL: (optional)


Comment: