From Wikitravel

Bizen (備前; [1]) is the eastern part of Okayama prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshu.

[edit] Understand

Bizen — literally "before (the plain of) Bi" — is an ancient province known for precisely one thing: Bizen-yaki (備前焼), the oldest and most revered form of pottery in Japan. Unglazed and fairly simple in appearance, the pottery gets its cachet from the complex earthy reddish-brown tones that form when the clay is fired. Nearly anything — dishes, cups, vases, bowls, pots — can be made from it, and according to legend it improves the taste of anything you drink from it. Modern day Bizen is in legal fiction a "city" (shi), but in practice an expanse of Okayama's suburbs and rice paddies. Most pottery kilns and shops, however, are concentrated near the station of Imbe (伊部).

[edit] Get in

[edit] By train

The JR Akō line connects Imbe to Okayama, where connections to the Shinkansen network are available. Trains depart about once per hour and reach Imbe in 35 minutes (¥570).

[edit] Get around

Bizen is a sprawling area, but Imbe is easily covered on foot from the train station.

[edit][add listing] See

Bizen's sights are all dedicated to pottery. In October, the Bizen-yaki Festival is held near Inbe station, drawing some 150,000 visitors.

• Bizen Pottery Art Museum (備前陶芸美術館 Bizen tōgei bijutsukan). Just to the north of Imbe station, this concrete block displays both old and new exaples of Bizen-style pottery. Admission ¥500, open daily except Monday from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

[edit][add listing] Do

Many kilns around Imbe will let you try your hand at making your very own Bizen-yaki. A chunk of clay, firing and shipping anywhere in Japan (overseas delivery also possible) will set you back around ¥3000.

• Bizen-yaki Traditional Pottery Center (備前焼伝統産業会館 Bizen-yaki dentō sangyō kaikan). The easiest place to give the lathe a spin, as it is located right on the third floor of JR Imbe station. Workshops held every weekend.
• Bishugama (備州窯). Advance reservation required. The charge is ¥2,625~3,675 (plus postage), and they'll ship 3~4months later.

[edit][add listing] Buy

The town of Imbe seems to consist nearly entirely of Bizen-yaki shops, and the large gift shop in the Pottery Art Museum has a fairly representative array of local pieces. Prices are generally steep, with even the simplest tea cups costing several thousand yen and more complex designs going for millions.

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Get out

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