At Arigato Travel, we are fascinated by Tougei Tocoton’s distinctive approach to pottery, particularly the beautiful fusion of Catalan and Japanese artistic traditions. We’ve been following your work and heard about your new project, “Casa Tocoton,” which includes other experiences such as carving and decorating matcha bowls, tea ceremonies, Japanese ink painting, kimono dress-up, and much more!
So, let’s have a talk with the team and learn more about it.
Learning how to make traditional pottery – Photo Credit: Casa Tocoton
Can you please introduce yourself for people who didn’t read our previous interview about Tougei Tocoton?
Hello, we are Anna and Ryo from Tougei Tocoton. We run a pottery studio in a very local area of Osaka called Ikuno-ku. Anna is a potter from Catalonia, Spain. She studied ceramics in both Barcelona and Osaka. Since coming to Japan in 2019, she has been learning Japanese while traveling around the country and visiting various pottery villages. In 2021, she and Ryo started the pottery studio “Tougei Tocoton.” She creates pottery that blends Japanese and Mediterranean designs while also offering pottery workshops for both locals and travelers. Ryo is a web designer from Osaka. He is also the CEO of Tocoton LLC.
After meeting Anna in 2019, they became partners both personally and professionally, opening Tougei Tocoton together. As a true Osakan, he loves to talk!
Traditional pottery making – Photo Credit: Casa Tocoton
Can you tell us more about that new project that you recently launched, “Casa Tocoton?” Where did the idea come from?
The word Casa in Casa Tocoton means “home” in Catalan. We wanted to create a space that connects people living in Japan with travelers and those who have moved here from overseas. We envisioned it as a place where a local community could gather. We wanted to create a space where people—regardless of nationality, age, gender, or sexuality—could come together and have fun. And we thought it would be even more fun if they could enjoy cultural and artistic activities together. It’s a place that feels like visiting a friend’s home. That’s why we named it Casa Tocoton.
Ikebana-making experience – Photo Credit: Casa Tocoton
Traditional clothing experience – Photo Credit: Casa Tocoton
What are all the new experiences you offer there, and what inspired you to start providing these experiences while having a great pottery business?
At Casa Tocoton, you can enjoy tea ceremonies, flower arrangement (ikebana), calligraphy, sumi-e (Japanese ink painting), kintsugi (golden pottery repair), kimono dress-up, and painting lucky cat figurines. While running our pottery workshops, we often heard questions like: “Where can I experience other traditional Japanese cultures?” or feedback such as: “I visited Kyoto, but it was so crowded that it was exhausting.” That made us think—wouldn’t it be fun to have a place in Osaka’s local Ikuno district where people could experience traditional Japanese culture? We already had a space for pottery workshops, so why not mix everything together for an even more exciting experience? That’s how we came up with the idea!
Traditional cat painting experience – Photo Credit: Casa Tocoton
Traditional pottery painting experience – Photo Credit: Casa Tocoton
That sounds great! So, in the future, will we see any more experiences that you are thinking of adding to the list?
We are planning to introduce shigin (a form of Japanese poetry chanting). Even in Japan, fewer people are familiar with shigin these days. So, we thought it would be amazing to include not only travelers but also local residents in this experience. Also, we are considering adding experiences related to cultures outside of Japan. For example, Anna’s hometown, Catalonia, has a traditional mosaic art called trencadís, which could be a great experience to offer!
Traditional drawing experience – Photo Credit: Casa Tocoton
How do you ensure the cultural sensitivity and authenticity of all experiences?
We make sure that all instructors have a high level of expertise. Especially for traditional Japanese culture, instructors must be at a shihan (master) level. All the experiences we provide are led by professionals with master-level skills and experience. Also, since a deep understanding of Japanese culture is important, all our instructors are professionals who live in Japan.
Again, a traditional pottery-making experience shot – Photo Credit: Casa Tocoton
How can new visitors reach you to try these?
You can make reservations through our website or social media!
Kintsugi kit – Photo Credit: Casa Tocoton
For our readers and people visiting Japan for the first time, which experiences would you recommend to try?
We highly recommend the Tea Ceremony & Pottery Workshop Set! It’s one of our most popular experiences. This set includes a one-hour tea ceremony experience followed by a one-hour pottery workshop using the Japanese kurinuki (hollowing-out) technique to decorate a matcha tea bowl. Our tea ceremony experience is designed to be relaxed and approachable:
1. You don’t need to sit in a formal seiza position.
2. You can ask questions freely.
3. You can take photos.
This experience was inspired by feedback from guests who found traditional tea ceremonies too formal and were hesitant to ask questions. Feel free to ask, “What does this movement mean?” or anything else that comes to mind! After the tea ceremony, you’ll move to the pottery studio, where you’ll carve and decorate your own matcha bowl using the kurinuki technique, a unique Japanese pottery method. This way, you first learn about matcha bowls from the user’s perspective, and then you create one from the maker’s perspective. Once your bowl is fired and completed, we will ship it to your home country (shipping fees apply).
Traditional food experience – Photo Credit: Casa Tocoton
What kind of economic impact do you expect these experiences to have on the local community? Like are the local artisans included to help them boost their work?
Osaka will be hosting the 2025 World Expo, and at the same time, there is a growing movement to collaborate more with international visitors in different areas. Casa Tocoton’s experiences have already gained attention, especially in Ikuno. Many locals are surprised and excited to see so many international visitors coming to such a local area! Additionally, there is a long-standing shopping street near Casa Tocoton. We purchase traditional sweets for our tea ceremony experiences from a local wagashi (Japanese sweets) shop. We also recommend nearby restaurants for lunch. By guiding our visitors to local businesses, we not only help revitalize the local community but also allow tourists to experience a deeper, more authentic side of Osaka. You won’t find these places in regular travel guidebooks! 😆
Matcha-making experience – Photo Credit: Casa Tocoton
Is there anything else you’d love to tell our readers?
When people think of Osaka, they often imagine Universal Studios Japan (USJ) and shopping in Namba.
But we’d love for visitors to experience a more authentic, local side of Osaka. Osakans are very talkative—even if there’s a language barrier, we love to communicate! The people are warm, friendly, and always welcoming. And in Ikuno, a local district of Osaka, there’s a 105-year-old traditional Japanese house where you can experience authentic Japanese culture so we want more people to know about this special place! Come and enjoy an artistic and cultural adventure with us.
Osaka is famous as “the city of food,” but it’s also known as a city of entertainment. We hope to bring you a “Wow! I never expected to have such an amazing experience in this hidden spot!” moment during your trip.
We look forward to meeting you in the heart of Osaka’s local neighborhoods!
Thank you so much for taking out your precious time for us and answering the questions! We really appreciate your insights, and we are glad you joined us for this interview 🙂
Follow “Casa Tocoton’’ on:
Website: https://casa-tocoton.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casa_tocoton
Featured Photo Credit: Casa Tocoton
To check out Casa Tocoton and tons of other fun activities, reach out to our Team of Travel Specialists to make a personalized itinerary for your full trip!
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