Sapporo Artisan Trail
Souvenirs made by you: pottery, washi paper and glass, from your Sapporo hotel.
From ￥210,000 per person · based on 2 guests
Recommended months
Late April to November
Duration
2 days (hotel not included)
Route
Sapporo → Iwamizawa → Ebetsu → Sapporo → Otaru → Susukino
Two hands-on craft days for guests already staying in Sapporo.
This is an add-on, not a standalone trip. If you're already spending a few days in Sapporo, it fills two of them with making things instead of sightseeing. We pick you up from your own hotel each morning and bring you back each evening, so there's no packing and no extra hotel.
Day 1 goes east to Iwamizawa for a pottery workshop at Hokkaido's oldest kiln, then to Ebetsu for washi papermaking at EzoWashi and a browse at Tsutaya Books. Day 2 goes west to Otaru, one of Japan's best-known glass towns, for a glassblowing workshop and a walk along the canal. The trip closes with a kaiseki dinner at Chikara in Susukino.
It suits travellers who'd rather spend an afternoon shaping clay or blowing glass than photographing it, and who want to take home something they made themselves.
Starts in Sapporo · about 1 hr from New Chitose (CTS)
Solid: driving · Dashed: back to the start
What makes this trip.
- A hands-on pottery workshop at Hokkaido's oldest kiln in Iwamizawa
- Traditional washi papermaking at EzoWashi in Ebetsu
- Tsutaya Books Ebetsu, a striking bookstore to browse between workshops
- A glassblowing workshop in Otaru, one of Japan's best-known glass towns
- A walk along the Otaru Canal and through its glass shops and studios
- A kaiseki dinner at Chikara in Susukino to close the trip
- Pick-up and drop-off at your own Sapporo hotel both days
Two workshop days from your Sapporo hotel, with time to browse, eat well and make something to take home.
Day 01Day 01
Iwamizawa → Ebetsu
Clay, paper and books
- Morning
- Private transfer from Sapporo to Iwamizawa (about 50 minutes), hands-on pottery workshop at Hokkaido's oldest kiln, shaping or glazing a piece to be fired and shipped or picked up later.
- Afternoon
- Traditional washi papermaking experience at EzoWashi, lunch in Ebetsu, browse Tsutaya Books Ebetsu
- Evening
- Return to Sapporo, dinner
Day 02Day 02
Otaru → Susukino
Glass, the canal and kaiseki
- Morning
- Private transfer to Otaru (about 1 hour), hands-on glassblowing workshop crafting a personal glass piece
- Afternoon
- Lunch in Otaru, stroll the Otaru Canal and browse the town's glass shops and studios
- Evening
- Return to Sapporo, kaiseki dinner in Susukino to close out the trip
Travellers already based in Sapporo who want a short, hands-on add-on built around two craft workshops and one memorable dinner, without changing hotels.
Possible extensions
Pairs with any stay that passes through Sapporo, and most naturally with Sapporo City & Around.
Upgrade options
Upgrade to private workshop sessions, so your group has the instructor to itself at each studio.
Seasonal variations
Built for the snow-free months, when the drives are easy and the canal walk is comfortable. A winter version is possible, but allow extra transfer time and expect some studios to run reduced hours.
Service includes
The quotation per person can be less in the case of small children, and decreases per person as the group grows.
- Private vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide, with pick-up and drop-off at your Sapporo hotel both days
- Pottery, washi papermaking and glassblowing workshops
- Dinner both evenings, including the kaiseki dinner at Chikara
- Japanese consumption tax
Optional
- Dedicated English-speaking guide, ¥60,000 per day
- Shipping of your fired pottery
Not included
- Hotel accommodation
- Breakfast
- Flights
- Travel insurance
- Drinks
- Personal expenses
Not ready to decide?
Nothing decided yet? Tell us the feeling you're after, and we'll shape the rest around it.
Start the conversation