I recently visited Tokoname.
Tokoname is located in the central part of the western coast of the Chita Peninsula, about an hour’s drive from Nagoya. On a reclaimed land in the sea of Tokoname, there is Chubu Centrair International Airport (Centrair). Centrair was built to be ready for the 2005 Aichi Expo (Aichi World Expo). The presidents of Centrair have all been from Toyota Motor Corporation. Additionally, the Aichi Expo was chaired by the late Shoichiro Toyoda, honorary chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, and was commonly known as the Toyota Expo. Toyota Motor Corporation, as expected, contributes significantly to the local economy of Aichi Prefecture.
On the opposite side of Centrair, in Rinku Tokoname, you can find a variety of attractions such as the Costco Chubu Airport warehouse store, Mentaiko Park, and Aeon Mall Tokoname.
Tokoname is famous for its pottery. It is particularly well-known for items made from red clay, such as pipes, tiles, flower pots, teapots, and teacups. The city center of Tokoname, dotted with brick chimneys, has been developed into a pottery walking path, where you can see charming scenes like climbing kilns and pipe slopes, and enjoy a historical stroll. There are many pottery workshops and galleries scattered around, making it a paradise for pottery enthusiasts.
Tokoname is also famous for its “maneki-neko” (beckoning cat). The maneki-neko is a figurine of a cat that beckons with its paw and is considered a talisman for prosperity in business. A cat raising its right paw is said to attract wealth, while one raising its left paw is said to attract customers. Sometimes you might see one with both paws raised, but being too greedy can result in an “all hands up” situation.
Tokoname’s Maneki-neko Street is a unique area lined with giant maneki-neko figures and many maneki-neko statues on the concrete walls along the road leading from Tokoname Station to the Ceramic Museum. Additionally, don’t miss the 7-meter-tall maneki-neko “Otafuku” installed at Aeon Mall Tokoname.
Experience the Boeing 787 Dreamliner up close!
Inside Centrair, the Flight of Dreams is an aviation-themed park featuring a display of the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. There is also a commercial area themed around Seattle, the city where Boeing was founded, called Seattle Terrace.
See you again.