Gallery Sorai: Make Pottery in the Soni Mountains
Shape your own pottery at a small mountain workshop, then browse the kiln's work with Yoroi and Kabuto peaks in view.
Verified site photographs are being prepared.Discover Gallery Sorai: Make Pottery in the Soni Mountains
Gallery Sorai is the exhibition space and pottery workshop of Soyori Kiln, set in Imai beneath the volcanic peaks of Mount Yoroi and Mount Kabuto. Potter Yoriko Yasuda began working with clay in 1984 and opened the kiln in Soni in 2011, according to a Nara Prefecture interview. The setting gives a hands-on craft session a distinctly local backdrop: forested slopes, village life and the open Soni landscape. Current online booking lists a roughly two-hour hand-building class, while gallery hours and direct workshop terms come from local tourism listings. Confirm the exact plan and price before booking because published prices differ by channel.
Try hand-building, not just shopping for a souvenir
The currently listed Jalan activity is a roughly two-hour hand-building pottery experience with instruction at the workshop. The booking plan lists clay for one piece or project and says beginners can participate. Soyori Kiln's own telephone-or-fax class notice is dated 5 November 2021, so it does not establish today's booking procedure by itself; the current tourism listing gives the direct phone number, while Jalan currently shows a bookable plan. Ask the kiln which forming method, finished size, firing schedule and collection or delivery choices apply to your chosen session; the exact finished item and firing time are not guaranteed by this guide.
A working kiln shaped by its landscape
Yasuda began pottery work in 1984 and established Soyori Kiln in Soni in 2011, according to a Nara Prefecture profile. The interview describes a preference for making work without rushing, surrounded by the mountain view. Gallery Sorai displays and sells work alongside the workshop, so visitors can see finished ceramics as well as try shaping clay. Yoroi and Kabuto are visible from the hillside setting, linking the craft stop to the same local volcanic landscape as Soni's hiking routes.
Reserve the right session and verify the price
Jalan currently lists a hand-building plan of about two hours from ¥4,000 per person with online reservations. Japan Travel and Tourism Association's February 2026 listing shows pottery from ¥2,000, while the Soni Tourism Association lists a ¥3,000 session using 1 kg of clay, with shipping extra. These may describe different plans; confirm the session and full price directly before paying. The tourism association gives 0745-96-2188. The operator's phone-or-fax class notice is dated 2021 and should not be treated as a current booking policy without reconfirmation.
Getting there in rural Soni
The national tourism database lists a bus from Kintetsu Nabari Station taking about 43 minutes to Soni-Yokowa bus stop, followed by a 10-minute walk to 1124 Imai. Confirm the current bus timetable and return service for your travel date; Soni's local bus network is limited. The tourism association lists parking for about 10 cars, but confirm availability with the kiln before driving. Do not rely on the map pin as a substitute for the operator's directions.
Check opening days and care for the work
The Soni Tourism Association lists the gallery as open 9:00–18:00 and closed Wednesday and Thursday; the national tourism listing also reports 9:00–18:00 on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Workshop sessions require separate arrangements, and no walk-in availability is guaranteed. Confirm closures, session time, age suitability, accessibility, payment and delivery costs in advance. Ask before photographing people, unfinished work or the kiln interior, and do not handle displayed pieces without permission.
What to look for
A two-hour hand-building pottery experience in a village kiln setting
Gallery and workshop beneath the views of Mount Yoroi and Mount Kabuto
Booking prices vary by channel; confirm the session and full cost before reserving
Photo notes
No commercial filming permission or licensed MyNara workshop photograph is confirmed. Ask before photographing the instructor, other visitors, works in progress or kiln equipment. Do not handle display pieces or enter work areas without permission. Confirm whether photographs are allowed during the class when making a reservation.
Make a day of it
Explore guides close to this map point, then check the actual route before travelling. Distances below are straight lines, not walking distances or travel times; map points may not be entrances.
Sources & editorial status
Original MyNara draft based on the linked sources. Sources reviewed 20 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.
- Soyori Kiln — operator website and pottery-class application notice
- JAPAN 47 GO — current address, access, gallery hours and pottery listing updated 2026-02-03
- Soni Tourism Association — gallery, workshop, parking and local price listing
- Nara Prefecture — potter background and the kiln's history in Soni
- Jalan — current two-hour hand-building booking plan and price from ¥4,000