Tobe (砥部): Zoo Adventure and Pottery Painting Experience - An Exciting Day for Families

A generous one-day course designed for families: meet beloved animals at Ehime Prefectural Tobe Zoo (愛媛県立とべ動物園), one of western Japan's finest, and in the afternoon, challenge yourselves with pottery painting in Tobe Ware Village. Observe elephants, giraffes, and polar bears up close in the expansive hillside zoo. After lunch and playtime with large equipment at the adjacent Ehime Children's Castle (えひめこどもの城), appreciate indigo-decorated masterpieces at the Tobe Ware Traditional Industry Hall (砥部焼伝統産業会館), then create one-of-a-kind painted porcelain at the Tobe Town Ceramic Art Studio (砥部町陶芸創作館). The day concludes with souvenir shopping at the kiln owner's tourist center. A day packed with animals, play, and hands-on crafting—filled with all the "fun" children love in Tobe.