Owners of lodging facilities aiming to attract more visitors amid the tourist boom and preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been attracting people from Japan and overseas with a new cultural draw — ceramic bathtubs made with traditional Shigaraki pottery.
The tubs, which have become not only a local attraction but also hot-selling items, are made by ceramics companies in and around Shigaraki, an area in southern Shiga Prefecture centered on the city of Koka, the home of the traditional ware.
Shigaraki ware is one of Japan's six oldest potteries, according to the Japan National Tourist Organization.