In brief
Yuri Kawakami‑Shotton, a resident of Stoke‑On‑Trent, has become a key ambassador for the city’s historic pottery industry in Japan. Running Peak and Pottery Tours at the Spode Museum, she showcases the region’s ceramics to a growing group of Japanese tourists and showcases how the famed dinner sets are a popular export. Inspired by a BBC report on pottery firms collapsing, she argues that Japanese consumers will value the heritage and quality of English pottery. Her efforts have already led to a surge in interest, with Japanese visitors leaving the museum delighted and eager to bring ceramics back home.
The woman promoting the Potteries to Japan
Yuri Kawakami‑Shotton has been praised for her efforts in promoting the city of Stoke‑On‑Trent to Japan.
As the organiser of Peak and Pottery Tours at the Spode Museum, she guides Japanese visitors through the region’s famed ceramic heritage.
Kawakami‑Shotton was inspired to spread the word about the city after a BBC News report highlighted how pottery firms were falling into administration.
“My father‑in‑law said: 'Oh, because no one’s buying a dinner set any longer',” she explained. “I told him that Japanese people would buy them, that they would visit the museum, and I could make that happen.”
Since launching her tours, the English dinner sets she offers have resonated strongly with Japanese customers.
“My customers love it and then some of them, for example, they come in Spode, they can’t move, in front of the entrance, like 'Oh my god I’m in Stoke, I’m in Spode',” she beamed.
She added, “It’s like a legend.”
The manager of the Spode Museum, Michael Escolme, praised her contribution to expanding the museum’s reach: “She’s been a valued member of our team—bringing Japanese visitors to us both in real life and virtually to the museum.”
Kawakami‑Shotton also takes visitors to the Rabbit Hole Tea Room in the city. In 2023 she helped the café bring its afternoon tea to Japan, with one menu item proving extremely popular. “We had a pop‑up in Nihonbashi in September,” said the owner Lee Greenhalgh. “That was insane—I went from selling a few hundred scones a day to 2,000 scones a day!”
