Hands-on Workshop Reviews

5 stars
Akira is so generous to share his techniques. Learning traditional techniques from someone so knowledgeable is a rare opportunity.
Enjoyed: Everything — great instruction, helpful assistants, wonderful students

—Diane (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
I feel fortunate to have experienced a workshop (with hands on clay!) given by a true master — Akira was generous with knowledge & info shared.
Enjoyed: All of the above — phenomenal facility helped make experience comfortable. Definitely new techniques made possible — truly learning & applying will take time. Appreciate being in presence of a true master of the craft of functional + artful clay.

—Betsy (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
Great class, learned a lot about Akira's technique.
Enjoyed: Techniques learned, instructor

—Cory (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
The workshop with Akira exceeded every expectation. He beautifully connected the philosophy behind his pottery with his pieces, giving me a much deeper appreciation for the Japanese techniques I had hoped to learn. I came away with far more than I anticipated, from subtle nuances that improved my clay techniques to a richer understanding of the thought, discipline, and artistry that shape my work.
Enjoyed: The techniques & instructor — I had wanted to learn kohiki & dobe and learned so much more — Akira is an incredible instructor that spends time with the students and answers all questions.

—Lisa (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
Enjoyed: Watching the demos on the TV. I have vision issues and this made it possible to really see what you were doing.

—Tressa (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
Fantastic workshop! Learned amazing techniques and the thought processes behind them. Would absolutely recommend to anyone with an interest in Akira's work.
Enjoyed: Excellent instructor, great location, plenty of materials, and interesting techniques

—(Unnamed) (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
Akira's commentary on nature and balancing clean lines with organic surfaces, then showing how it's done, helped these techniques click.
Enjoyed: Akira was a fantastic instructor; inviting, comfortable atmosphere

—Bill (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
If you have the opportunity to take a workshop from Akira — don't miss it. He is an inspiring and generous instructor, and bonus, he is humorous. You will be inspired and see your work with clay (and life if you're listening) in a new & fresh way.
Enjoyed: Akira's teaching and overall philosophy — the importance of embracing mistakes, finding inspiration & beauty in imperfection. The importance of space.

—Portia (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars — "EXCELLENT IN EVERY WAY"
I learned more from this workshop than others I've attended. Location great — Earthfare/hotel/comfort inn so close.
Enjoyed: All perfect

—Anne (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
Enjoyed: The techniques and the ideas behind the works

—Yang (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
Fantastic experience! Lots of work — exhausted at end of every day. Learned so much. Akira & his staff were so generous w/ sharing information.
Enjoyed: Instructor + assistants, studio space + supplies, techniques — great, loved having the TV set up.

—Hollis (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars — A good week, met other potters, & enjoyed Akira Satake's friendly demeanor.
Fantastic experience! Lots of work — exhausted at end of every day. Learned so much. Akira & his staff were so generous w/ sharing information.
Enjoyed: The open atmosphere, careful attention to technique, access to materials & helpful assistants. Special thanks to Matt!

—Mo (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
Fantastic for beginners through experienced potters. Well worth the price!
Enjoyed: The combination of thorough instruction, time, & critique was very helpful.

—Joel (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
Akira's friendliness and willingness to share his techniques made this workshop so enjoyable. I felt very free to use what he demonstrated in my own way and a few of his techniques dovetail perfectly with what I am trying to do in my work. I am very excited to experiment when I get back home.
Enjoyed: I also really enjoyed learning about his inspirations. I appreciated Akira's sense of humor and open-ness in sharing his techniques through demos. A few of his techniques, mille-feuille + dobe, are going to completely open up my own work.

—Jael (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
I am leaving this workshop a different ceramicist, a different artist, than I was when I came.
Enjoyed: Akira's openness & generosity was so encouraging. Thank you for sharing your wisdom & experience with us.

—Lorelei (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars, Thank you.
Enjoyed: The techniques & instructor are hard to separate — both a pleasure.

—Ann (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 — Great
I enjoyed every second of this workshop and I cannot say enough how much I have learned. Pottery techniques aside, I loved the fact Akira shared his thinking process and view on pottery with us.
Enjoyed: The instructor and the techniques

—Moujan (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars!! "Thank you."
Enjoyed: All of the above! Akira and team made the atmosphere wonderful. The humor in the techniques/demonstrations was great. Learned a lot with a great group of people.

—(Unnamed) (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
This workshop was everything I had hoped it would be. With a perfect blend of demonstration and experiential learning, Akira shared his techniques, anecdotes, history, and lore of his craft with us. Highly recommended!
Enjoyed: The blend of demonstration & experience, Akira's explanations & general incredible-ness, having multiple assistants to assist during making — pacing was great.

—Dearing (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

Excellent! Five stars! Two thumbs up!
Akira is generous in sharing his personal techniques. I can't wait to experiment, make mistakes, and discover new ways to adapt a few of them for my personal work.
Enjoyed: Techniques, materials, tools (discovered so many new ideas!). Artist talk.

—Kat (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
One of the results of my workshop with Akira that I'm able to carry into my own work is a living philosophy. I left with a greater understanding of techniques but also breadth to give more life to my personal work.
Enjoyed: Besides the technical skills & techniques (truly enjoyed & appreciated), the conversation about the philosophy behind Akira's work.

—Amanda (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
Learning how to use Kohiki slip & Dobe will forever change my work. The Kurinuki technique with a twist was out of my comfort zone, and after 5 attempts, I began to understand another way to work with clay. Akira helped me find another path to understanding the language of clay.
Enjoyed: A great space to learn. Akira & his assistants were available & very helpful every step of the way for this 5-day workshop.

—Michaele Rose (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

Excellent workshop — good instruction, in a well-equipped studio
I got what I hoped I would: experience + tools to practice when I get home. I have always enjoyed Akira's work so it was very interesting to see how he does it.
Enjoyed: The variety of techniques demonstrated, excellent instruction by Akira and his assistants. Village Potters were good hosts.

—(Unnamed) (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

Excellent!
Akira's workshop was much more than I expected! I learned so much and cannot wait to go home and perfect the skills Akira taught me. He is fun, knowledgeable, and so willing to share.
Enjoyed: Truly enjoyed the demonstrations, followed by ample time to practice the techniques on their own.

—Ria (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
Had an excellent time — Akira is both incredibly knowledgeable and personal, and shares a wealth of information. There was a great balance between demos and hands-on practice as well. Would recommend!
Enjoyed: The techniques + variety, along with the instruction — easy to follow, enjoyable presentations.

—Corey (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
There are a lot of pottery classes that focus on the importance of repetition, especially when it comes to creating identical pieces over and over. It was really refreshing to take a class from an artist who prioritizes creativity, making mistakes, and the beauty of imperfection!
Enjoyed: His philosophy about the relationship between creativity and making mistakes was inspirational.

—Jen (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

Wonderful experience — because it was both lecture, demonstration, and hands-on, it was extremely educational
Satake-sensei wove his aesthetic & nature-based principles (balance, change, imperfection, natural beauty, etc.) into every demo so that we weren't just copying his techniques — we were actually learning how to observe our work. His signature techniques were the highlight — explained so well that even total beginners in the workshop were producing pieces to be proud of by the end. Most of all, beyond the making, his philosophy — the idea that imperfection isn't something to hide but something to work with — is what I take with me. Thank you Satake-sensei :)
Enjoyed: Loved both Satake-sensei's lecture on how he approaches his work, his aesthetic and how this informs his techniques and pieces, and also loved learning his techniques.

—Mijiko (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
I am so grateful to have had this experience with Akira! The skills taught in this class are so valuable! I'll be practicing as soon as I get back home. I made some dobe cups, 2 teapots, & a closed form box.
Enjoyed: I loved the dobe pieces! Teapots were fun as well.

—Victoria (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
This is the best pottery workshop I've ever taken. Akira's instruction methods are brilliant.
Enjoyed: Large workspace, availability of supplies, variety of types of pottery and techniques.

—Joyce (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars
Just delightful, feel as if I could try anything. So many techniques and demonstrations that allowed me to produce at least one good quality work.
Enjoyed: Everything was great — one suggestion would be an agenda on the whiteboard for the coming day. Understands it will change as they go but it would help manage work times.

—Tom (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

5 stars — If I could I would give you 20 ★
I understand that everyone in our class was a pretty experienced potter so I can't comment on that. But for someone who would like to learn and be exposed to the art of Japanese pottery — it's an absolutely invaluable experience. I made several teapots, vases, ikebana containers. This was one of the most memorable art learning weeks in my life.
Enjoyed: As a total beginner I absolutely enjoyed presented techniques. Awesome delivery of information by Akira. Loved every second of it.

—Marina (August, 2026, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

I recently had the pleasure of attending a 5 day workshop with Akira Satake in Asheville, NC and the experience was nothing short of transformative. This immersive journey into the perspective, techniques and methods that Akira approaches his work with, left me inspired and profoundly grateful for the opportunity.

—Trevor (October, 2023, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

Thank you for the photos and the exception week! Being a beginner, my learning curve was extremely steep, but I learned so much and really look forward to working on perfecting techniques Akira taught us!

I took a lot of videos that I will be able to refer back to when I find a studio space to work. Akira, thank you for your knowledge, teaching style and your many insights on what inspires you, how to approach a piece and especially to "go for it!" I think that it will take me far! I also loved your slides on Ikebana and and Sayo's styling with your pieces; they are wonderful! I will definitly speak to her about taking some classes.

Cheers to you all and much appreciation!

p.s. I look forward to picking up my pieces when they are bisque fired - thank you :)

—Laure (October, 2023, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

I had the privilege of participating in a 5 day in-person workshop in October 2023. I am new to pottery and prior to this workshop, I had only thrown a few bowls and cups and only hand built two pieces. On the first day during introductions I thought I was out of my league. Some of the other participants had more than 20 years experience in pottery and a few were teachers themselves. Akira had a style of teaching that kept everyone focused and enthused. He's funny and is open to every question regarding his technique. His assistants Matt and Laura were great... always willing to step in and provide help when needed.

I encourage anyone to take the opportunity to learn from a master. Akira's style and words of wisdom are inspiring and there for the taking. Go for it, I did and will never look back as I move forward seeking my own path.

Thanks for the Lesson Akira!!!

—John (October, 2023, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

Thank you very much for the workshop. It was wonderful. Very well organized, inspirational and all the questions answered.

—Elena (October, 2023, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

Akira Satake re-opens a way to clay for me, leading me back to inspirations of 40+ years ago.
Laura and Matt are wonderfully helpful.
Domo arigato gozaimashita

—Cornelia (May 2024, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

I thought it was great Akira taught a mix of both techniques and his own philosophical approach to his art. The prepared slabs of clay by Matt and Laura really helped to speed things up and allowed Akira to spend more time teaching us the key points of his technique.

Definitely learned a lot of tips and tricks that will help me improve my own work.

Matt, the overhead setup of the camera and tv screen was really good. I’ve been in other workshops where people would have to jockey around the teacher to get clear views of the demonstrations.

One thing to make others aware. Lyft changed their maps so they couldn’t route drivers to Akira’s studio. It appears the whole River Arts District doesn’t exist as a route. It would direct them to a point across the river or on the other side of the train tracks into a residential apartment complex.

I would have to message the drivers to pick up/drop off at Summit Coffee/12 Bones on Old Lymans and hope they knew where to go. We didn’t have the same problems with Uber but their fares are more expensive.

Hope the feedback helps!

—Helena (May 2024, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

Thank you for all your teaching. I’ve learn not just technics, i’ve learn concept of how to approach ceramic art. Many teachers teach technique, but you teach concept of above and beyond~

—Phoebe (May 2024, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

Hello Akira and team!

Thank you again for a memorable workshop and week in Asheville! I learned so much from you all. The lessons were so clear and accessible, and so very inspiring for my own work. I loved Sayo’s ikebana lesson, and the dinner and Akira’s banjo concert was incredible. To be immersed in music and art and good food all week was such a treat!

My only issues were that I wished we had more time to work in the studio. I would have liked to have at least one more hour, and have it end at 5pm, instead of 4pm. I did appreciate that we were allowed to start at 9am :)

Otherwise, Matt and Laura were so gracious and helpful, and it was such an honor learn from a Master artist and craftsman like Akira

Akira's reply: Thank you so much for your thoughtful review, Lily! We appreciate the feedback on the length of studio work time and want you to know that we are making some changes to the schedule to allow students to have more time to work on their pieces.

—Lily (May 2024, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

Hello All!

As you probably already know from my Instagram posts, your workshop was beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of. I’m fairly new to pottery (not yet at my 2 year anniversary), and haven’t taken many workshops, but I imagine that your workshop ranks among the top!

I could write a short novel about the workshop, but I will try to keep it manageable and organized!

Great content. Every demo was perfect: just the right length, very easy to understand, and provided a wealth of information. I’m actually shocked by how much of your intellectual property you were willing to share. I love that about potters, in general, but Akira, more specifically!

Love your professionalism, humor, and openness! Your stories were very entertaining and gave us a peek into Akira, the artist and person! Matt, Laura, Sayo, and Noriko were fantastic! And we appreciated Cynthia’s desserts.

The definition sheet that was emailed to us on the 3rd (or 4th) day was very helpful. Again, sharing the glaze recipes is above and beyond what was expected! Thank you!

Loved the shopping in your showroom! I took home some very special pieces that will always remind me of what a wonderful week we shared with you!

The new overhead camera system was also very helpful.

I loved that the workshop officially began at 10:00am each day. Even though I arrived at 9:00 each morning, I liked the option of not having the rise too early each day. (See workshop schedule below).

Love the location of Asheville, and so happy to have experienced the workshop in your own showroom.

Love the lunchtime food options around the Artists’ Village. Especially 12 Bones! (You might want to mention the nearby food options in your welcome letter, before the workshop begins, so the potters have a better idea of what is available before the first day.) We ate 4 of our 5 lunches at 12 Bones. You might want to mention the punch cards to the participants! You could definitely get a few free meals from all of the potters’ visits!

It might have felt more comfortable with a few less people, or a little more room in the work area. We were a little tight on space, where we were bumping into each other, as we passed by.

I thought that having only 4 wheels might have been problematic, but it seemed to work out fine.

Akira's reply: Thanks for the thoughtful feedback, Stacy! We are going to be enlarging the work space in the studio going forward.

I appreciate that we were able to enter the work area at 9:00am. That was very helpful. But it might have been even better if we could also have worked until 5pm. Trying to get enough done in the 2 hour session after the afternoon demo added a little pressure. I was able to complete what I wanted to accomplish, but I know those around me were feeling very rushed. I am aware that it was necessary for an assistant to be present at all times. But, maybe have one assistant arrive early, and the other assistant stay late?

Akira's reply: This issue is not related to the assistant's scheduling but has to do with the rental studio owner's requirements. We do plan to make changes to the workshop schedule to give students more time to work on their pieces.

Aside from the amazing workshop, we all appreciated the special dinner, concert and Sayo’s Ikebana demo. What a treat! It made the week even more memorable than it already was. And your banjo music plays in my mind all day long!

We stayed at the Cambria Suites. It was just nice enough, priced reasonably, and they provided great overall service. The location was perfect, within walking distance of the museums, galleries, and restaurants. And it’s only a 10 minute drive to your studio. I would recommend it to your future workshoppers.

Thank you again for EVERYTHING! If you ever do a workshop 2.0, I’m ready!

—Stacy (May 2024, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————

It was great meeting you all and spending time in Asheville.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, tips, food (that mochi cake is a must have - recipe available?), ikebana knowledge, support (in so many ways) and good mood!

My two cents on the workshop:

- Location and duration were great! Content was phenomenal, including the McGyver’s moments . Letting us record the videos helped me tremendously to remember the tiny things that are also important.

- I suggest letting clear that Friday's schedule (or last day) is more flexible/free so out of state folks can plan better their flights/return home.

Akira's reply: That's a good idea, Simone! I will let students know in the welcoming letter that the last day is primarily for them to finish their work or request final demos, so they can plan their travel schedule according to their own needs and preferences.

- I would love to have had more time to learn about participants and what they could share (ie: share one thing you are passionate about ceramics or that you do differently). Maybe a list with their social media accounts to share (with their consent, of course).

Akira's reply: I would be happy to suggest these ideas to students during future workshops, but I'd prefer to leave it up to the group to make the list since not all students might want to be involved.

—Simone (May 2024, workshop in Asheville, NC)

———————————