The Mamekichi Pottery School is just a two-minute walk from JR's Nakano Station in Tokyo. The convenient location attracts many young women after work, and today the school has about 130 students, 70% of them women.

If you ask them why they took up pottery, they may say "Because I want to serve food I've cooked myself on tableware I've made myself," or "I wanted to make ceramic accessories for clothing, like an obi sash clip to use with my kimono."

They have different reasons for enrolling, but they all seem glad to be there. Mucking around with your hands in the clay is lots of fun, they say.

The school owner, Ito Hitomi, says, "Even beginners may find their pottery has an artistic touch. Some of them think they are really good at it, though they are probably deceiving themselves. But if they think they have talent they will keep improving, so there's nothing wrong with a little self-deception!"

Each month brings more students, expanding the ranks of those who enjoy the art of pottery.