ع
BBC News reported this week that Yuri Kawakami-Shotton runs Peak and Pottery Tours at the Spode Museum in Stoke-on-Trent, where she introduces Japanese visitors to the region’s ceramic heritage. The tours emerged after she saw a report on local pottery manufacturers entering administration and identified an opportunity based on her cultural background. Kawakami-Shotton, originally from Japan, has focused on linking the Potteries’ legacy with interest from her home country, where fine English dinner sets retain strong appeal. According to the British Ceramic Confederation, the UK ceramics sector generates more than £2 billion annually and has increasingly turned to heritage tourism to offset manufacturing pressures from low-cost imports.
Kawakami-Shotton told BBC News her father-in-law’s remark about declining dinner set purchases prompted the idea that Japanese consumers might respond differently to both the products and the museum experience. “Japanese people would buy, Japanese people would go to the museum and things. I can do that, I can maybe promote it for this city,” she said. Dinner sets produced in England have since gained traction in Japan through her network, with participants reacting strongly upon arrival at the historic site. VisitBritain statistics indicate that Japanese tourism to the UK rebounded to near pre-pandemic levels by 2024, supporting such niche cultural promotions in former industrial areas.
Some Japanese visitors have shown visible excitement at the Spode Museum, where Kawakami-Shotton noted they sometimes pause at the entrance overwhelmed by the location’s significance. “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’. It’s like a legend,” she told the outlet. The tours incorporate key exhibits such as the Blue Room, highlighting the craftsmanship that defined the Potteries since the 18th century. Stoke-on-Trent City Council strategies have emphasised similar cultural tourism initiatives to diversify the local economy beyond traditional manufacturing.
Michael Escolme, manager of the Spode Museum, described Kawakami-Shotton as integral to expanding the institution’s international audience. “She’s been a valued member of our team really, ever since bringing Japanese visitors to us both in real life and virtually to the museum,” Escolme said. Her contributions have included both physical tours and online sessions that connect the Potteries with overseas audiences. A 2025 assessment by the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport noted that industrial heritage sites like those in Stoke-on-Trent have seen rising footfall from Asian markets seeking authentic experiences.
Kawakami-Shotton has extended her promotional work to The Rabbit Hole Tea Room in Stoke-on-Trent, assisting the business with a 2023 expansion into Japan. Lee Greenhalgh, owner of the tea room, outlined the results of a pop-up event held in Nihonbashi that year. “That was insane – we went from selling a few hundred scones a day to 2,000 scones a day,” Greenhalgh told BBC News. The success reflected broader Japanese interest in British afternoon tea traditions paired with local ceramics, a combination that aligns with established trade patterns between the two countries.
The Potteries region, encompassing several towns within Stoke-on-Trent, maintains a cluster of museums and factories that trace the evolution of British ceramic production, according to Historic England records. Kawakami-Shotton’s activities have contributed to visibility for these assets at a time when the sector balances legacy brands with modern economic realities. Museum officials indicated that such targeted promotion has helped sustain visitor numbers and associated commercial activity in the area.
