The woman promoting the UK Potteries region in Japan

A woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat and patterned top standing in front of a brick building with large windows.

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Yuri Kawakami-Shotton has been praised for her efforts in showcasing Stoke-on-Trent pottery to people in Japan

ByRebecca Harper, in Stoke-on-Trent and Shehnaz Khan, West Midlands

Published2 hours ago

A woman has been praised for her efforts in promoting the city of Stoke-on-Trent to Japan.

Yuri Kawakami-Shotton runs Peak and Pottery Tours at the city's Spode Museum, showcasing the region and the Potteries to overseas visitors from Japan.

She said she was inspired to spread the word about the city after watching a BBC News report about pottery firms falling into administration.

"My father-in-law said: 'Oh, because no one's buying a dinner set anymore'," she explained. "And I said, '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'."

Kawakami-Shotton said, since starting her tours, the dinner sets made in England have proved to be a hit in Japan.

"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.

"It's like a legend."

A display of blue-and-white decorative plates, bowls and serving dishes arranged on a large wooden cabinet.

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The Blue Room at the Spode Museum features on Kawakami-Shotton's tours

Michael Escolme, manager of the Spode Museum, praised Kawakami-Shotton's efforts to broaden their reach.

"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," he said.

A man wearing a striped apron and cap seated in a café decorated with plants, patterned cushions and a Winnie the Pooh toy.

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Lee Greenhalgh, owner of The Rabbit Hole, said they sold 2,000 scones each day at a pop-up event in Japan

Kawakami-Shotton also brings her visitors to The Rabbit Hole Tea Room in the city.

In 2023, she helped the firm take their afternoon tea to Japan, where one part of the menu proved to be very popular.

"We were given the amazing opportunity to go and work out at Nihonbashi in Japan where we had a pop-up of The Rabbit Hole in September," said Lee Greenhalgh, the cafe's owner.

"That was insane - we went from selling a few hundred scones a day to 2,000 scones a day!"