Terms of service

Who are these terms between?

These terms form an agreement between you and Blue Windmill, a ceramics studio at 3-11-6 Kuramae, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0051, Japan. By placing an order, booking a workshop or starting a membership, you agree to the terms set out here. If you do not agree with them, please do not use these services.

What exactly are we offering?

We sell handmade ceramic tableware and decorative pieces through our online catalog, run scheduled group and private pottery classes, take commissioned custom orders, and offer a membership for recurring studio access. Because every item is made by hand, colours, sizes and surface finishes vary slightly from piece to piece. Photographs are a fair guide, not an exact promise.

How does placing an order work?

Your order request is an offer to buy. The contract is formed when we confirm the order with you by email or by phone. We may decline an order if an item has sold out, if we cannot arrange payment, or if there was a pricing error. Prices and availability shown on the shelf can change at any time before we confirm, since the shelf reflects what has actually come out of the kiln.

How and when do you pay?

Payment for shop items is requested in full when we confirm your order. Class fees are due when you book, to hold your seat. Commissions are quoted individually and usually involve a deposit before making begins, with the balance due before dispatch or pickup. All prices include applicable taxes unless stated otherwise.

How do I collect or receive my pieces?

You can choose local pickup from the studio during opening hours, or delivery by courier where offered. Pottery is fragile, so we pack carefully; please inspect your order on arrival and tell us within a reasonable time if anything arrived damaged. Pickup orders are held for a limited period, after which we may return the stock to the shelf.

Can I cancel a class or a purchase?

For catalog items, you may return an unused, undamaged piece within the period stated at checkout for a refund, unless the item was a custom commission. For classes, you may reschedule or cancel up to the notice period shown at booking; late cancellations and no-shows are not refundable because the seat and materials are reserved for you. We will always offer an alternative where a class is cancelled by us.

How do commissions work?

Commissioned work is agreed in writing, including form, quantity, glaze, price and an estimated timeline. Because custom pieces are made specifically for you, deposits are non-refundable once making begins, and small variations inherent to hand-made ceramics are not grounds for return. We will throw and approve a sample before scaling any larger run.

What are the rules in the studio?

During classes and membership sessions you agree to follow the safety guidance of our instructors, use equipment as directed, and treat shared tools and other makers with respect. Kilns, wheels and glaze chemicals can cause injury if misused. We may ask anyone acting unsafely to leave without refund.

How does membership work?

Membership grants recurring access to studio space and facilities within set hours and subject to availability. Fees are billed on the cycle shown at sign-up and continue until you cancel. Membership does not include unlimited materials or firing unless stated. We may pause or adjust membership terms with reasonable notice.

What should I expect on the day of a class?

Please arrive about ten minutes before your session so the group can begin together; aprons, clay and tools are provided. Wear clothes you do not mind getting slip on, keep nails short, and take off rings and bracelets before you sit at the wheel. Beginner groups hold up to six makers, and the intermediate course asks that you have thrown at least once before.

Your piece stays at the studio after class because it has to dry, be trimmed and go through a bisque and a glaze firing. We tell you when it is ready, and we hold finished pieces for a limited period that we name in that message.

What if a piece cracks or a glaze comes out differently?

Clay moves, and kilns are not perfectly even. Now and then a piece cracks while drying or in the fire, or a glaze lands a shade away from the test tile. When that happens to something you made in class, we will tell you plainly and talk through the options for making it again. When it happens to a shop item, we simply do not sell it as first quality.

How are pieces shipped within Japan?

We ship shop pieces anywhere in Japan, wrapped individually and packed to travel. The delivery charge and the expected arrival date are given when we confirm your order, and they depend on where the parcel is going. If something arrives broken, contact us promptly with a photograph of the piece and the packaging so we can arrange a replacement or refund.

Can I take photographs and share them?

You are welcome to photograph your own work and the studio in general, and to share those pictures online. Please ask before you photograph other makers, and do not use our photographs, glaze recipes or product designs commercially without written permission. If we want to feature something you made, we will ask first.

How do I reach you about an order, class or commission?

The quickest route is the telephone at +81 3-5822-4713 during opening hours, Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00. You can also write to info@blue-windmill.com or visit the studio at 3-11-6 Kuramae, Taito City. Please mention the piece, class date or commission you are asking about.

Who owns the designs and content?

Our glazes, designs, photographs and website content belong to Blue Windmill and may not be copied for commercial use without permission. Pieces you make yourself in a class are yours to keep. Commissioned designs remain ours to reproduce unless we agree otherwise in writing.

What are the limits of our responsibility?

We stand behind the quality of our work and will put right anything faulty. To the extent allowed by law, we are not liable for indirect or unforeseeable losses, and nothing in these terms removes rights you have under consumer law. Functional ware is food-safe when used as intended; it is not suitable for stovetop or open-flame use unless we say so.

Which law applies, and can these terms change?

These terms are governed by the laws of Japan, and disputes fall to the competent courts of Tokyo. We may update these terms from time to time; the current version always lives on this page, with the date of the last change shown below. Continuing to use our services after a change means you accept the updated terms.