The Aokigahara Forest, formed when lava flows from Mount Fuji’s eruption about 1,200 years ago cooled and solidified, overgrown with trees.At the workshop “Maro” in Fujikawaguchiko Town, Yamanashi Prefecture, nestled at the foot of Mount Fuji amidst expansive primeval forests, delicate glass works crafted through meticulous carving are displayed. The patterned and richly colored glass brings a soft light that blends into the lives of those who hold it.

Each piece is meticulously crafted over time.

The works of glass artist Ichichō Matsuo showcase delicate details and textures created using a technique called “cold work.”Cold work is a technique applied to chilled glass without heat, involving polishing, decoration, and carving. Edo Kiriko, where patterns are applied by cutting the glass, is one such example. The glass surface is finished with a matte, frosted texture by removing its shine through “sandblasting,” a technique that blasts sand-like abrasives onto the surface.Expressions vary by piece: some blend seamlessly to highlight the smooth, gritty feel of frosted glass, while others feature carved marks like sculptures. While coldwork is primarily a finishing technique, Matsuo’s distinctive “extra touch” is also evident in the processes leading up to this stage.

The expressive potential of glass’s unique properties

Matsuo’s works vary widely, including “guinomi” (sake cups), “shuhai” (sake bowls), and “futamono” (lidded containers). In these pieces, colored lines or floral-like patterns are created by inserting heated, rod-shaped colored glass into transparent glass and fusing them together. The colored glass rods can be straight or spiral-shaped, and when fused with the transparent glass, they create patterns that seem to float within it.

In contrast, for the “Honeycomb Pattern” series, white glass powder is applied to the colored rods during preparation to create a distinct boundary and sharp pattern against the clear glass. The term “honeycomb” refers to the hexagonal structure formed by the glass rods pushing against each other as they fuse, resulting in beautifully aligned hexagons.To create perfect hexagons, Matsuo meticulously selects materials by measuring rod thickness beforehand. He then arranges cross-sectioned rod pieces in a regular pattern, melting and solidifying them into a sheet in an electric furnace. Matsuo handles nearly every step himself, from component creation to final finishing.His meticulously crafted pieces, characterized by their texture, color, and transparency, have garnered a loyal following. His work was featured in the 2023 Tokyo glass exhibition “Containers of Light,” drawing large crowds daily.

Discovering the Feel of Glass

Matsuo first became interested in glass craft 31 years ago. Encouraged by his parents, he left his hometown of Fujikawaguchiko Town in Yamanashi Prefecture to attend a private middle-high school in Saitama Prefecture. It was there, in the school’s glass craft club, that he encountered glasswork for the first time, setting him on his current path.When he first touched glass, Matsuo recalls, “I found each change fascinating—how it melted, stretched, and curved.” He melted glass using a burner in the science lab and explored pattern-making techniques by studying books. Immersed in these fulfilling activities with his clubmates, his world was suddenly shattered when his father passed away unexpectedly during his second year of high school.

He realized he would have to make his own way from then on. He agonized over his future and what path to take after graduation. “I loved glass, and I was happy when people enjoyed the things I made,” he says, explaining his decision to pursue glass craftsmanship. Aiming to enter an art university, he spent the year after high school graduation studying drawing at a preparatory school.

Lacquer: What I Learned in College

Even while studying drawing, his passion for glass only grew. He reflected, “I was so absorbed in glass that I hadn’t paid attention to other materials.” To gain a deeper understanding of different materials first and broaden his perspective on glass craft, he deliberately applied to Kanazawa College of Art and Crafts in Ishikawa Prefecture, which didn’t have a dedicated glass department. There, Matsuo majored in the Lacquer Course within the Crafts Department.

“I sensed a similarity to glass in the ‘luster’ produced by lacquer.” Ishikawa Prefecture, home to traditional crafts like Wajima lacquerware and Yamanaka lacquerware, provided an ideal environment for studying lacquer. He visited local artisans actively working in the field and became increasingly captivated by the material’s charm.

Through studying lacquer art, he came to see lacquer as “an ‘outer material’ that decorates the surface of a work,” while glass, with its translucent nature, is “an ‘inner material’ where the view inside also becomes part of the expression.” This led him to wonder, “Couldn’t I expand expressive possibilities by utilizing glass’s color, form, and transparency, while also exploring texture and decoration?” This question became the thread leading to his current artistic style.Matsuo also notes, “I was never good at detailed work.” However, his experience with lacquer art—which demands meticulous, delicate handwork—proved invaluable for his later glass craft, especially since most glass processes rely on machinery. “By sincerely engaging with lacquer, I acquired skills without even realizing it,” he reflects on that time.

Techniques Learned in the “Glass Town”

After graduating university, he enrolled at the Toyama Glass Art Institute. For the first two years, he studied the three pillars of glass techniques in the Sculpture Department: “hot work” (techniques like glassblowing that involve melting and shaping with heat), “kiln work” (casting techniques using electric furnaces), and the aforementioned “cold work.”During the subsequent two years, while re-examining his direction as a glass artist, he felt “the sensation of glass changing form as I carved it with my hands was akin to sculpture.” His father, who worked as a woodcarver, significantly influenced this perspective.Having grown up surrounded by wood as a material, he consciously adopted cold work glass processing—where unique patterns emerge through carving, much like how patterns appear on carved wood surfaces—as his signature style.

With the goal of becoming a full-time glass artisan, he held his first solo exhibition, “Glass Treasures,” in 2006 while still a student.After graduating, he continued creating glass works while working part-time in Toyama. From 2010, he served as a teaching assistant in the Glass Course of the Craft and Fine Arts Department at Kobe Design University. During this time, he honed his skills while seeking specific advice from artist acquaintances on critiquing his work and monetization methods. In 2014, he established his studio “Maro” in his hometown of Yamanashi.

The Joy of “Shaping”

Matsuo’s works combine multiple glass craft techniques. He begins by creating parts through hot work, then uses kiln work to form the base shapes for vessels and other pieces, finally finishing the work through cold work. Generally, in techniques like glassblowing, the accidental beauty created by the artisan’s breath is valued, so few artists, like Matsuo, actively seek to intervene and refine the work.”As I continued making glass, I came to realize that ‘taking the time to ultimately complete the work in my own hands’ is the style I should value.”

While the accidental qualities of hot-work and kiln-work pieces hold their own appeal, the real fascination of carving lies in “being able to transform the shape with my own hands while expanding my vision.” Carving changes the expression, giving birth to unexpected new forms of expression. Gazing at his carefully crafted pieces, Matsuo smiles innocently, saying, “I enjoy the time spent carving.”

“I want people to store their precious things inside” – the wish embedded in his lidded vessels

Matsuo’s signature series is the “Lidded Vessels,” where soft light pools within the glass and color seeps through its transparency. This series, packed with the unique charm of glass, is named “Tamabako” (literally “jewel box”), using the word “tama” (jewel) to signify something beautiful and precious. Placed near a window or in sunlight, a gentle, soft light emerges from within.

“I feel there’s a connection between light gathering inside the glass and storing something within the lidded container. People often ask what they should put inside. I tell them, ‘Please place whatever small, precious things you hold dear,’ like an anniversary ring or an acorn a child brought home.”

She recalls a customer who once purchased one as a container for keeping ashes close by. This reminded her of her student days when creating such pieces was a theme—to make something that would make someone want to place their late father’s ashes inside. She felt a connection. “What’s ‘precious’ varies for each person, but I’d be happy if, when they glance at the lidded container I made, it helps them recall some cherished feeling.”

Finding my own voice, bit by bit

After returning to Yamanashi and establishing her studio, Matsuo describes her days as “a constant cycle of trial and error” in an environment where she had no teacher. Gradually, she refined her own style of work—pieces that blend practical usability as vessels with the beauty of craft—while incorporating feedback from those around her.

“Being alone made me realize things I’d unconsciously absorbed in my privileged environment and how I’d been trapped by preconceived notions. There were failures, but as I rethought my style, I steadily discovered what I truly wanted to do.”

There were times when poor health hindered her progress, but her resolve remained unchanged: “I want to create what I believe is good without compromise.” To adjust her pace, she reduced the frequency of her solo exhibitions, which she had held multiple times a year. In 2022, she launched a new online shop. While maintaining her own well-being and producing satisfying work, she is also exploring ways to monetize her craft using the power of the internet.Matsuo’s journey continues, driven by the goal of “sustaining this as something I love, as work, for the long term.”

I want people to discover the charm of glass

As a glass artist, Matsuo shares, “I want many people to discover the charm of glass through the pieces I create.” Speaking calmly about the “extra effort” that comes from years of accumulated experience, she says, “I know it seems wasteful, but the steady work and that extra effort are what make it ‘me.'” Holding a polished lidded vessel, her smile as she said, “I’d be happy if my creations could become part of someone else’s life going forward,” was truly memorable.

The post Carving glass—that extra effort defines who I am. Expressions that capture light and captivate. “Kobo Maro” / Fujikawaguchiko Town, Yamanashi Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Fascinated by the tasteful beauty of blown glass, glass artist Yuko Miura uses traditional techniques to create dishes for daily use. The vessels, designed with ease of use in mind, feel stable in one’s hands and stand dignifiedly on the dining table. Regardless of the genre of cuisine, such as Japanese or Western, or the occasion, she creates glassware that blends in with daily life based on the concept of “daily usable vessels.

Moved to the nature-rich northern part of Okayama Prefecture

Yuko Miura’s studio, Bamboo Glass, is located in a quiet mountainous area in Kagamino-cho, Tomada-gun, Okayama Prefecture. It is about an hour and a half drive from Okayama City and about 15 minutes to the border of Tottori Prefecture. Nearby are Okutsu Onsen, a hot spring representative of the Mimasaka region of Okayama Prefecture, and the scenic Okutsu Creek, an area blessed with abundant nature throughout the four seasons. Mr. Miura started his workshop here in 2014.

Producing tableware for daily use

Mr. Miura creates colorless clear and pale gray cups, wine glasses, plates, and bowls. Blown glass is a technique with a history of over 2,000 years. I am fascinated by the forms of vessels used by people in the past, so I study the history of blown glass carefully and try to create my own unique designs while considering how easy it is for people to use today.

Discovered blown glass while a university student

Mr. Miura was born in Osaka Prefecture. While a student at Kyoto University of Art and Design, he was exposed to a variety of crafts, including ceramics and woodworking, and was most attracted to glassworking. Wanting to pursue glassblowing even further, he took classes at “Glass Studio Aaty” in Kyoto City and gained experience in the art of glassblowing. He chose blown glass from among the many glass forming techniques because he is not good at sitting still, he says with a laugh.

That is probably why glassblowing, which requires physical exertion, suits him so well. When he actually tried it, he found the movement of the molten glass interesting, and he began to think, “I want to learn more about blown glass,” and “I want to handle glass in a soft state.

Blown glass is formed by winding high-temperature molten glass around a steel tube called a “blowpipe” and blowing air into it to make it expand like a balloon. It is possible to make glass thinner than that formed by fitting it into a mold, and the technique is said to have remained largely unchanged since ancient Roman times.

After graduating from university, she continued her studies at the Toyama Institute of Glass Art, where she learned basic glass theory, techniques, and the necessary sketches, as well as the know-how to become an independent glass artist. She moved to this area when her husband, Kazu, who was also a staff member, took a job at the “Fairy Forest Glass Art Museum” in Kagamino-cho, Tomata-gun, Okayama Prefecture.

Repeating the same thing over and over again does not produce the same thing.

She now has a studio in the corner of her house where she works alone. In his studio, there are two furnaces that he made himself according to the size of the vessels he makes. The furnaces for his work are heated to about 1,000 degrees Celsius. The furnace for melting and storing glass has a working temperature of approximately 1,180°C. This furnace is used to remove bubbles from the glass. This furnace is operated 24 hours a day to remove air bubbles from the glass so that it is ready to work the next morning. While surrounded by the heat generated by the two furnaces, he continues to make 20 to 30 cups from morning to night. He continues, “I never get tired of doing the same thing over and over again, day after day. That’s what’s so strange about it. I think I am making the same thing, but each finished product is somehow different. Maybe that’s why.”

He learned from looking at old glass, and in his own creations, he has arrived at his current style by devising shapes that are easy to wash and thicknesses that do not break easily. In addition, he mixes a small amount of iron and copper with glass to create a grayish color in order to bring out the atmosphere of old glass. The colors of these pieces are not too overpowering and blend in well with the tabletop.

One of his favorite glasses is a glass with legs, which was used in a popular French diner in the 20th century. It is what is called a “bistro glass,” a sturdy glass that can be handled roughly to some extent. He says, “I want to make something that is easy to pick up and has a simple, everyday quality, like this glass.

When he first started creating, he exhibited his work at craft fairs throughout Japan in order to make his creations known. He learned about the reaction to the vessels he made by talking with customers at “Craft Fair Matsumoto” in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, “Arts & Crafts Shizuoka Tezokuri Ichiba” in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and “Field of Crafts Kurashiki” in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture. He learned that there were surprisingly few glassware that could be used for both Western and Japanese cuisine without interfering when placed alongside ceramics, and his theme of “glass that fits in with the dining table” became firmly established. Through word of mouth, the number of clients gradually increased.

An environment that connects work and daily life

Miura spends his evenings looking at old books on glassware that he collects at antiquarian book fairs and other places, and uses them as motivation for his work. For example, when I look at a photograph of Venetian glass from the 16th century, I am impressed by the effort of the craftsmen who worked hard to make it,” he says. I enjoy finding traces of their work, such as tool marks, and thinking about how they were made in my own way.

He says that his work and daily life are well connected in his current environment, where he can work freely and without restraint at the foot of the mountain. For example, sweeping up fallen leaves around the house in the morning is an important way to refresh himself before heading off to work. It allows him to enter the workshop with a refreshed feeling of nature. I want to continue living the way I do now,” he says. I want to continue my life in the future. Like the women who have made a living by weaving, I imagine that I am making things day in and day out in the mountains. Work is a part of my life,” she laughs.

Recently, she has decided to turn off the furnace during the warmer months of mid-July through August, so that she can spend her free time, which she has not had before, looking at glassware at museums and collecting glass artifacts. He believes that there must be more to glass than just looking at materials.

Since moving here, he has devoted himself to raising his children, and there was a time when he worked part-time. Even so, somewhere in the back of his mind, he always thought, “I will make blown glass again. Ms. Miura’s strength comes from the fact that she has never doubted her own desire to create. Finding inspiration in her daily life and being able to create is what gives her the greatest joy.

The post Glass artist with an everyday perspective, Yuko Miura, Bamboo Glass / Tomata-gun, Okayama, Japan first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Rikie Shojiguchi is a glass artist with a studio in Toyama Prefecture.
Under the concept of “gentle, soft, and comfortable.
, she continues to create attractive vessels with a delicate whiteness expressed by cutting glass and a unique touch that is comfortable to the skin.

Why is Toyama glass famous?

Toyama is famous for its “Toyama no kusuri (medicine seller), ” and in order to support Toyama’s pharmaceutical culture, which has a history of over 300 years, the manufacture of glass bottles to hold medicines flourished in and around Toyama City during the Meiji and Taisho eras, with the city boasting the largest share in the nation’s market. Such historical background has created rich resources and developed Toyama into a city of glass. Toyama is said to be one of the world’s leading glass cities, with a favorable environment that includes research institutes that foster glass artists and ateliers that support their production. In such a glass town of Toyama City, there is a studio called “Shojiguchiya” run by Rikie Kojiguchi. Shojiguchi-ya is a glass studio in Toyama City, a town known for its glass . Ms. Shojiguchi-ya creates glass works that fit the skin and are comfortable to wear. Ms. Kojiguchi is a glass artist who has received many awards in Toyama and other parts of Japan, as well as internationally. The unique and gentle look of the glass works she creates will surely convince anyone of the concept behind her work.

The Road to Becoming a Glass Artist

Ms. Kojiguchi says that she enjoyed watching glass artisans blowing glass and their work processes. His admiration for glass was accelerated when the Toyama Glass Art Institute was established while he was still in high school. However, at the time, he did not have the knowledge or skills to take the entrance exam for the Toyama Institute of Glass Art, so he decided to go to an art school first, and enrolled in Toyama College of Art and Craft. Around the time he graduated from the school, his longing for glass, which he had felt in his high school days, was rekindled when he stopped by the Toyama Glass Studio. As soon as I saw the glass-making process, I thought to myself , “I want to do this! At that moment, he decided to take the entrance exam for the Toyama Glass Art Institute. After a year of intense study, he successfully fulfilled his high school dream and received a ticket to the Toyama City Institute of Glass Art. Looking back, he says he could not forget the feeling of “the texture of filing wood” when he made a chair in one of his classes at the institute. This experience may have influenced his choice of glass as a material to create by touching and looking with his hands.

The Appeal of Kojiguchi’s Glass Works

The appeal of Kojiguchi’s glass is its gentle white color and unique texture. At first, Mr. Kojiguchi made colored glass works because of the tendency to sell only colored glass. However, he found that this did not allow him to show his playfulness with shapes. She then began to make works without color, as she does now, and the reputation of her work at solo exhibitions and other venues was unexpectedly high. And more than anything else, the works were comfortable and satisfying for her to make.

In creating her works, Ms. Kojiguchi places importance on the five senses of “sight,” “touch,” and “hearing. The glass that Mr. Kojiguchi finishes with his unique senses, not only by blowing glass but also by shaving and polishing, seems to embody the key to his creation, “Seeing with the hands. The glass seems to embody the key concept of his work, “to see with the hands”. This is how the glass has a smooth feel that cannot be felt with other types of glass.

When you pour sake, whiskey, or other alcoholic beverages into the carefully crafted “Hatsuri” glass, you will enjoy not only the taste but also the feel of the glass. The warmth of the glass is sure to be useful as a gift for anniversaries such as wedding gifts and kanreki (60th birthday).

In this way, Kojiguchi’s glass works add warmth to our lives. We are sure that she will continue to provide us with ” gentle, soft, and comfortable ” space with her unique touch and gentle colors. She will continue to give us a space that is “gentle, soft, and comfortable” with her unique touch and gentle colors.

I aim to create works that warm the hearts of those who use them, valuing not only the sense of sight but also the feeling of touch. Glassware comes alive only when people use it in their daily lives. We would be happy if you could use them a lot without putting them away and bring smiles and happy moments to your life.

The post Glass works that feel warm to the touch by Rikie Kojiguchiya, Kojiguchiya /Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Fewer and Fewer Glass Blowing Workshops Today

In the 1950s, there were more than 50 glass studios in Tokyo. One of them is Tajima Glass, established in 1956 in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo.

Tajima Glass Co., Ltd. is a workshop that handles “Edo glass,” which has been handed down since the Edo period (1603-1868). Edo glass is handmade using traditional techniques from the Edo period (1603-1868), and when it is faceted, it becomes Edo faceted glass.

Edo faceting is so famous that it is now designated as a “traditional craft” by the national government, making it highly valuable to preserve for the future.

Fuji glass” that triggered its popularity

My grandfather, who was a watchman, started his own business. He started by renting a workshop at first. In the old days, coal was indispensable for glass production, so many workshops were built along riverside areas where it was convenient to transport coal,” says President Daisuke Tajima.

When we visited the workshop, we found many craftsmen sweating and blowing glass in the old-fashioned kiln. The company continues to produce traditional Edo faceted glass, but it is the “Fujiyama Series” in the shape of Mount Fuji that has made Tajima Glass Co. The company’s beer glasses, sake cups, rocks glasses, and other drinking glasses are popular as souvenirs among foreigners.

Fuji was registered as a World Heritage site, the hotel asked us to make some glasses for them. Fuji was registered as a World Heritage site. At first, we made beer glasses, and they were such a hit that we made a series of them. Thanks to your support, we are now in such a state that we can’t keep up with production.

In this way, the company is not limited to traditional Edo faceted glass, but is also focusing on glasses that are fashionable for everyday use in the shape of Mt.

Evolving the quality of glass and bringing it into the modern age

The showroom displays a variety of glassware, from traditional Edo faceted glass to custom-made products. The ability to respond to a wide range of orders is one of the strengths of Tajima Glass, which makes its products by hand.

Tajima Glass is able to meet a wide range of orders, which is one of the strengths of the company. I believe that we must protect this technology, even in these difficult times for glass,” he said emphatically.

His passionate wish for more people to be able to easily pick up glassware is probably the main motivation for him to continue making various products even in this difficult situation.

Traditional techniques are necessary to create the unique beauty of glass. It also requires the passion and ideas of craftspeople to keep it alive in the modern age. The combination of reliable techniques and the passion of craftsmen who want their products to be used by people of all generations is the driving force behind Tajima Glass Co. We look forward to seeing Tajima Glass continue to use its traditional techniques to bring new ideas to life.

You can also read more about Tajima Glass here.

The post Preserving the warmth of Edo faceting in a different form for the modern age Tajima Glass Co. first appeared on NIHONMONO.

The moment when molten glass releases a beautiful glow. Blown glass is a craft that captures that moment. Kota Arinaga encapsulates the long hours spent in the textile process in blown glass, which could be called “the beauty of the moment”. He has a studio on Notojima Island in Nanao Bay, and we will touch on his thoughts as he expresses his own worldview based on the Venetian glass technique.

A beautiful world of glass, woven with fine fibers

The irregularly shaped, bubbly pattern looks as if it might start moving at any moment. The play of light and shadow is breathtaking. It seems as if life has taken up residence in glass, which is normally considered to be an inorganic material. If you look closely, you can see the fine fibers in each bubble. It looks more like a coarse-textured knitted fabric than a bubble.

Inspired by the technique of “lace glass”, a traditional Italian glass craft known as Venetian glass, glass artist Kota Arinaga created “netz” using his own unique techniques. This series of works, which means “net”, has become synonymous with Arinaga, along with his “gaze” series, which is inspired by textiles.

Glass and textiles. Incorporating the flow of opposing time into his works

When you hear the phrase “textile-inspired”, you might be a little puzzled. Textiles are made by spinning thread and weaving it together over time, crossing the warp and weft threads. On the other hand, blown glass, which must be shaped before it cools and hardens, is a race against time. The processes of glass and textiles seem to be completely opposite.

Mr. Arinaga says, “I wanted to capture the time axis of the textile process, which involves a huge number of steps, in the ‘instant’ of blown glass.” This series of works is also created through a precise and laborious process of stretching glass like twisting thread. When the time axis of glass and textiles overlap, the work takes on a deep sense of depth.

Arranging the technique of Venetian glass in a Japanese aesthetic sense

Venetian glass is characterized by its sophisticated, perfect forms and regular designs, but Arinaga’s works have movement, distortion and a unique expression. Rather than recreating Venetian glass, he aims to “reconstruct this technique with a Japanese sense of beauty and aesthetics”.

The Japanese aesthetic sense is unique in that it finds natural beauty in imperfection. Arinaga uses highly advanced techniques that are precisely calculated to express this “beauty of irregularity”.

Making everyday tableware in a studio on Notojima Island, where you can feel the changing of the seasons

Notojima, in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, where the studio is located, is a place where you can feel the changing of the four seasons. Surrounded by light and greenery, Mr. Arinaga makes dozens of vessels every day. He says that he makes vessels over and over again, and that he creates his own form by letting the movement become ingrained in his body.

For Mr. Arinaga, both the large, one-of-a-kind works that require delicate techniques and the everyday vessels are on the same line of craftsmanship.

“Techniques and skills are tools for expression. That’s why you have to keep looking after them and polishing them, and you have to keep using them or they won’t improve.” He keeps his hands busy making everyday vessels, polishing up his skills and bringing out his own style. Mr. Arinaga’s style of production is artisan-like and stoic.

Vessels that enrich the hearts and lives of their users

While making pottery on a daily basis, Mr. Arinaga thinks about and tries out various things as he works. For example, he has a set of sake cups with different shapes. The wide-mouthed flat cups have a shape that makes the rim and tongue of the cup almost parallel, so that the liquid stops at the tip of the tongue, making it easy to taste the sweetness and bitterness. The small-mouthed guinomi cups are said to make it possible to enjoy a clean taste. On the other hand, the narrow-mouthed kouhai cups are designed so that the liquid flows easily into the mouth. This allows the sake to spread out horizontally, making the flavor more intense. The narrow opening also means that the aftertaste can be enjoyed for longer.

The person who gave me the idea was the owner of a local izakaya. He told me about it when he found out I was working with glass. He said, ‘I never realized that the shape of a sake cup could make such a difference to the taste of the sake. The owner of the izakaya explained to Mr. Arinaga at great length, and he laughs wryly, saying, “I didn’t taste the sake at all at the time. He says that when he was making the vessels, he suddenly remembered the izakaya, and he tried to make sake vessels that would allow him to experience that.

He hopes that the vessels he makes will be easy to use and enrich people’s lives. The vessels he creates with this wish in mind add color and small discoveries to the lives of the people who use them.

In the extraordinary circumstances that followed the earthquake, his hands stopped making vessels.

The Noto Peninsula earthquake that struck on January 1st 2024 also caused damage to the pottery workshop on Notojima Island. The kiln, which weighed 800kg, moved around a lot and cracked the floor, and most of the works were broken. Many of the solo exhibitions planned for that year had to be cancelled, and the shock was great.

“If I don’t make anything, I won’t have any income, so I have to make something,” he said, and he worked to restore his studio, but he says that he felt impatient as the extraordinary situation continued day after day. The damage to the area was so great that he also felt unsure about whether it was okay for him to start working again.

At that time, he received a message from a gallery owner he knew well, who said, ‘Go ahead and make things. I’ll make sure to sell them.’ Hearing this, he was able to look forward again, thinking, ‘It’s okay to start making things again.’

The beautiful blue color was born from the broken glass fragments.

All the broken pieces were melted together and remade into a new piece. The colors of the fragments were different, but the color that was born from mixing them together was a soft blue. It was a color that reminded one of the sea of Noto, and so it was named “0101 (zero-one-zero-one) blue”, after the date of the earthquake.

For the first year after the disaster, he struggled to get back into the rhythm of his creative activities, but when he crossed over that time on January 1st the following year, he says, “I thought to myself that it was only natural that my pace and style of work would change, given the terrible things that had happened.” When he accepted the change, he says he suddenly felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

Developing a compact next-generation kiln

Alongside his creative work, Arinaga is also involved in something else: expanding the scope of the glass industry.

It is a high hurdle to become an independent glass artist. One of the reasons for this is the kiln. Once the kiln is fired up, it is not possible to stop it. If the fire is turned off, the crucible used to melt the glass has to be replaced, and when the temperature is raised again, it takes extra time and fuel. You can’t be away for long periods of time either, to maintain the kiln with the fire still burning.

Mr. Arinaga thought, “If only there was a kiln that was more compact, easier to control, and had more flexibility”, and he took his idea to the kiln manufacturer, who developed a kiln that could be turned off when not in use.

I want to be a model that expands the possibilities of blown glass.

If the number of potters decreases, there will be fewer people making kilns, crucibles and tools. If the entire glass industry comes to a standstill, “everyone will be in trouble, and I will be in trouble too,” says Mr. Arinaga. If there were kilns that were easy to use when starting out as an artist, it might be possible to increase the number of potters. In fact, the introduction of “Arinaga-style” kilns is spreading, especially among young artists, and improvements are being made.

Every day he faces the glass in the “Arinaga-style” kiln that he helped to develop. His desire to expand the scope of his work grows stronger, “I want people to know that this kiln can create such expressions”.

He spins and weaves glass threads. It seems that the time that Mr. Arinaga has encapsulated in his glass also includes time that leads to the future.

The post Spinning beautiful “time” with blown glass. Glass artist Kota Arinaga / Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

ENTRO glass studio, run by Natsuko Higa, creates unique glass works that incorporate the colors and textures of nature. Her works, which incorporate the skillful techniques she has accumulated through years of research and a deep respect for nature, have the power to overwhelm viewers and evoke strong emotions in their hearts.

ENTRO glass studio” creates works utilizing fluid elements

Nestled in the rich natural environment of Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture, “ENTRO glass studio” is known as one of the most artistic glass studios in the prefecture. Ms. Natsuko Higa, who runs the studio, creates her own works as a glass artist and also teaches glass making at a school for experienced glass blowers, furthering her exploration. She also rents out her studio, offering glassmakers a place to create glass. Higa’s works range from everyday vessels to works of art that add a sense of presence to a space. Her works are imbued with the breath of nature, such as the shimmering of water and the colors of light, and quietly seep into the hearts of those who see and use them. The artistic and streamlined beauty produced by her hands attracts many people.

ENTRO” means ‘entrance’ in Spanish. Mr. Higa, speaking of his anxiety about taking the plunge into something new, said, “I have had the experience of being encouraged by pushing the backs of others who are also lost. By supporting others, we both gained courage and were able to open our own doors,” he says. He named his studio “ENTRO glass studio” to keep that original intention in mind.

Higa says that his role is “to use technology to extract the captivating moment in the heat given to the creator and give it a form that allows people to lean into it.
Mr. Higa’s works are not merely for appreciation, but are intended to accompany people’s lives and quietly serve in the lives of their users.

Where does Higa draw inspiration for her sincere approach to her work? According to Higa, it comes from “water.

When I explore water, I see color in light (Eros) and depletion and loss in structure (Thanatos). Both water and glass are similar in that the boundary between gas, liquid, and solid is ambiguous, and I find inspiration in this ambiguity,” Higa said.

Toward a life as a glass artist

In Higa’s works, one can sense “shadows” behind the rich colors. These shadows are the elements that make her works stand out. It shows her “determination. Let us look back on her life until she decided to make this resolution.

Overcoming Family Difficulties, Becoming a Hands-on Craftsman

Born and raised in Nago City, Higa witnessed the bankruptcy of his father’s company during his impressionable years. During her high school years, when her family circumstances were weighing heavily on her, she felt the fragility of the organization, saw the potential of “manufacturing” to create something with her own hands, and began to search for a way to become independent.

The “Glass Department” of Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, which she found in her high school career planning office, caught her attention. She wondered whether she should give up on the idea of higher education, considering her parents’ heavy debts, but it was her mother who gave her the push she needed.

She said, “You can lose money and assets, but no one can take your knowledge, skills, and experience away from you. However, knowledge, skills, and experience are assets that no one can take away. You can start over again with those assets. With her mother’s words in mind, he entered Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, which at the time was said to have the best glass facilities in Japan.

Differences between glass artisans and glass molding artists studied in Kurashiki

In college, I had the opportunity to learn from professors in different positions: “glass artisan” and “glass sculptor”. The craftsman does not write on paper. An artist begins by drawing on paper. As I continued my practical training at the university, I realized that I am an “artist type” who uses his brain to think before he creates, not like a craftsman who works with his hands from the beginning.

Waste” impressed me while learning glass making.

When I was in college, I was helping to repair a kiln and replace the “crucibles” (jars) installed in the kiln to melt the glass, when I carried a large amount of waste kiln material to an industrial waste container. The sight of the piles of glass with impurities mixed in and the waste that inevitably comes out during production left an indelible impression on him.

We make our glass works by scooping out the top layer of impurities,” he said. Customers buy only what is beautiful. But if you are a maker, you have to be aware of the waste that is produced at the same time.

The words of the assistant professor, who was watching the scene with Higa, would later influence Higa’s attitude as a glass artist.

Glass Craft as Knowledge and Glass Craft as Technique

After graduating from university, Mr. Higa faced a major obstacle in his attempt to make glass his career. At university, he learned about glass craft as “knowledge,” but he realized that he lacked the “skills. He felt guilty to his parents for sending him to college and frustrated that he could not make it in society.
He decided to travel around the country in search of a master who could teach him the art of glassblowing.

After six years of wandering, exhausted both mentally and physically, he finally found a master in Japan who was willing to teach him the art of glassblowing. He studied under the late Kenji Ito, who ran the Aya Glass Studio in Kanagawa Prefecture, and the door to becoming a glass artist finally opened.

While working daily on her glass training, she met her current husband, Tairiku Higa, a native of the same hometown, who was studying culinary arts. Tairiku hoped to one day repay his debt of gratitude to his native Okinawa through cooking, and the idea of returning to Okinawa someday began to grow in his mind.

To Okinawa, his hometown. And the launch of two ENTROs

After engaging in glass production under Kenji Ito, Higa and her husband reached a turning point. After her husband Tairiku was injured, they decided to return to their hometown of Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture. In 2013, Higa opened “ENTRO glass studio” and Tairiku opened “ENTRO SOUP & TAPAS,” a restaurant based on the concept of “a restaurant where you can experience glass and food,” in Nago City in 2014. The restaurant is well known as a new space where local food and glass crafts are fused together.

The duo’s “ENTRO” place encourages interaction between locals and visitors through glass and food, and also provides an opportunity for each to take a step forward. In the gallery space at the back of the restaurant, there is a space where Higa’s artwork is on display, and visitors can view it while waiting for their food.

For Higa, Nago is also a place that holds fond memories of her grandmother and reminds her of words filled with wisdom to balance body and soul. What she learned through her six years of hard running before meeting her mentor was the importance of maintaining a healthy balance of mind and body in her craftsmanship.

When I was sick, my grandmother would make bitter bitter melon juice as a “life medicine (nuchigusui). Bitter is good for the body, but it is also delicious for the body. I remember being taught that ‘bitter but pleasing to the body is the true taste.

In such a memorable place, Higa, who has devoted herself to glass production, has begun a new challenge.

The Challenge of Making Glass from Scrap

In recent years, Higa has been focusing on a new research theme: while silica sand, the raw material for glass, has been decreasing in number and prices have skyrocketed, the world is being flooded with waste glass produced in large quantities. In response to this situation, she has found new value in the waste and is working to develop technology to make it easier to use as a material.

Glass may look the same, but its composition is delicate, and when different types of glass are combined, they break. That is where new technology and wisdom are needed,” she says.

He also envisions a project using glass waste, taking advantage of Okinawa’s unique location and human characteristics. Specifically, the first step is to make the waste material usable. The first step is to make it easy to use as a material, and to train technicians in the process. She also plans to transform the waste into a specialized and valuable product, and deliver it to the appropriate place.

Through this initiative, she aims to establish a new cycle for the future of glass making.

Future as a Glass Artist

Each of Higa’s works, nurtured in the nature of Okinawa, symbolizes her thoughts, techniques, and vision for the future. The glass story she spins out of “ENTRO”. It will continue to shine in the future.

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Chigusa Kono is a glass artist who makes everyday vessels and artworks at her home and studio in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. Ms. Kono uses burner work, a technique rarely seen in glassmaking, in her creative activities. Her thin, delicate glass vessels and motifs drawn on their surfaces using dots and lines are attracting attention as works of great originality.

Becoming an Independent Glass Artist

Chigusa Kono, a glass artist born and raised in Gunma Prefecture, now has a studio in Takasaki City. She says that she first became interested in glass because “I admired a glass artist in one of Takayoshi Honda’s short stories and wanted to become a glass artist.
Later, he had the opportunity to watch a TV special on glass making, which accelerated his interest in glass.
Since no one around him, including his family, was involved in art, let alone glass, and he did not know how to become a glass artist, he decided to enroll in Tama Art University, aiming for an art college where he could study glass art.

College years, when I learned the basics and began to see what I wanted to do.

While in school, Mr. Kono did not study under anyone, but learned glass from various people. The term “glass art” conjures up images of blown glass, such as air-blown and mold-blown glass, and cut glass, in which patterns are created by cutting the surface of glass with a grinder. However, Mr. Kono became interested in burner work, in which glass tubes are heated with an oxygen burner to create works of art, and he learned from various people and tried it out himself to find a way to do it.

At the time, there was no resident instructor teaching burner work at the university he attended, so he went to workshops outside of the university every time he had a break and continued to create his own works through trial and error based on what he learned there.

Three years of study at the Utatsuyama Craft Workshop in Kanazawa

In 2013, after completing the Master’s Program in Glass Crafts at Tama Art University, he resumed his creative activities, saying, “I want to get serious about making glass again,” despite having once been employed. At that time, he applied for and was successfully accepted as a technical trainee at the Utatsuyama Craft Workshop in Kanazawa, a comprehensive organization for the inheritance, development, and cultural promotion of excellent traditional crafts in Kanazawa, which has long been known as a city of crafts.

During my three years at the studio, I was given the opportunity to exhibit and sell my work while creating, which was truly a valuable experience,” says Kono.

His various experiences broadened his horizons, and with the addition of his experiences at the workshop to his previous creative activities, he gradually began to receive feedback for his works. By the end of his three years at the studio, he had decided on the direction he wanted to take and began his life as a glass artist.

Burner work difficulties

After repeated trial and error until he was able to establish his own style and give shape to his images, Kono developed a unique technique of making vessels using burner work, painting motifs centering on plants on the surface with glass to create his own unique world view.

Once the design is determined, I make the base of the vessel by machining a thin cylindrical glass tube so that I can hold it with both hands,” he says.

The process of making vessels by burner work begins with cutting a 150-cm glass tube to a convenient length, melting it over a fire, processing it, and preparing the glass as a material by himself.
Blown glass, which accounts for the majority of general glass vessel making, requires a melting furnace to melt the glass and a long blowpipe to breathe into to form the glass, which requires a considerable amount of space for production and often requires a large studio or dedicated factory.

However, Mr. Kono’s style, in which he processes glass using a hand-held burner, does not require a large workshop and can be completed entirely in a single room in his home.

3 pieces per day is the limit for creativity.

Kono’s works express the beauty of glass with their delicate thinness and creative designs. The secret to this delicate thinness is the use of heat-resistant glass. Because heat-resistant glass contains a higher percentage of silica sand than blown glass, it requires a higher temperature of about 2,000°C (2,000°F) than the 1,300°C (1,300°F) needed to melt ordinary blown glass. Even so, heat-resistant glass has little risk of breaking during the process, making it suitable for creating the thin, delicate vessels that characterize Kono’s work.
Breathing into the glass tubes he has prepared himself, he creates the base of the vessel according to the rough sketches he drew at the beginning of the process.
From the creation of the base vessel to the design of the surface, the work of constantly rotating the glass tube while heating it with a high-temperature burner is hard on the eyes and shoulders.

It takes less than two hours to make one glass, but it is extremely strenuous, so I limit myself to about three pieces a day.

In order to maintain quality, he says he can work more efficiently if he takes a good rest and does it the next day.

Glass world created by dots and lines

Once an imagined vessel is created, motifs are drawn on the surface with dots and lines of glass to express a unique view of the world. Many of the creative designs on the surface are plant-centered motifs, and some of them have been made into series.

I like plants,” he says. Insects and animals are good, but I often use plants as motifs, such as grass, trees, flowers, and seeds.

To draw a motif on the surface of a vessel with glass, he heats the vessel that will serve as the base, melts the tip of a decorative glass rod, and places it on the vessel so that the glass rod becomes a dot. Then, the decorative glass dots blend with the base vessel, and the glass is cut in the fire to confirm the fusion of the glass dots and the base vessel. This process is repeated, and when the motif has been painted with glass to a certain extent, the entire piece is heated with a burner, blown in, and the borders are blended before the painting is done again.

Similarly for the glass lines, a glass rod melted with a burner is placed on the warmed vessel, and the glass rod is placed on the vessel while pulling it as if to paint, and the borders are blended by blowing into it.

When the vessel is made according to the rough sketch and the surface design is finished, the glass tube on the mouth side is pulled and dropped in the fire until it tears off naturally, and then the mouth is widened and finished off in an orderly fashion.

Vessels for daily use and art works

Among glass artists, there are those who make utilitarian vessels and those who make works of art. While many people specialize in one or the other, Mr. Kono continues to create both.

There are those who pursue one or the other, but I find it more balanced for me if I do both. Making art works has a positive influence on the vessels, and making vessels for daily use has a positive influence on the art works, so I make my works without making too much distinction.”

He says that he sometimes receives requests from galleries and department stores to exhibit both vessels and artwork.

Ms. Kono says, “I am not bound to show my view of the world through art. Her flexible attitude toward glass also contributes to the appeal of her work.

You are free to use and perceive the vessel in any way you wish.

One of Mr. Kono’s works is a drinking vessel whose mouth is finished with glass dots. He says, “It started out as an impulse to make the mouth look straight by adding or subtracting glass dots to make the mouth look straight.

Surprisingly, people say that the dots are very pleasing to the palate, and it becomes a habit (laughs).

Many people are surprised at the gap between the treatment of the drinking spout, which matches Kono’s design of a massive European antique goblet, and the thin, delicate vessel. Furthermore, the heat-resistant glass makes it easy to use for hot beverages, making it useful as a daily-use vessel.

Recently, a sushi restaurant owner in Malaysia said he saw on social networking sites that a sushi chef in Malaysia was serving his sushi with soy sauce in Kono’s stemmed glass and a brush of soy sauce on the sushi he had just made.

He said, “It’s interesting to think that something born in this small workshop has traveled all the way to Malaysia to fulfill its role, as if something I made is traveling there.”

It is interesting to think that my work has traveled all over the world, and that the people who purchase it can use it in their daily lives. This is one of the ways that Kono hopes his works will be used in everyday life by the people who purchase them.

I want to place artwork in an architectural space.

Mr. Kono creates art works by applying sandblasting, gold, pearl, and platinum coloring. In the future, he would like to have more opportunities to have his artwork placed in some architectural spaces, such as the entrances to condominiums and hotels.
I am very happy to have private collectors buy my artwork, but I would like to have more opportunities to show it to many people in public spaces,” he says.
In the architectural spaces he is currently involved in, he creates small groups of artworks and combines them, considering the size and sparseness of the pieces, and then installs them while keeping an eye on the balance of the pieces.
Kono says that his desire to create this kind of work, and his hope that the people who receive his work will feel this way, has been gradually increasing in recent years.

At first, my goal was to be able to make a living just by making glass,” he says. From there, my life has gradually become more stable, and my goals are increasing with each new thing I am able to do.
As a young glass artist, Ms. Kono is now attracting attention at galleries and department store exhibitions and sales events. In his creative activities, he would like to continue to produce a good balance of everyday-use vessels and works of art. He also hopes to create works of art that will enrich the lives of those who receive them.

In the future, I would like to challenge myself to create new works while keeping my own world view in mind, so that my works can be seen in public spaces as well.
Using a unique technique called “burner work,” Kono’s thin, delicate vessels are decorated with decorative ornaments, giving her works a unique worldview and making them even more distinctive.

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The fascination of glass draws you in.

Shun Kumagai is a glass artist based in Akita City. Fascinated by the unique expression of his works, he has held solo exhibitions in Japan and abroad, and his presence is growing. When we visited Mr. Kumagai’s home and studio, we found his glass works lined up in his studio surrounded by a beautiful garden that seemed to reflect the colors of the four seasons.
Born and raised in Akita Prefecture, Kumagai studied glass art at an art college and then moved to Toyama, a city of glass, where he worked at the Toyama Glass Studio, building a solid foundation in glass. After working there for about four years, he decided to return to Akita when his wife, Aki Sakaiida, also a glass artist, became pregnant.
Kumagai’s glass works are very unusual. At first glance, the shapes, textures, and tones of his glass works are so different from those of other glass artists that it is hard to tell that they are made of glass. They have a mysterious atmosphere as if they were excavated from ancient Egyptian ruins, and appear to be made using the pate de verre technique, creating a mysterious worldview that draws the viewer in.
Many glass artists tend to go for beautiful glass. But I am more interested in changes and irregularities caused by impurities in the glass than in transparency and beauty. For some reason, I am attracted to such things,” says Kumagai.

In search of the one and only glass works

The basis of Mr. Kumagai’s work is the casting technique. He also applies ceramic and Nakagane techniques to his work. He arrived at this creative technique because he wanted to create a work that no one had ever seen before.
First, he makes a plaster mold and molds it with molding wax while visualizing the work. The mold is then placed in a small box and plaster is poured around it to complete it. The plaster mold is then filled with liquid hot glass, which is cooled and hardened to form the piece. The raw materials used for the molds are materials that were given to him by a glass artist friend of his who was going to scrap them, and he mixes them with earth, metal, and other powders. The original color of the glass is heated to 1,000 degrees Celsius with the clay and metal, and the different properties of the ingredients produce complex colors and textures, creating a unique look for the finished piece.
After cooling for a week or more, the plaster is broken and the glass is removed. Because so much time has passed since the piece was placed in the mold, he often forgets what he has made and what it looks like until he opens it and looks at it. He says that he gets excited when he finds unexpected uneven coloring due to impurities in the glass, or when he sees an expression that makes the piece look dirty. Kumagai’s smile widens when she talks about her glass works. The most interesting part is when I break the plaster and take out the work,” he says. Saying this, Kumagai began to break a plaster cast with a mallet.
As he carefully tapped the plaster with the mallet, a human-shaped glass work resembling a Buddha emerged from inside. The slightly rough, dull-colored texture, the color dripping, and the distorted form of the piece, indeed, had a charm unique to the odd shape that transparent glass does not have.
I’ve gotten used to working with small pieces over the past few years,” he said. I would like to work on larger pieces in the future,” says Kumagai. I would like to master the casting technique and continue to create works that are unique to Mr. Kumagai.

NIHONMONO – 「にほん」の「ほんも…

使うほど美しく育つ漆器「秋田·川連塗 寿次郎」／秋田県湯沢市 – NIHONMONO 800年以上の歴史がある漆器の町 秋田県の南の玄関口、湯沢市はその名の通り、豊富な温泉群にめぐまれた町だ。その

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Yukako Kojima is a glass artist living in Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. Her unique style of work has attracted attention both in Japan and overseas, and she says that this is because she lives in Toyama. She loves the local culture of Toyama and makes things, but she was born in Ishikawa Prefecture and spent her first five years in Aichi Prefecture before moving to Chiba Prefecture. She says that there were many encounters that led her to work in Toyama after growing up outside the prefecture.

“Making things is fun” was the starting point for me as an artist.

In front of his own work, Kojima-san smiles and says, “I often get asked by customers who have seen my work, ‘How is this made? It’s certainly a strange piece of work. After being captivated by its beauty, you want to touch it and hold it up to the light. Is the surface smooth or uneven? What would it look like if you looked at it from that direction?

The more you look at it, the more you are drawn into the charm of this glass art. These are works made from laminated glass. Laminated glass is a technique that involves layering sheets of glass used in construction, such as window glass, and then showing the cross-section of the glass. By devising ways of layering and cutting the materials, it is possible to create patterns and express the unique texture of glass. This technique is used in objects that decorate apartments and hotels.

The person who uses this technique to create her work is Yukako Kojima. She was born in Ishikawa Prefecture and grew up with a mother who had graduated from an art college. Although her mother never became an artist, she continued to make things as a hobby, and so Yukako has always been surrounded by the creative process. In addition, the high school she attended was unusual in that, as part of the elective subjects, she could choose to take classes in “crafts” as well as “art”, “music” and “calligraphy”.

This class was the catalyst that made him realize the appeal of crafts, and he decided to go on to an art university with a faculty of crafts. However, at that point, he had no idea that he would end up pursuing a career in glass crafts. The reason he ended up going into glass was a simple choice he made when taking his university entrance exams, so it makes you realize that chance encounters can hold great potential.

My encounter with glass at Tama Art University

When he was preparing to take the entrance exam for Tama Art University, Kojima was unsure which department to apply for. He was interested in all aspects of making things, and wanted to learn about a variety of materials before deciding, so he didn’t have a clear idea of what he wanted to do. At the time, if you wanted to study crafts at Tama Art University, you had to apply to the Craft Design Department, which was part of the 3D Design Course. If you wanted to study ceramics, you had to go into the oil painting department, and it was more art-oriented than craft, so it was a little different from what Kojima-san had expected. So he decided to apply to the Craft Design Department, but he could choose between metal and glass, and after hesitating over which one he should choose, he decided that glass looked more fun, and he circled the word “glass” on the application form, thinking “if I have to say one or the other”. That was his first encounter with glass.

It wasn’t a decision made with a strong sense of purpose, but rather a path that led to glass. She says that during the first half of her university life, she didn’t really know what she was doing and felt a bit lost, but by the second half of her third year, she finally started to feel that she was enjoying herself.

Then, finally, she reached her fourth year. With the sole aim of continuing to create works, Kojima applied for a trainee position at the Kanazawa Utatsuyama Craft Workshop, a glass studio in Kanazawa, the hometown of her mother. It was the place where she was born and the workshop she had dreamed of working at, but unfortunately she was not accepted. “Even my friends were surprised that I wasn’t accepted, and all I could think about was continuing to work at that workshop,” says Kojima, who was stunned by the result. While she tried to come to terms with the situation, she chose to work as a part-time worker to save money and think about what to do next. During that time, she worked hard away from glass, but her desire to be involved in glass never disappeared.

In order to satisfy this desire, I started attending a glass-blowing course in Tokyo, and this turned out to be a turning point. The owner of the studio where I was taking the course was an alumnus of the Toyama City Institute of Glass Art in Toyama Prefecture, and he recommended that I enroll there if I wanted to continue working with glass.

Supported by the environment of “Toyama, the City of Glass”, I naturally found myself on the path to becoming an artist.

After entering the Toyama City Institute of Glass Art, Kojima became absorbed in his studies like a fish in water, and learned all there is to know about glass. However, the problem was what to do after graduation. How would an ordinary person make a living from glass? Looking back on those days, Kojima’s words reveal no trace of the hardships he faced.

“I knew I could continue working with glass in Toyama. I wanted to continue working with glass, even if it meant doing part-time work.”

The reason he can say this so easily is because of the support he receives from the “City of Glass, Toyama”. For example, the Toyama Glass Studio in Toyama City not only has facilities where visitors can experience glass culture, but also provides artists with exhibition spaces and handles the sale of their works through an online store, so there is a support system in place to help artists make a living. You can also rent studios and tools at low prices. It is not an exaggeration to say that almost everything you need for your creative work is available here. It is no wonder that Kojima thought he could work as an artist here. As a result, he has lived in Toyama City for over 20 years, even though he only planned to stay for the two years he would be attending the institute. He has even set up his own studio in the city.

The works are created by repeatedly pasting, cutting, and polishing.

“I think that the fact that there were not many competitors was a big factor in my being able to work as an artist up to this point,” says Kojima. Certainly, when people hear the word ‘glass craft’, they tend to imagine blown glass. However, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, Kojima’s works are made from laminated glass. How are these unique works made?

The glass used is flat glass that is used as a building material. They are used in combination, choosing from among several types of color and thickness for industrial use. They are attached together using a special adhesive. Care must be taken not to let air bubbles or dust get in, as this would spoil the beauty of the work. However, because the material is glass, it is heavy. It is not the same as layering drawing paper. Layers are formed on the inside of the work, creating an artistic pattern. When the work is finished, it weighs several tens of kilograms, but this is shaved down using a grinder. The material is strong and hard, and is used as a building material, so it takes a long time to grind it down. After roughly cutting out the shape, the polishing process begins. A little sand and water is dripped onto a steel disc, and the glass itself is also covered in water and polished. The water protects the glass, and the sand acts as an abrasive. The final shape is adjusted while measuring the size to the nearest millimeter, and the surface is polished. All works, regardless of size, from large objects to accessories such as earrings and pendant tops, go through this process to be completed. It is said that the weight of the finished work is reduced to about one-third to one-quarter of its original weight after being laminated. That’s how much is shaved off. It’s a process that makes you feel faint just thinking about it, but Kojima-san laughs nonchalantly, saying, “Thanks to this, my arms and fingers have gotten thicker.”

The reason he has been able to win so many awards is that he has been honest about his feelings of enjoyment.

As mentioned above, making works using laminated glass is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Compared to blown glass, you can’t decide on the color or shape freely either. However, for Kojima, who couldn’t find any enjoyment in the fluid, quick process of blown glass, the process of slowly and gradually chipping away at the shape was like raising a child, and the sense of achievement when it was finished was even greater.

At university and at the Toyama research institute, he was taught both blown glass and laminated glass. However, Mr. Kojima chose his current path because he felt that the process of making objects by hand, measuring out the size and angle in centimeters and degrees, suited his personality better than blowing glass. He humbly says that the fact that there were few competitors was just a coincidence, but it was probably because he was able to pursue his own interests purely that he was able to forge a connection with Toyama and refine his individuality, leading to him winning various art prizes.

The year after graduating from the Toyama City Institute of Glass Art, he won the 10th Anniversary Special Prize at the ‘International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa 2007′, and since then he has continued to receive high praise both in Japan and overseas for his outstanding technique and unique works, including the Takamatsu-no-miya Memorial Prize at the ’54th Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition’ and the Grand Prize at the ‘4th Contemporary Glass Triennial in Toyama 2011’.

Spreading the appeal of glass from Toyama to the world

From the outside, it might seem like a challenge to compete with extraordinary “works” like Kojima-san’s, rather than with more conventional products like glasses and containers. However, Toyama has a culture that recognizes and appreciates this as art. For example, the Toyama City Institute of Glass Art, which was established with the backing of the Toyama City government, attracts talent from all over the world, and people work hard every day to improve their glass-making skills. There are also many people in Toyama City who are interested in art, including the Gallery NOW, which opened in 1989 and has unearthed many artists of value who will be remembered in future generations while looking at the past and the present. Mr. Kojima believes that putting down roots in Toyama and playing a part in communicating the appeal of Toyama’s glass culture is a way of repaying the debt he feels to this place that has helped him to become a glass artist.

Recently, Kojima’s works have been in demand for decorating hotel and apartment entrances, and as objects to display in shops. Their unique presence, which emits a mysterious light, instantly captivates the viewer. Kojima says of these works, “I think they were born because they are from Toyama”.

Indeed, you can feel the soft texture and warmth created by natural light in Kojima’s works, which are inspired by the nature that surrounds him. “I want to make something that will make people gasp when they see it. I had a Czech teacher at the Toyama City Institute of Glass Art, so I’d like to be able to exhibit my work in the Czech Republic too,” he says, his gaze now fixed firmly on the world.

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Hiroi Hanaoka resides in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture, known as the home of Bizen pottery, about a one-hour drive east from the central part of Okayama City. Near the calm sea, he operates a glassblowing studio, where he crafts popular glassware for everyday use, adorned with beautiful hues and a gentle atmosphere.

The path to glass art born from a longing for art.

Hanaoka was born and raised in Bizen City, known for its renowned Bizen pottery, making pottery the most familiar form of art in his life. Additionally, he admired his father’s hobby of painting since childhood.

Influenced by these factors, after graduating from high school, he decided to study Bizen pottery at an art university and enrolled in Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts. In the process of determining his specialization, he studied various crafts such as pottery, glass, and dyeing. Among them, he found that the speed at which glass pieces are completed the day after they are made, unlike pottery, suited his personality. Trusting this feeling, he chose the “Glass Course” and studied under Masami Kotani, the founder of Kurashiki Glass, who was serving as a professor at the time.

During his studies, Hanaoka dedicated himself to glassmaking, striving to be able to shape what he envisioned as quickly as possible. He spent extra time practicing outside of class and participated in study sessions held nationwide, immersing himself in the world of glassmaking.

Who to target and how to create

“After graduating from university, I joined the glassblowing studio ‘fresco’ run by glass artist Tsuyoshi Tsujino in Osaka. The studio valued the approach of designing glassware not only as artistic pieces but also considering how they could be seamlessly integrated into people’s lives. They prioritized total design, from creation to introducing the pieces to the world. ‘We would envision who the pieces were for and imagine the person who would pick them up while creating. We would solidify that concept first before starting production. Learning this approach was an invaluable experience for me,’ recalls Hanaoka, reflecting on that time.”

“Glass uniquely mine” or “Glass unique to this land”

After working at “fresco” for 9 years, Hanaoka established his independence in 2013. He returned to his hometown of Bizen City and opened the glassblowing studio “HIROY GLASS STUDIO,” which also features a gallery.

Hanaoka employs the technique of “free blowing,” where he shapes the glass by blowing air into a blowpipe without using molds. “With free blowing, what feels ‘right’ can vary from day to day. I think the fascinating aspect of glassblowing lies in how it can fluctuate for better or worse depending on one’s physical condition or mood,” he enthusiastically explains.

Before his studio gained momentum, Hanaoka held glassmaking classes and gradually expanded his sales channels by visiting galleries and shops with his works.

Throughout this journey, Hanaoka prioritized not only his own desires of “what he wanted to create” or “what he wanted to sell,” but also listening to the requests of others and incorporating them into his work. This flexible approach ultimately expanded the range of his creations.

The representeative series with striking slits

Hanaoka, who has always been captivated by the beauty of traditional Japanese elements since childhood, created the impressive “ren” series, inspired by the “renji” lattice found in old Japanese houses. This series features striking slit patterns reminiscent of traditional Japanese lattice work. Not only can one enjoy a variety of colors and the play of light and shadow, but the ambiguous boundaries created by the slits give the pieces a mysterious charm that seamlessly blends in wherever they are placed.

Challenging what others don’t do.

The “ren” series may initially appear similar to cut glass, but its manufacturing process is entirely different. First, colored glass is overlaid on transparent glass, heated to create glass beads, and then allowed to cool. Subsequently, the surface is cut linearly and polished before being reheated and blown to shape. This method draws inspiration from the “Graal technique” originating in Sweden. “The process of cutting before blowing is significantly different from cut glass. This allows for the inclusion of cut patterns in areas that would not be possible with cut glass,” explains Hanaoka. Due to the additional steps compared to typical glassblowing, the process requires both time and effort. By daring to challenge what others don’t do, Hanaoka has created unique pieces that are distinctly his own.

Works with connections to this land

Another important aspect for Hanaoka was the connection to his local area. Just as he had grown up with Bizen pottery, he sought to create glassworks unique to his homeland.

One year, when his parents, who were rice farmers, experienced a poor rice harvest, they had excess rice that would go to waste. Hanaoka decided to incorporate this surplus rice into his artworks. By using rice that people consume daily, he aimed to create pieces that felt familiar to the users. This led to the creation of “GRICE,” a popular series characterized by its beautiful light blue color. Currently, Hanaoka uses rice that is not suitable for market due to small grains or color discrepancies, turns it into ash, and incorporates it into the glass during production.

Interestingly, the area of Honami-Ida in Bizen City, where Hanaoka’s studio is located, was reclaimed from the sea during the Edo period. The site was once the school field “Ida” of the former Kanaya School, a school for commoners operated directly by the Okayama Domain. Through “GRICE,” Hanaoka hopes to evoke thoughts about the history imbued in this area and its connection to the local community.

Dedication to beautiful colors

Stepping into Hanaoka’s glass studio, one’s eyes are immediately drawn to the colorful glass beads hanging by the window. At first glance, they may resemble artworks, but they are actually a collection of glass color samples spanning approximately 300 hues. For coloring, powdered glass is utilized, but it’s noted that the color in its powdered form may differ from the color when it becomes glass. To ensure clarity, the glass is pre-made to accurately represent its final state. Hanaoka explains, “We use powdered glass from manufacturers in Japan as well as from Germany and the United States. For the transparent glass parts, we use raw materials from Sweden. At this point, it’s become almost like a hobby for me.” The beautiful colors seen in Hanaoka’s works originate from this meticulous process.

Dishes to enjoy according to the season

The latest series that showcases Hanaoka’s dedication to colors is called “Dusty.” With its muted tones and calming atmosphere, it seamlessly fits into various scenes of daily life. It aims to dispel the notion that glassware is only for summer by expressing the allure of glass beyond its transparency.

“Recently, there are people who enjoy using glassware according to the season,” Hanaoka happily shared. For him, the most fulfilling moments come from interacting with users who appreciate his work.

A flexible attitude breeds new creations

Ten years have passed since establishing my independent studio. Having gone through the basics of pottery, I now aim to focus more on sculptures. Initially, I wasn’t particularly skilled in creating sculptural pieces. My passion lay more in crafting functional objects for daily use.

However, delving into sculpture opened up new perspectives. People interested in sculptures also showed interest in purchasing my pottery, and vice versa. Instead of turning down opportunities with a ‘this is not my forte’ attitude, I embraced them. This flexibility led to new encounters and expanded the horizons of my work.

Moving forward, I intend to experiment with combining various series I’ve worked on before. While cherishing Japanese culture and infusing glass with beautiful colors, I will continue blowing glass, exploring new possibilities along the way.

The post “Infusing Japanese culture and beautiful hues into glass.” – Glass artist Hiroki Hanaoka first appeared on NIHONMONO.