Traditional craft
Edo Glass
江戸硝子
Glass tableware, sake cups and vases made by hand in eastern Tokyo, using blowing and pressing methods first taught at Shinagawa in early Meiji.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 26 November 2014
- Type
- Other crafts
- Region
- Kanto
- Official name in Japanese
- 江戸硝子
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 江戸川区、墨田区、江東区、千葉県／八千代市、九十九里町
Blown in east Tokyo
Edo glass is hand-made glass for the table and home: tableware, sake cups, vases and ornaments. It is made by three methods: free blowing, blowing into a mould, and pressing into a mould. Some pieces are cased, with a layer of coloured glass over clear, the same kind of glass that Edo kiriko makers cut through. It is made in Edogawa, Sumida and Koto in Tokyo, and in Yachiyo and Kujukuri in Chiba.
Three ways to shape
- Glass is melted from silica sand, lime and soda ash or lead oxide.
- It is shaped by free blowing, mould blowing or pressing.
- When needed, the piece is moved onto a ponte rod so the rim can be worked.
- Details are shaped with tools such as tongs and spreaders.
- For cased glass, a gather of clear glass is covered with coloured glass before blowing into the mould.
A Meiji glass works
Edo glass grew from Western glassmaking brought to the government-run Shinagawa Glass Works in early Meiji. From there it became an industry centred on Tokyo.
Good to know
- Hold a free-blown piece up to the light: tiny variations show it was shaped by hand.
- Hand-made glass can be fragile, so ask for padded packing for travel.
Questions travellers ask
How is Edo glass made?
By free blowing, mould blowing or pressing, all by hand.
Where did the technique come from?
Western methods introduced at the Shinagawa Glass Works in early Meiji.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Local foods from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.