16｜History of Glass: Glass Manufacturing in Japan Part 9

The market for glass manufacturing during the Meiji period was driven by oil lamps, which rapidly spread throughout Japan. From 1887 to 1897, these lamps became a household necessity and reached their peak. Because they were made of glass, the amount of oil remaining could be easily seen, and their fragile nature ensured a continuous demand for replacements.

Furthermore, from the late Meiji period to the Taisho period, the glass industry made even greater strides. One such advancement was plate glass. Domestic production became possible, and its production value skyrocketed. Even today, due to the lower precision of glass production back then, wavy plate glass can be seen in old private homes and trading houses, and it remains popular as an antique.

Another significant development was the glass bottle, which you use every day. The introduction of bottle-making machinery led to its rapid proliferation. Moreover, with the outbreak of World War I, a large number of Japanese glass products were exported to the global market. Innovations in glass manufacturing technology improved quality, leading to increased exports in a virtuous cycle that fostered the development of Japan's glass industry.

The emergence of new products through innovative decorative techniques, such as cased glass, color blurring, 'itomaki' (thread winding), 'kakiage' (layered glass), and 'aburidashi' (fire-drawn patterns) seen in Taisho-era ice cups using colored glass, was a phenomenon unique to Japan. Colorful yet affordable glasses were used in the daily lives of ordinary people, making glasses an extremely familiar part of everyday miscellaneous goods.

Glass also began to spread into the art world, and a trend emerged to create "glass as art craft." In the early Showa period, figures like Tōshichi Iwata (Iwata Kōgei Garasu), known for "colored glass," and Kōzō Kagami (Kagami Crystal), known for "crystal," played active roles in establishing Japanese glass art. What was initially sold and exhibited in the household goods sections of department stores began to be featured in art and craft sections. Subsequently, through the efforts of these pioneers, glass gained recognition as an art craft, and many more unique successors emerged, passing the torch to new generations after World War II.

Taisho-era window glass

Meiji-era beer bottle

Early Showa-era shaved ice glass