49 | History of Glass: Japanese Glassmakers, Handblown Glass Factories 19

Hello everyone 🎵

Last Sunday was the beginning of the spring equinox, so I went to visit graves early in the morning. I offered flowers and incense at three cemeteries: the Kimoto family, my mother's family, and my wife's family, and prayed for household safety and business prosperity.

This time, I'd like to talk about glass manufacturers that no longer exist or have changed their form. I don't have any data at hand, so I'll be piecing together my memories, which means there might be some inaccuracies, but please bear with me as it's a look back at a bygone era.

First up is Hasegawa Glass, which operated in Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture. This was a dedicated press factory that automatically produced plates, bowls, and ashtrays. In particular, the Elizabeth series, said to imitate patterns from French Baccarat, offered a wide range of items from large plates and bowls to small dishes and side bowls. It even included two-tiered and three-tiered hors d'oeuvre plates using metal fittings, similar to items used in modern afternoon tea. In the 1990s (early Heisei era), it was sold as a popular series both domestically and internationally. However, compared to Soga Glass (mentioned earlier), another press glass manufacturer, it was slightly inferior in terms of heft and atmosphere, and as a result, I surmise it was sold at a low price, and profitability was not good.

　To overcome this disadvantage, HOYA Crystal purchased an automated tumbler manufacturing machine that it had decided to dispose of as part of its restructuring. Unfortunately, due to the manufacturing technology of the press manufacturer, it was difficult to adjust the automated blow-molding machine. Even if they could form the cups, the bottom was unevenly thick and could not be sold.

　Ultimately, the sale of cups did not materialize, and the Elizabeth series also got caught in competition with cheaper products from China and other countries, causing profitability to rapidly decline. The company went bankrupt and ceased operations around 2000 (around the 10th year of Heisei).

　Please forgive me if my information regarding Iwata Glass Craft is fragmented, as Kimoto Glass had no direct dealings with them.

In the early Showa period, utilitarian glass products such as tableware were actively produced, and glass was not yet used as an art craft. Toshichi Iwata, born in 1893 (Meiji 26), pursued Japanese aesthetic forms using free-blown colored glass and continued to present glass as a craft.

His eldest son Hisatoshi and his wife Itoko established Iwata Glass Manufacturing in 1931 (Showa 6). Inheriting Toshichi's will and aiming for the further development of Japanese glass craftsmanship, they masterfully utilized colored glass and gold with refined sensibility, creating brilliant glass pieces woven with innovative colors and light.

A pamphlet from Iwata Glass at the time stated the following:

Iwata Glass is a unique Japanese glass unparalleled in the world.

Our country's hand-blown colored glass was pioneered and is represented by Iwata Glass.

Each piece of Iwata Glass is meticulously crafted, unbound by conventional notions of glass. Its free-spirited and elegant style, born from the hand-blowing technique, is highly acclaimed both domestically and internationally.

Iwata Glass produces various high-end glass products, including vases, tableware, lighting fixtures, and interior decorations. Iwata Glass, which enriches and beautifully colors life, is also ideal for gifts and commemorative items.

The achievements of these three individuals are highly regarded worldwide, and the Iwata family collection (Toshichi, Hisatoshi, and Itoko) is permanently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with the Iwata family's glass art still active today.