Starting from Tenjinbashi, Tenjinsuji Shopping Street is the longest shopping street in Japan. This lively shopping street, typical of Osaka, first flourished as a temple town for Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, which enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, the god of learning.

Next to the main gate of Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, we found a stone monument that read, "The Birthplace of Osaka Glass." Osaka Tenmangu is also the place where Nagasaki merchant Harima Seibei introduced glass manufacturing techniques during the Edo period.

About a 10-minute walk from the monument, we visited Tenma Kiriko Studio Shoei, which preserves Osaka's glass culture with its unique brilliance.

Beautiful glass with cuts that spread out like a kaleidoscope

Kiriko is a traditional Japanese glass processing method in which patterns are created by cutting into the surface of glass. Tenma Kiriko was born by adding a unique cutting technique to this traditional method of glass cutting.

"The greatest attraction of Tenma Kiriko is that when you pour a drink into the glass, the pattern on the bottom of the glass is reflected on the side, shining like a kaleidoscope," said glass cutter Masami Nishikawa, as she poured water into a glass.

The glass carved with a U-shaped rotating tool acts as a lens, and when water is poured into the glass, the pattern appears. This type of reflection was not possible with conventional Kiriko.

"We don't want the light of Osaka glass to go out" - The beginning of Tenma Kiriko

During the Meiji and early Showa periods, Tenma, Osaka, was lined with many glass factories and processing plants. However, due to revisions to the Fire Service Act and the influx of cheap imported glass after the war, the area began to decline.

That's when Nishikawa's teacher, Takeichi Ura, stepped up. Witnessing the decline of Osaka's glass industry, he wanted to "keep the light of Osaka's glass alive," and after much trial and error, Tenma Kiriko was born.

Five years of constant effort to gain recognition for Tenma Kiriko

Tenma Kiriko was born as a pillar of Osaka's glass culture, but the road before this new craft was accepted by the public was a long and difficult one.

"There was a fixed image of what Kiriko should be, so the innovative Tenma Kiriko was not easily accepted. We kept on running, setting up stalls all over the place to show off the brilliance of reflected light and explaining the techniques. It was a really tough five years, but through a series of steady efforts, finally people around the world started to notice," Nishikawa recalls nostalgically.

"I will carry on my master's passion" - the determination of glass cutter Masayoshi

The name "Shoei" in the workshop's name is the name given to Nishikawa as a cut glass craftsman by his teacher, Ura Takekazu.

Nishikawa originally worked in a job unrelated to Kiriko, but after seeing an article in the newspaper, he started attending Ura's Kiriko class and became fascinated with the charm of Kiriko.

Before they knew it, Ura Takeichi and his brother Ura Eiichi were working hard to establish Tenma Kiriko. One day, Eiichi passed away. After that, Takeichi combined the character "Ei" from his late brother Eiichi's name with the character "Masa" from Nishikawa Masami's name to give the name "Masaei."

"I want to carry on the Ura brothers' belief that 'we must preserve the fact that Tenma, Osaka is a town that prospered through glass,'" he said, and his expression revealed his determination as a cut glass artist.

Relentless pursuit of technology

Tenma Kiriko Studio Shouei was founded by Nishikawa with the aim of pursuing Kiriko techniques and passing on traditions.

Nishikawa-san has been in this field for over 20 years, but he never stops pursuing his skills. Recently, he has been receiving various orders from customers, such as "I want a thinner glass that feels good on the mouth" and "I want a design that reflects more light and shines."

"How to respond to demand and deliver quality works is a constant challenge. The pursuit of technique is an eternal theme as long as I continue making Kiriko," he says.

And Tenma Kiriko Studio Shouei is a place that connects tradition to future generations. They stick to the old-fashioned hand polishing method and complete all the processes by hand, one by one. They also hold full-scale Kiriko classes that are a little different from the experience activities.

Once you touch it, you will understand the charm of Tenma Kiriko

"Try touching glass once, and take a look at Tenma Kiriko with your own eyes," says Nishikawa with a confident voice. Tenma Kiriko Studio Shouei continues to keep the light of glass culture alive in Osaka today, inherited from its master.

天満切子工房 昌榮
電話：06-6131-0100
​​住所：大阪府大阪市北区西天満5丁目14-7和光ビル103 
アクセス：大阪メトロ南森町駅6番出口から西へ徒歩6分 
HP：https://tenmakiriko-shoei.com/
SNS：https://www.instagram.com/kiriko_shoei/

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