Layering Colors, Weaving Time: The Edo Kiriko Expressions Championed by Nakakin Glass

2025.12.19

#Artisan

#Shokunin

#Tokyo

#Edo Glass

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#History

From Paper to Prayers: The Handiwork of a Takasaki Daruma Artisan

Nestled in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward, Nakakin Glass Sogo Co., Ltd. is a workshop that has been crafting Edo Glass since 1946.

Founder Kingo Nakamura developed the "Nakakin-iro Kise Glass" (Nakakin-colored cased glass) using his innovative Pokan method. This technique introduced rich color expressions to Edo Kiriko, which had previously been limited to clear glass. We explore the ongoing mission of Nakakin Glass Sogo Co., Ltd. to preserve the profound colors of Edo Glass.

PROFILE

Michiko Iwabuchi

Director of Nakakin Glass Sogo Co., Ltd. At the workshop founded by Kingo Nakamura as Nakakin Glass Seisakusho (now Nakakin Glass Sogo Co., Ltd.), she has helped popularize Edo Kiriko by producing '中金色被せ硝子（Nakakin Iro-kabuse Glass）,' a two-toned, layered blown glass, since the company's inception.

The Unsung Hero Behind Edo Kiriko's Color Expressions

The origins of Edo Glass trace back to the state-run 「工部省品川硝子製造所」 (Kobusho Shinagawa Glass Factory), established by the Ministry of Public Works in 1876. The factory faced significant management challenges and, after a series of changes including privatization, ceased operations within just a few years.

"Running a glass factory is a tough business. You need a large team of highly skilled artisans, the material costs are substantial, and the process is incredibly labor-intensive. On top of all that, the furnace has to stay lit 365 days a year."

However, this environment cultivated a new generation of talented artisans who then forged their own paths in the world of Edo Glass. Nakakin Glass was one such offshoot. Its founder, Kingo Nakamura, a master of glassblowing, devised the revolutionary "Pokan method," completely transforming the process of creating two-toned cased (kise) glass.

"Previously, two-toned glass was created using a European technique where clear and colored glass were blown separately, then reheated and fused together. Our founder devised a method to create both colors at once and layer them thinly. We call it the Pokan method, named after the 'pokan' sound the glass makes when it's released from the mold."