A Thirst for New Beauty, Forged in a Sprawling Consumer City

By 1834, the year Edo Kiriko emerged, Edo had transformed into a massive consumer metropolis, boasting one of the largest populations in the world. People flocked from all corners of Japan, fueling a bustling economy where wealthy samurai and merchants eagerly sought out new cultural trends and products. They created an enormous market for all kinds of crafts.

During this era, foreign glass items imported through Dejima in Nagasaki, known as "biidoro" or "giyaman," were incredibly expensive and highly prized. Their glittering radiance and exquisite cuts made them an object of widespread fascination. It's easy to picture how this admiration for imported luxury goods ignited a spark in local artisans, making them wonder, "Can't we create something this beautiful with our own hands?"

Edo Kiriko began as an experiment in engraving glass—an attempt to replicate the aesthetic allure of foreign treasures using locally available tools and techniques. This was, in essence, an economic response to immense demand. This paradigm shift, from passively waiting for imports to actively creating their own, marked the birth of the craft. Without the dynamic marketplace of Edo, this quest for a new form of beauty might never have started.