Sokichi
Kiriko
“Beautiful to see and
Beautiful to use”
Kiriko means European cut glass.
Kiriko is the cut glass itself and the name of the technique, too. Basically, Kiriko was an imported concept and was introduced in Japan around the end of the Edo period.
Roots
Kiriko means European cut glass. Kiriko is the cut glass itself and the name of the technique, too. Glass was invented in Europe or eastern Europe. Cut glass was also invented in the same region. Basically, Kiriko was an imported concept and was introduced in Japan around the end of the Edo period. There is a document of Edo Kiriko in 1834.
Shop
We specialize in glass products for bars and we have more than 1,000 different kinds of glasses. Our core target customers are restaurants and professional bartenders. When we consider products for our target customers, transparent glass with simple cut techniques is preferred. We create products to meet the demands of professionals. For example, a glass looks beautiful in the dark space of a bar, showing a presence that can be recognized just by touching the glass. A simple pattern based on the transparent glass, deep cuts to create presence, and a detailed polished finish – these all create a sense of luxury.
Design - Asakusa Kiriko
We create original Asakusa Kiriko glasses. We take pride in how our Kiriko glasses are beautifully made for bars; they are beautiful to see and beautiful to use. We think it’s
important that the glass looks beautiful as a whole instead of looking beautiful on one side or the other. Glass is a unique material because it is translucent, and the design of one side can be seen from the other. We try to make our glasses have a story through the design.
Experience
Everything on this table is what my customers can carve in the class. The beginner customer can carve the design in 90 minutes. We have unique blue-pink, purple, black, and
other colors available. A wonderful thing about Kiriko is that it allows freedom of design, and deeper carving gives an enhanced design. We offer our class in both Japanese and English. Whether the customers come for an experience, a souvenir, a memory, or a gift, we want them to enjoy the process and take the resulting product home with them.
Our values
SOICHIRO
When I was a student, I had an opportunity to visit Europe. I enjoyed eating, sightseeing, and shopping. However, I realized that I did not have many experiences of communicating with local people. One of the great things about travel is to meet local people and experience their culture. With my experience, I aim to communicate and curate experiences to travelers. I hope that a Kiriko carving experience would be one of the reasons people want to visit Asakusa.
