Tsugaru Vidro

The story of Tsugaru Vidro begins in 1949, soon after the war, when Hokuyo Glass was founded in Aomori as a factory making glass fishing floats. Similar factories existed across the country at the time, but Hokuyo Glass's floats were prized as sturdy and high in quality, and by the 1970s the company boasted one of the largest outputs in Japan. The skills it had cultivated in a harsh natural environment became an important foundation for its later glass craftwork.

As the times changed and floats were replaced by plastic, Hokuyo Glass took on the production of vases and interior glass that applied its free-blowing technique. The turning point was one artisan's inspiration to try adding sand from Shichiri-nagahama on the Tsugaru Peninsula to the raw material. The deep green glass born from a handful of sand drew a great response, eventually developing into in-house attempts to blend colored glass. Countless rounds of trial and error became the basis for today's richly multicolored glass expression.

In 1977, "Tsugaru Vidro" was born as a series centered on tableware and vases. Combining glass-forming skill with the blending of colored glass, the artisans have kept taking on the development of new colors and techniques. As a result, Tsugaru Vidro received designation as an Aomori Prefecture traditional craft and grew into handmade glass carried by department stores, lifestyle shops and galleries across Japan.

Today, under the keywords "the four seasons," "the warmth of handwork" and "story," it offers glass products that color not just the table but life as a whole. Vessels infused with Aomori's climate and its artisans' feelings are chosen for a wide range of uses, from everyday glasses and small bowls to anniversary gifts and special interior pieces. As craft glass from Aomori, Tsugaru Vidro will continue to convey richly colored scenery and stories to the world.

Custom-blended colored glass that mirrors Aomori's four seasons

Tsugaru Vidro's greatest hallmark is its rich palette, inspired by scenes from across Japan — Aomori's sea and sky, the thaw of snow, the lights of the Nebuta Festival. By blending raw materials in their own factory, the artisans create over 100 colors of glass, expressing on the surface even the nuances of each season and the bleeding of light. By layering multiple colors within a single vessel, even pieces from the same series each show a different face — another part of the appeal.

Diverse techniques led by free-blowing, and the warmth of handwork

In addition to the free-blowing skill inherited from making glass fishing floats, the makers combine several techniques — spin-forming, mold-blowing and more — to shape vessels, vases and ornaments. Working in sync before the high-temperature furnace, the artisans finely adjust thickness, weight and the feel on the lips, breathing life into each piece of glass. The seasoned skills of master craftspeople, including those certified as Traditional Craftspeople by Aomori Prefecture, produce a subtle waver and warmth not found in mass-produced goods.

A fully domestic handmade glass brand from Aomori

Born in 1977, Tsugaru Vidro is today certified as Aomori Prefecture's first traditional craft and known as one of Japan's leading handmade glass brands. From blending raw materials to forming and finishing, every process is carried out at the factory in Aomori City, and it is supported by fans at home and abroad as fully domestic glass tableware. Its diverse lineup — tableware, vases, wind chimes, chopstick rests and more, accompanying every aspect of life — is another part of its appeal.