Hizen Biidoro is a traditional free-blown glass craft passed down in Saga City. Its roots trace back to 1852 (Kaei 5), in the closing years of the Edo period, when Nabeshima Naomasa, the 10th lord of Saga Domain, established the Seirenkata (a research institute equivalent to a modern institute of chemistry and physics) on the banks of the Tafuse River. Glassmaking was studied there for producing chemical containers needed for cannon manufacturing and medicine development, and the technique was nurtured under the domain's protection. Soejima Genichiro, who had worked at the Seirenkata since childhood, became independent and founded Soejima Glass Manufacturing in 1903 (Meiji 36), carrying the technique forward, and the company has continued making handmade glass ever since, for more than 120 years. Most products are shaped using the 'chubuki' (free-blowing) technique, which relies solely on breath rather than a mold, and among its techniques, 'Jappan-buki,' which uses two blowpipes at once, is known as a rare, advanced technique found almost nowhere else in the world. Today it is designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Saga City, and Soejima Glass Manufacturing preserves the tradition as its sole maker.
Origin
The roots of Hizen Biidoro trace back to 1852 (Kaei 5), in the closing years of the Edo period, when Nabeshima Naomasa, the 10th lord of Saga Domain, established the 'Seirenkata' on the banks of the Tafuse River. The Seirenkata was a research institute aimed at cannon manufacturing and medicine development, and glassmaking was studied there out of the need to produce containers for storing chemicals. The glassmaking techniques cultivated under the domain's science and technology promotion policy became the technical foundation for what later became Hizen Biidoro.
History
Soejima Genichiro, who had been involved in glassmaking at the Seirenkata since childhood, became independent and founded Soejima Glass Manufacturing in 1903 (Meiji 36), continuing the blown-glass technique inherited from the Seirenkata in the private sector. Since then, the company has consistently produced handmade glass for more than 120 years and is today the sole workshop making Hizen Biidoro. It is designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property of Saga City and is highly regarded as the bearer of this traditional technique.
Features
Most Hizen Biidoro products are made using the 'chubuki' technique, in which a craftsman blows breath into the glass to expand it, without using a mold. Among these, 'Jappan-buki,' a special technique in which two blowpipes are handled at once, is popularly known as 'two-sword style' and is a rare skill found today, worldwide, only at Soejima Glass Manufacturing. Because no mold is used, no two pieces are exactly alike, and the appeal lies in their cool, transparent coloring and expressive use of air bubbles.
Techniques
Chubuki (Free-Blowing)
A technique in which molten glass gathered on the tip of a blowpipe is shaped by blowing breath into it, without using a mold.
Jappan-buki (Two-Pipe Blowing)
A special chubuki technique that uses two blowpipes at the same time, popularly known as 'two-sword style.' Today it is a rare skill carried on only by Soejima Glass Manufacturing.
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Artisans & Workshops
副島硝子工業
Founded in 1903 (Meiji 36). The sole workshop carrying on the blown-glass technique descended from the Seirenkata, it has continued making Hizen Biidoro for more than 120 years, and its craftsmen are also practitioners of the rare 'Jappan-buki' technique.
Official site →How to Buy
- 副島硝子工業 直売店
- A direct-sales shop attached to the head office and factory in Dosomoto-cho, Saga City, where glasses, sake vessels, and more can be purchased. Products are also introduced on the official website.Where to buy →PR