Unique Expressions Born from Infinite Colors and Nine Techniques

What makes Tsugaru Vidro truly stand out is its rich palette of colors that reflect the four seasons of Aomori. The artisans develop, blend, and masterfully handle over 100 different colors of glass in-house. This isn't just a matter of mixing pigments. Each color of glass has a different coefficient of thermal expansion, and if these values don't align, the glass will crack as it cools. The very fact that over 100 colors of glass can coexist without shattering is a testament to their exceptional technical skill.

A wide variety of glass-forming techniques are used to bring these infinite colors to life in the glassware. In fact, there are as many as nine of them.

The main technique is "spin-molding," which uses centrifugal force to create patterns. Molten clear glass is used to pick up colored granules and is then returned to the furnace and spun. This causes the colors to form beautiful swirls within the soft glass. Artisans with five to six years of experience take on "mold-blowing," where they blow air while rotating the glass inside a mold to create more precise shapes. This is not a path for everyone; it is a gateway to a higher plane of craftsmanship, pursued only by those with the will to "aim higher."

Then there's what's considered the most difficult technique: "free-blowing," where glass is shaped solely by the artisan's skill, senses, and creative vision, without using any molds. At Hokuyo Glass, the requirements to become a certified Traditional Craftsman are to master this free-blowing technique and have their creations acclaimed in the marketplace. This is a unique standard, stricter than the prefecture's official criteria, and is a matter of the artisans' pride.

Beyond these, other optimal techniques are used for different products, such as "pin-blowing," which creates patterns by embedding glass granules and using air expansion, and the traditional technique for non-drip "soy sauce pitchers," which was inherited from Osaka.

"Handmade, but Consistent"—The Artisans' Pride That Rejects Excuses

When you think of handmade crafts, the phrase 'the charm is that each piece is unique' often comes to mind. However, Nakagawa sharply dismisses this notion as "just an excuse."

"With handmade items, it sounds nice to say, 'Please enjoy the subtle differences and choose the one you like best.' But that's just an excuse for not being able to make them consistently. I tell our artisans that when a customer makes a repeat purchase, they need to be able to create something that is virtually identical."

For example, what would a customer think if the replacement for a glass they broke was a completely different weight or thickness? To honor that customer's trust, Tsugaru Vidro strictly manages the weight of its products down to the gram. For instance, a 100g product must fall within the 95g to 105g range. Despite being handmade, they pursue a level of precision that rivals mass-produced goods. This seemingly contradictory goal—"handmade, but consistent"—is the very source of the immense trust placed in Tsugaru Vidro.

Crafting the Future: The “No-Praise” Philosophy and the Rise of New Talent

What underpins this uncompromising approach to craftsmanship is a unique method for training artisans. Nakagawa himself didn't choose this path out of a pre-existing love for glass. A chance encounter led him to the company, where his first assignment was in the “melting” department, responsible for melting down the raw materials. Witnessing the sheer genius of the artisans, he recalls feeling, "I could never create something like this myself."

However, he started coming in on his days off, experimenting alone with various raw material combinations and immersing himself in color development. After about two years, he masterfully created a color requested by his supervisor using his self-taught knowledge. This success earned him full authority over all things color-related.

This personal experience shaped his unique philosophy on training artisans.

"I rarely praise our artisans directly," he admits. "I believe that praise marks the end of their growth. But when I'm in an interview, I'll praise the younger artisans to no end. I just never say it to their faces."

In the past, it was said that "it takes three years just to learn how to gather molten glass on a rod." Today, however, new hires get to handle glass within their first week, starting with the simple goal of making them feel that the work is "fun." Building on that foundation, the entire team holds a meeting twice a year. During these sessions, they collectively review each person's progress toward their self-set goals. Sometimes a team leader might offer a push, saying, "You've got this, it's time to move on to the next challenge," while at other times, peers will offer frank criticism like, "You're not quite there yet." This system of mutual support and critique accelerates growth among the artisans.

Recently, the workshop has begun to attract a new wave of talent, including a graduate from Hirosaki University who had studied glass and joined with the determined declaration, "I absolutely have to work here."