Japanese Glassware for Your Brand: Edo Kiriko, Engraving and Custom Glasses

Short answer: Japanese glassware ranges from Edo Kiriko, a cut-glass craft from Tokyo, to hand-blown and machine-made everyday glasses. Your logo can be sandblasted or engraved on an existing glass in modest quantities; a glass made to your own shape or colour needs a mould and a larger order. Edo Kiriko pieces are cut by hand and priced accordingly.

Edo Kiriko

Edo Kiriko is cut glass made in Tokyo. Its origins are usually dated to 1834, and it was designated a national traditional craft in 2002, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Typical pieces are glasses with a thin layer of coloured glass over clear glass, cut by hand into geometric patterns so the colour and clear glass contrast. A related tradition, Satsuma Kiriko, comes from Kagoshima and uses thicker coloured glass.

For a brand, Edo Kiriko works best as a premium or gift line: small quantities, a design chosen from the cutter’s patterns or developed with them, and often a wooden box.

Ways to put your mark on glass

Method	What it looks like	Notes
Sandblasting	A frosted logo or pattern	Common on existing glasses; small runs possible
Hand engraving or cutting	A cut design, as in kiriko	Craft work; price reflects the time
Printing (fired decals or screen printing)	Coloured logos	Suits larger runs on standard glasses
Custom mould	Your own shape	Needs a mould; larger minimum

Things to check

• Food-contact rules in your market, as for ceramics.
• Packing for export: glass needs careful packing; ask the maker how they pack, and allow for breakage in your plan.
• Variation: hand-blown and hand-cut glass varies piece to piece.

What to send

• The glass type (tumbler, wine glass, sake cup), or a photo of a glass you like
• Your logo or design, and how it should appear
• Quantity, packaging (gift box or bulk) and destination

Getting quotes

Send me a brief and I will ask Japanese glass makers and cutters in Japanese. See also Japan’s designated traditional crafts and shipping small lots from Japan.