"We want to deliver this beauty, known only to glass artisans." - Sghr

Is there a "Sghr-ness" that the Sghr craftsmen share?

There are just over 30 craftsmen at Sghr, and the shared sentiment among all of them is to "create glass products for everyday use, not art pieces." Other than that, each person creates freely based on their own ideas.

Every month, our company holds a "Development Research Meeting" where craftsmen, shop staff, and other interested employees gather.

There is a culture where each person brings prototypes and ideas, exchanges opinions for the annual new product exhibition, incorporates customer feedback, and everyone works together to create new products.

We do not conduct market research. This is because we believe that chasing trends and markets does not lead to new innovations.

Instead, we believe that more interesting things can be created by valuing "the beauty of glass that only glass artisans notice." This way of thinking is also part of Sghr's unique style.

 

What is the atmosphere like in the production area?

I've heard that at other companies, there are many restrictions on production time due to production line constraints, but at Sghr, we have an environment where we can freely work with glass during breaks and on holidays.

For glass lovers like us, it's a lot of fun and crucial for generating new product ideas.

This valuable environment is made possible by the craftsmen who monitor the glass kilns 24 hours a day. Thanks to them, we can concentrate on production.

Currently, we have about 4,000 items for sale. Including discontinued items, the number is even higher, but we stock all the molds and forming tools we have ever used.

Sometimes, when we take out an old mold and blow glass into it, we discover something excellent! All the know-how accumulated by our predecessors is still being utilized. This is a tradition of Sghr, and indeed, a treasure.

It took three years to develop the square flower vase "cubo."

It was very difficult. With blown glass, it's common to inflate molten glass to create a round shape.

From achieving an even glass thickness in a cube shape to the final processing of the mouth, we continuously experimented through trial and error.

Once the piece was finally complete, the next challenge was stable mass production.

Controlling the temperature when melting glass is extremely difficult. If it goes wrong, air bubbles can form in the glass or impurities may not fully dissolve and remain. In such cases, the product cannot be shipped.

Cubo｜A Square Flower Vase with a Pristine Sparkle

View Product 〉

What is the appeal of glass for you, Mr. Matsuura?

Transparency, sparkling brilliance, a soft expression, sharp silhouettes - it has various nuances. The moment light hits the glass, or the shadows and reflections on the table, can be beautiful.

These are small things, but I believe that moments of realizing beauty in daily life are rich and peaceful.

It would make me very happy if our products could bring a sense of upliftment or a moment of peace to those who use them.

 

What do you value most in your own craftsmanship?

I want to share and deliver the charm of glass to as many people as possible. I am constantly challenging myself to see "what I can do to achieve that."

 

The "Yukko single flower vase" is also close to that sentiment, isn't it?

Yukko is a hanging flower vase, and I wanted to deliver the "beauty of light" shining through glass and water.

When you fill it with water and hang it in a sunny spot, you get a moment where a rainbow appears on the wall due to the prism effect.

Doesn't seeing a rainbow somehow lift your spirits? I hope there are such "aha!" moments that move your heart in everyday life.

yukko｜A hanging glass vase for a single flower

View Product 〉

 

Mr. Matsuura, you've been aspiring to be a glass craftsman since around the age of 19.

Are there any works by other craftsmen that made you exclaim, "This is amazing!"?

The one that frustrated me the most was the "Bubble Series" conceived by our master craftsman, a seasoned veteran.

It was a glass designed to look like bubbles rising, and I thought, "How did they come up with that?!" It's incredibly frustrating when I see a design I couldn't have thought of myself.

Mysterious Rising Bubbles｜A glass sake cup encapsulating fleeting bubbles

View Product 〉

 

Another thing that frustrated me was the "Mt. Fuji Glass."

This is a work by an external designer (Keita Suzuki). When you pour beer into it, the entire glass resembles Mt. Fuji covered in snow, and the price is 3,776 yen, inspired by Mt. Fuji's elevation. The way the concept was created is clever, and I thought that perspective was brilliant.

 

The "likka" and "nido" beer glasses are your own designs, aren't they?

Likka (立香・リッカ) is a glass designed to enjoy the aroma of beer. It has a swollen shape like a wine glass, optimal for sensing fragrance.

The distinctive surface processing not only creates a sparkly appearance but also offers practicality by making fingerprints and dirt less noticeable. 

The Beer likka ｜ A glass to fully enjoy the aroma of beer

View Product 〉

 

Nido is sized to hold about two servings of bottled beer. It's a glass designed for dark beer.

Dark beer is also delicious when it warms up slightly and its aroma develops, so I designed it with a constricted part that can be firmly gripped to raise the temperature while drinking.

As the temperature rises while you drink the first glass, you can enjoy a different deliciousness in the second glass.

The Beer nido ｜ A beer glass to enjoy ale beer "twice"

View Product 〉

Compared to overseas, do Japanese glass products have any unique characteristics or strengths?

Overseas glass products are also of high quality! I believe the most significant reason Sghr continues to produce in Japan is that we are "close to the users."

Customers can visit the glass production site and talk with the craftsmen. There is great meaning in allowing them to experience and understand, "This is where, and these are the people who, make these things."

We want to continue creating new products in close proximity to our customers.

If you're interested in a workshop tour (currently suspended due to the pandemic), please try coming in mid-summer. You'll definitely experience the heat of the kiln (laughs).

 

Mr. Matsuura spoke with a radiance that rivaled the glass itself, expressing his pure passion for craftsmanship. I was once again reminded of his strong feelings for the glass that accompanies daily life.

I'm excited to see what new items will emerge from his free-thinking ideas and skilled techniques. Thank you very much!