Junichi Nabetani

Born in Tokyo in 1966. As the third generation of "Nabetani Glass Craft," founded in Ota Ward in 1949, he works with Edo Kiriko alongside the fourth generation, Kaito Nabetani. In 2009, he was certified as a Traditional Craftsman. In 2013, he received the "Director-General for Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Award" at the "Edo Kiriko New Works Exhibition."

 

What do the people involved in Edo Kiriko think, and how do they approach each piece and their work? Our series "Artisan Interview" visits workshops and hears their stories. The second installment features Junichi Nabetani, an Edo Kiriko traditional craftsman with solid skills and extensive knowledge of glass.

Learning the basics, honing skills, and realizing potential

——Your family business is an Edo Kiriko workshop. Please tell us how you became a craftsman.

When I was a child, my friends didn't know about Edo Kiriko. Also, when I was a child, tools weren't as advanced as they are now, so all the work was physically demanding. I watched my father work until he was exhausted every day and felt it was a very tough job. I also thought that Edo Kiriko might not survive as an industry in the future.

I became a working adult at 23, and at that time, I thought that work should provide fulfillment. At the same time, I didn't want to do a job that wasn't fulfilling. Later, I realized that fulfillment isn't something work gives you; it's something you feel yourself. But back then, I arbitrarily decided that Edo Kiriko wasn't fulfilling.

So, after graduating from school, I got a job in the computer industry. I had a premonition that it would be a booming industry, and I was drawn to it. However, after joining, I couldn't get into the department I wanted. I quit after just one year, and at the same time, I lost sight of what I wanted to do.

Still, I couldn't just do nothing and wander around. That's when my father asked me, "Are you going to do Edo Kiriko? If not, it's easy to let it die out with your generation." So, I decided to get involved once, since it was going to be abolished anyway, and entered the world of Edo Kiriko at 25.

I didn't take over the family business from the start; instead, I worked at "Kagami Crystal," the largest crystal glass manufacturer in Japan. This company handles the entire process of glass manufacturing, which forms the base of Edo Kiriko. From purchasing materials, melting them with heat, shaping the molten glass, to coloring and polishing. They handle everything from start to finish, so it was incredibly educational for me as a craftsman.

I promised to work at Kagami Crystal for three years. In the first year, I learned the basics of glass. From the second year, I began studying Edo Kiriko at an affiliated company while also getting involved in manufacturing. The more I worked with it, the more I gradually felt the charm of Edo Kiriko, but it was difficult to commit to making a living from this job. It takes me a long time to make up my mind (laughs).

It was at the age of 33, about eight years after I started working with glass, that I began to see Edo Kiriko as creative and fascinating. Two or three years after returning home, I created the form I wanted for the first time.

After that, for a while, I continued to create my own works while working. It's tough to balance work and personal creations, but I must have fallen in love with Edo Kiriko that much. In 2009, I was recognized as a Traditional Craftsman, and my work even won the "Koto Ward Excellence Award" at the "Edo Kiriko New Works Exhibition." After that, customers started buying my pieces, and I was delighted that something I created could bring joy to someone. I felt the potential for the future of Edo Kiriko.

To maintain the quality of the workshop

——What is the most important thing you focus on when working with Edo Kiriko?

Tool maintenance. How to ensure that tools used daily can be used in the same condition the next day. Before, I used to think about "daily dedication," but that changed after I received the title of Traditional Craftsman in 2009.

Originally, I didn't think the quality of a piece would vary much depending on the tools. I believed that as long as a craftsman had the skill, it didn't matter who used what tools or if the tools were slightly worn. However, that was just my own perspective. Daily production in the workshop isn't something I do alone; everyone working together maintains harmony. We all use the tools. So, I started to think that if we don't maintain them so that anyone can use them equally, then everyone in this job won't improve together.

One reason I started thinking this way is the evolution of tools. For example, the grinder used for cutting. In the past, it vibrated, and it was hard to achieve high-quality cuts. But now, it's precise. Smooth. The cut surfaces are incredibly clean. Also, diamond wheels, which are the most important tools for grinding glass. We use diamonds of various sizes, angles, and shapes depending on the grinding location, and each diamond is carefully maintained and managed. We don't leave them scattered around or store them in different places.

These are very basic things, but they ensure that whoever uses them next can use them in the best condition. And that no matter who makes it, the same model can guarantee the same quality. The craftsmen working in our workshop are responsible for maintaining the tools they use. Ultimately, it's the tools that do the actual cutting.

For personal works, if they take a long time or the design isn't good, that's just how it is. That's where daily dedication comes in. Separate from that, tool maintenance is essential for Edo Kiriko to continue as an industry.

 

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Mr. Nabetani laughed as he told us about his past, saying, "It takes me a long time to fall in love." As a traditional craftsman and the third generation of the workshop, despite his calm demeanor, his words, which looked firmly towards the future of the workshop and Edo Kiriko, were powerful and full of passionate thoughts. In the second part, we will ask about his thoughts on Edo Kiriko and his works.