Experience glass in the rich natural environment of Notojima!
Glass items support every aspect of our lives. We are indebted to glass all year round. Especially in summer, we are attracted to cool glass.
So this time we visited Notojima Glass Studio on Notojima Island.
There are glass studios all over Japan, but the Notojima Glass Studio produces colored heat-resistant glass, which is rare in Japan, and the store attached to the studio is a pleasure to visit.
It is about a 20-minute drive from Wakura Onsen. The Notojima Glass Studio is located next to the Roadside Station “Notojima”.
Once inside, you will find a store with a variety of glass works on display.
Glass wind chimes are coolly lined up in a row.
I had made a reservation for a glass blowing experience at the studio that day, so I will talk more about the store later.
Notojima Glass Studio offers four types of glass blowing experiences.
・Glass blowing (from 3,000 yen)
・Sandblasting (from 1,000 yen)
・Accessory making (from 1,500 yen)
・Glass beads (from 1,200 yen)
This time I will experience “glass blowing“. You can choose what you want to experience, such as glasses, small bowls, ashtrays, etc. I experienced the “wind chime” that I saw in the shop earlier.
First, choose a color. I chose “rainbow” for the color. You can also choose whether or not to put “bubbles” in the glass. I decided to put bubbles in the glass.
The main part of the glass blowing experience is the blowing rod. The mouthpiece is attached first, as it is the place where you directly put your mouth.
Then, aprons, gloves, and arm covers are put on.
Glass artisans will give you one-on-one lectures, so you don’t have to worry.
Small children can experience this with their parents or guardians.
After a brief explanation from the craftsman, the glass that will become the basis of the work is removed from the furnace.
The glass artisan will take care of this difficult work for you.
Glass heated bright red in a furnace is rolled and rolled on colored glass, which is the base of the rainbow color.
And the first glass blowing. Will I be able to blow well?
The breath that is blown in may seem weak due to nervousness, but the trick is to blow in stronger.
Next, baking soda is sprinkled on the glass for the “bubbling” option. The baking soda fizzes inside the glass, creating bubbles. How mysterious.
Then, the wind chime is heated in the furnace again to create the neck of the wind chime’s upper part.
Air is also blown in through the blowpole.
Finally, the bottom opening, the most crucial part of the wind chime, is formed.
They spread it out little by little using instruments…
The final touches are made to complete the process.
Craftsmen do the difficult work, so those who experience the process mainly blow in with a blowpipe and widen the holes in the opening. The process takes about 15 minutes.
The glassblown glass pieces will be cooled at the glass studio and sent home by mail at a later date.
(You can also pick them up directly at the glass studio the next day or later.)
And here is what you received!
It’s beautiful! It makes me happy to see wind chimes that I have experienced myself.
After finishing the glass blowing experience, I headed to the store corner to find a variety of glass works on display.
Here is the “Heat-resistant Yohhen Glass” series, colored heat-resistant glass that I was interested in.
It has a beautiful, delicate pattern that is hard to believe it is heat-resistant glass.
This is a new product.
There are also a variety of other glass works on display, including not only vessels, but also animals and accessories, making it a fun place to select souvenirs.
These products can also be purchased online. ↓↓.
Notojima Glass Studio Online Shop
Notojima Glass Studio is not only a great place to experience glass blowing, but also to enjoy the store corner.
General Information
| Name | Notojima Glass Studio |
| Address | 122-53 Notojima Koda Town, Nanao, Ishikawa 926-0211 |
| Business Hours | 9:00 to 17:00 |
| Official Website | 能登島ガラス工房 |
