Each glassware is mouthblown and slightly different in dimensions and sizes. This plate is not a perfect circle but we absolutely adore the imperfectness of them. The bubbles of each plate are also different and we select randomly for your order.

Dimensions:

Width: 15-17cm
Height: 1.5cm

Glassware requires more care than earthenware due to the risk of cracks from thermal shock. This means that large differences in temperature should be avoided. If you have any doubts or questions please email us or message us on Instagram at any time!

Handwash only.
Not microwave, oven or dishwasher safe.

A more detailed blogpost for the artist to come:

After finishing high school in her home town in Ibaraki prefecture, Kaminaga Akemi moved to Hokkaido to study Economics at university. She felt life was comfortable in Hokkaido and decided to stay longer after graduation. At a job fair, she came across a glass company in Otaru which emphasised "making glassware for people's lives, not just a souvenir". This caught her attention and she decided to work there, going on to learn about product development, planning management, exhibitions, advertising, and customer service. Looking back, she believes it an important stepping stone in her career. She moved to working into a small glass factory where she got more hands-on experience with making glassware. Through networking, she met her current teacher and started as an apprentice in Kyoto before becoming independent.

The high costs of setting up a glass studio in Kyoto led to searching in neighbouring prefectures, and in 2017 she set up her current glass studio "imeca" in Otsu city in Shiga prefecture. Imeca is Akemi backwards with C instead of K.

Since the move, she felt indebted to the warm locals that helped her along the way and wanted to make something colourful in return. While researching different minerals to give her work colour, she came across a company that dries suisou (water plant) from Lake Biwa (the biggest lake in Japan), and decided to start with that. Through many experiments, she learned that the final colour depends on how much oxygen is supplied and while challenging, she found it very exciting to discover the different shades possible. Later, she also started research into the colour blue.

Her glasswork includes transparent glass as well as biwakoiro (colour of Lake Biwa), and other colours. On the day of our visit to her studio, she kindly demonstrated to us how mouthblown glassware is made. We must say she is such a charming and sweet person.

Behind each ware is a story. Our role is to introduce these stories behind different artists of the ware we use to provide a unique tea experience to our guests.