I am a recent convert to the beauty and desirability of Japanese art glass and a novice collector. My journey started with finding a random piece of Kurata Craft Glass in a local thrift shop. I was amazed with the dimensions, design and sheer weight of the piece. I've always been a sucker for a big hunk of glass and one of the hallmarks of Japanese art glass of the 1950s-1990s is it's robust size and style.
    As was the case with American art glass of the 1930s-1990s, it was the heyday of Japanese art glass with many glass houses producing fine craft glass. Also, as happened with American art glass, global economic factors and competition from other countries caused many glass makers to close their doors. Similar to American glass shops much of the history and knowledge about these glass makers and the glass they made has not been documented.
    Following are the highlights of my small collection and some scraps of information that I have been able to gather from various sources including collectors of Japanese art glass in the US and other countries who have probably forgotten more than I will ever know about the depth and breadth of post WWII Japanese art glass.

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Iwata Hisatoshi, vase with handles, 4" high x 5" wide

    This small jug or vase is about 4" high x 5" diameter. It came with the signed tomobako wooden box. This is an original piece made by Hisatoshi Iwata. It is a deep purple/blue color with white and yellow accents. There is a cloth to wrap the jug in and a long ribbon which feeds through holes in the base to tie the box shut. There is a printed label attached under the lid.

    Hisatoshi Iwata 1925-1994 was born in Tokyo, the eldest son of Toshichi Iwata, the father of modern Japanese art glass. Iwata studied at the Tokyo Bijutsu school in the design department. He graduated from the prestigious Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1950. He was selected for Nitten (Japanese Fine Arts Exhibition) for the first time in 1949 and continued to exhibit there afterward. He inherited Iwata Industrial Art Glass which his father founded in 1953. Iwata established the Japan glass industrial arts society in 1972 and was its chairperson afterward for five years. He was a founding member of the Shiseido-sponsored Exhibition of Modern Industrial Arts (1975–95), submitting works for display eighteen times up until 1993. His work was added to the permanent of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art 20th century Design and Architecture section in 1986. His work is also part of the collection of the Corning Glass Museum.

 

    

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Narumi/Sanyu Fantasy Glass vase, 9.5" x 5", 4 lbs 7 ounces, 1980s

The maker of this vase was difficult to identify since it was not labeled and exhibits characteristics of both Czech (Skrdlovice/Chribska) and Swedish (Aseda) vases. By chance, I found a labeled example from a long ended Japanese auction, of which a single image survived. It was enough to identify this vase, though. The bottom is concave and the edges are ground flat.

 

    

 

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Hineri/Iwatsu yellow bowl, 8.5" wide x 5" high, 7.5 lbs, ca 1970-80

This bowl is hand blown and the bottom is ground flat. Iwatsu was one of the largest glass makers in Japan before closing in the 1990s. They also made art glass under the Hineri and Art Glass labels. This bowl is very thick and has large "ribs". The original label survives.

Kurata Craft Glass vase, 10.5" high x 7" wide, 7lbs, ca 1970s

Kurata Craft Glass is produced by the Joetsu Crystal Glass Company (JCGC) of the Joetsu region of Japan. Kurata is name of the family that owns the company and also the name of the line of glass this piece belongs to. JCGC is still in existence and still run by the Kurata family. This vase is part of a two piece set which I found in the original box 1970s era box in Japan, and is probably NOS, never displayed. These pieces were made using centrifugal molds. Molten glass was poured into the molds and they were then swung by the artisan to achieve the desired shape and dimensions.

 

Handled bowl, 5.5" high x 7" wide, 2.5 lbs

This set is a bit rare as an ash tray typically accompanied this vase as opposed to the handled bowl that was included.

Note the misspelling of the Joetsu name on the box.

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Kurata bowl, 14" wide x 1.5" high, depression 5" wide x 1"deep, 5 lbs

During the 1970s-1980s Joetsu was contracted by the American company Mikasa to make several types of glass from pressed glass to pieces of art glass like this one under the Kurata name. Joetsu continued to maintain the quality of their art glass even though it was made in greater quantities. This bowl is fairly rare and was probably not produced in very large quantities.

 

    

This bowl has a small depression (bowl) in the center and a ground pontil mark on the bottom.

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Narumi by Sanyu bowl, 6.5" high x 8" wide top x 3" bottom, 6lbs, 1970s?

This bowl was part of the Sanyu "Fantasy Glass" line by the glass maker Narumi. This is another example of new old stock glass (NOS) that I found in the original box in Georgia, USA! Most Fantasy Glass was composed of panels of solid colors, which, when viewed through the piece, combined to make new colors. This amber bowl is not a great example of Fantasy Glass but it is very large and the fact that it came in the original box with all labels and packing material intact made it desirable. The bottom is somewhat crudely ground flat. Narumi, today, mostly makes crystal home wares, not art glass.

    

Not often found in the original box and packing materials!

 

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Sasaki Glass was founded about 1890 by Sojiro Sasaki in Kanda, Tokyo. Sasaki originally produced oil lamps for domestic use. They soon started exporting lamps to Hawaii, China and Southeast Asia. With the decline in use of oil lamps, Sasaki moved production to other types of glassware. In 2002 Sasaki merged with Toyo Glass Company and became Toyo-Sasaki Glass, producing crystal and other glassware. Toyo-Sasaki is still in business and also sells glass from other countries (Lithuania, Hungary, etc.) under the Sasaki label.

A swung vase by Joetsu Glass under their Kurata Craft Glass label. The base layer of this vase is red and it is overlaid with such a thin layer of white glass that the result looks pink. The bottom is ground flat and polished. This is not an extremely common shape for Kurata, but it is not rare either.

 

    

 

Hokuyo (?) Glass Company, 9" x 7", aventurine vase, 1980s

Hokuyo Glass Company was established in Aomori, Japan 1949, and initially produced "Ukidama", glass- fishing floats. That remains what they are best known for, but in the 1960s they started producing art glass. I am told by my mentor that Hokuyo produced vases in this shape, a common shape for Japanese glass makers, and produced aventurine glass in the 1980s. Their glass is often seen under the Kamei label. Kamei was a distributor of glass made by other companies. Hokuyo is still in business but is today known for making Tsugaru Vidro (Tsugaru Regional Glassware) which is a tradition in the region. They mostly make kitchenware and are a subsidiary of Ishizuka Glass Co. Ltd.

I just got lucky on this one as it is not labeled and I bought it when I was very early in my learning about Japanese art glass. It seemed to have all of the components of pre-2000 Japanese art glass and was not too much money so I bought it. A knowledgeable collector identified it as likely made by Hokuyo.

    

Kurata Craft Glass vase, 6.75" high x 4" wide, 8 lbs, 1960s-70s

    

It has thick ribs, a ground bottom and is very thick.

Generic "multi-layer" Japanese Art Glass, 5.5" x 4", pre-2000s

This vase is fairly typical of mass produced Japanese art glass produced for export from the 1960s to 2000. it was typically quickly made and of lower quality than craft glass produced by the Japanese glass houses under their own labels. Many small glass houses produced this kind of hand made glass and it was imported into several countries under various labels, i.e., Lefton, Kamei, etc. If was often just labeled like this piece "Made in Japan". It is still very often nice glass, just less refined. This piece, for instance, though made of four layers of glass, has some sharp edges and could have been more nicely finished but is still a fairly complex piece.

    

Kurata for Miskasa, 6.6" x 4", cased glass with metal flakes, ca 1980s

    

        

ArtGlass by Iwatsu, 10" high x 6" wide, 4 lbs, ca 1970s

Here is a vase by Iwatsu under their ArtGlass label. It almost looks like onyx, instead of glass. Something I have noticed with the ArtGlass line was that Iwatsu seemed to be using the glass to mimic other materials.

    

   

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Fukuoka handkerchief style vase,  7.5" long x 11" high x 5" wide, circa 1940s-1960s.

    Fukuoka Art Glass Company's work is fairly uncommon in the U.S. and what is seen here are mostly pitcher and drinking glass sets in a red or yellow and white swirl pattern. Founded in the 1940s, Fukuoka was renamed "MultiGlass" in the early 1970s, so pieces labeled "FTG" were made circa 1940s-1960s. MultiGlass is still in business.

1. Labels and Markings

Many Japanese glass pieces, especially from the mid-20th century, were labeled. Look for:

• “Made in Japan” or “Japan” labels.
• Specific brand labels like:
  • Iwatsu Glass – often labeled “Best Art Glass, Foreign” or “Hineri”.
  • Sanyu Glass – labels may read “Fantasy Glass” or “Registered, Sanyu, Made in Japan”
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2. Style and Color

Japanese art glass from the 1950s–1970s often features:

• Bright, swirling colors (e.g., pink, blue, yellow, green).
• Handkerchief-style vases or abstract shapes.
• A style that can resemble Murano or Czech glass, but with subtle differences in finish and form.

3. Craftsmanship

• Japanese glass often has a high-quality finish but may include small imperfections or bubbles, especially in older pieces.
• The glass may feel slightly lighter than European counterparts.

4. Manufacturer Clues

Some known Japanese glassmakers include:

• Iwatsu Glass Co. (Osaka)
• Sanyu Glass Co. (Osaka)
• Narumi (sometimes associated with Sanyu)

5. Compare with Online Galleries

Websites like 20th Century Glass have galleries and identification guides that can help you visually compare your piece 

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