Samの英語チャンネル

Drink with Doraemon!

Japan has a number of traditional artisan crafts, that have been maintained for centuries and are still being adapted to modern uses. A great example is Edo-kiriko glass cutting, a form of glass decoration that has been passed down for generations since the Edo period. Though often exorbitantly expensive, Edo-kiriko glasses are popular souvenirs from Japan because of their beauty and unique designs.

In fact, Doraemon fans in particular might need to add them to their souvenir list. Tokyo-based Edo-kiriko workshop Shiina Kiriko (GLASS LAB) and publishing company Shogakukan’s web media service Waraku Web have teamed up to make beautiful drinking glasses that combine the beauty of handcrafted Edo-kiriko glasses and the inspiring cheer of the beloved anime/manga robo cat, featuring encouraging quotes from the character Doraemon at the bottom of the cup.

Special techniques were used to polish and even the interior of the glass, with Shiina Kiriko’s original sand-blasting suna-kiriko process used to carve the designs into the base. This method is amazing because it’s capable of carving lines as small as 0.09 millimeters (0.0035 inches) in width . The images on the base were recreated from panels of the Doraemon manga, carved into the bottom with absolute precision.

That makes these glasses unique among Edo-kiriko glasses, for more reasons than one. They also turn into a kaleidoscope that reflects the design at all angles within the glass when a liquid is poured in, and they come in indigo blue, which is a fresh, unexpected color for Edo-kiriko.

There are five different Doraemon quotes in Japanese to choose from, which come from Doraemon himself to offer encouragement and inspiration. They’re titled “The Future Changes”, “Poor Adults”, “Don’t Feel Pressured”, “Small Efforts”, and “Can’t Stick to Anything”. For example, “The Future Changes” glass shows a panel that reads, “Not necessarily. The future is always changing at the drop of a hat,” which could be a quote that you need to see at the end of a stressful day.

Because these are finely crafted, extremely limited-edition products, they’re currently selling for 44,000 yen each (US$424.01) on Pal Shop. There are only 20 of each kind available, and some are already close to selling out, so act fast if you want one!

Source, images: PR Times
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Source: SORA NEWS24