The Most Beautiful Edo Kiriko Glasses You Can Buy from Japan (2026)
By Kotaro·Updated Sep 17, 2026·5 min read
This guide contains affiliate links: if you buy through one, the shop may pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you. How I choose and how I earn
Thirteen Edo Kiriko pieces by Kagami Crystal, chosen by how they'll be used: rock glasses, sake cups, a small tumbler, bowls, a vase and a set of five wine glasses. Sizes and prices from the shop, what the patterns are named after, and how to order from Japan.
A good first Edo Kiriko piece for most people is a Kagami Crystal rock glass. It gets used every time someone pours a whisky, a shochu or a sparkling water, and the cut pattern catches the light each time. Below that, a small tumbler is the lowest-priced way in. Above it, you move into bowls, vases and sets, which are more about the table than the glass.
I’m a designer based in Japan, and everything here is from Kagami Crystal. Kagami was founded in 1934 and describes its factory as Japan’s first with an integrated production system specializing in crystal glass; its story is in From Germany to Japan’s diplomatic tables. If you’re new to the craft, start with what Edo Kiriko actually is.
Prices are Discovery Japan Mall’s in yen on 16 September 2026, before shipping and any duties. All pieces were listed as in stock. Every listing except the vase’s says the piece comes in a wooden box; the vase is listed with a gift box. Sizes are from the shop’s listings.
Note: photographs on this page are illustrative images of the craft. Product photos in each card come from the shop’s own listing.
The three picks, if you want the short answer
| Piece | Price | Why | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Pick | Rock Glass, Octagonal Basketweave (T444-1) | ¥13,640 | A classic rock glass at a moderate price |
| Designer’s Choice | Sake Cup / Tumbler in Black (T535-2641-BLK) | ¥30,008 | Black overlay; looks at home in a modern interior |
| Smallest | Tumbler / Sake Glass (T483-1) | ¥19,250 | A 100ml glass for sake or water, the smallest piece here |
Best for most people: the rock glass
A rock glass is where Edo Kiriko gets the most use. This one is cut in hakkaku-kagome, the octagonal basketweave pattern, which Kagami says is named after the weave of a bamboo basket. 76mm across, 90mm tall, 240ml.
If you want a piece with a maker’s name attached, the Kikuhana (chrysanthemum) rock glass is one. Kagami says it was designed and cut by certified traditional craftsman Satoshi Nabeya. Chrysanthemum patterns are traditionally associated with long life, which makes it an easy gift for a parent’s milestone birthday. It’s also one of the picks in a Japanese Christmas gift for your wife, partner or mom.
Designer’s Choice: the black sake cup
Blue and red are the colors most people picture when they think of Edo Kiriko. Black reads differently: the cut lines glow against a dark surface rather than showing clear glass through color. That’s why it’s my pick for someone whose home is modern rather than traditional. It’s 56mm across, 57mm tall, 80ml, so it works as a sake cup or a small tumbler.
Kagami also makes a black carafe with the same pattern code (2641-BLK), which completes the pair. It’s 75mm across, 102mm tall, 350ml.
Sake cups (guinomi)
Sake cups are small enough to be affordable and personal enough to feel chosen. This yaraiju pattern comes in clear or in cobalt blue. The yarai pattern is named after a rough bamboo fence, and is traditionally associated with protection from bad luck.
For something wider and shallower, this flat glass is cut in nanako, which Kagami says is named after fine reflections that look like rows of fish scales. 90mm across, 44mm tall, 70ml, crystal glass.
The smallest piece: a 100ml glass
The smallest piece here: clear, simple and small (60mm across, 68mm tall, 100ml). It works as a sake glass or a small tumbler, and it’s listed with a wooden box.
Beyond glasses: bowls, a lidded jar and a vase
Edo Kiriko isn’t only drinkware. A small bowl gets used every day for sweets, snacks or rings, and suits someone who doesn’t drink.
A cut-crystal vase makes even a single stem look considered. This one is cobalt blue, 102mm across and 190mm tall, and is listed with a gift box rather than a wooden one.
A set for the table
At the top of this list, a set of five wine glasses in a wooden box, each 75mm across, 180mm tall and 170ml. It suits a wedding, or a household that entertains.
How to choose: a designer’s shortcut
Four questions, in order:
- Will it be used or displayed? Used: rock glass, sake cup, small bowl. Displayed: vase or lidded jar.
- Clear or colored? Clear shows the cutting most precisely and suits any interior. Colored (blue, green, black) is what people remember.
- Which pattern? If you’d like the pattern to carry a wish, chrysanthemum patterns are associated with long life, and yarai and basketweave patterns with protection from bad luck. Otherwise, choose the one you like.
- One or several? A single piece is for someone specific; a pair suits a couple; a set suits a table.
How to buy from Japan
Okurimono Japan doesn’t sell anything. “Check Price” takes you to the product page on Discovery Japan Mall, an independent Japanese retailer (not Kagami’s own shop). You buy and pay there, and the shop handles shipping, returns and support.
- Box vs. gift wrap. Every piece except the vase is listed with a wooden box (the vase with a gift box), and the listings note the pictured box may differ slightly. Gift wrapping is separate and isn’t listed by the shop.
- Timing. The shop’s listings say items ordered from the maker can take 3 to 5 days to dispatch; delivery then depends on the carrier and customs.
- Duties and taxes. The shop’s Customs Duties page says they aren’t included and are collected on delivery.
- Returns. The shop’s Returns & Exchanges page accepts returns only for damaged, defective or incorrect items reported within 7 days of delivery, with photos. Open glass as soon as it arrives.
More on ordering from Japan is on How to Buy; for gifts by occasion, see Edo Kiriko gifts by occasion.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Edo Kiriko from Kagami cost?
- On 16 September 2026, the Kagami pieces in this guide ranged from ¥13,640 for a rock glass to ¥200,200 for a set of five wine glasses at Discovery Japan Mall, before shipping. Most rock glasses and sake cups were between about ¥13,000 and ¥31,000. Prices change, so check the shop.
- Which Edo Kiriko glass should I buy first?
- A rock glass or a sake cup, chosen by what the person drinks. Both get used rather than kept in a cabinet. The octagonal-basketweave rock glass (T444-1) is a good balance of size and price in this guide.
- What colors does Edo Kiriko come in?
- Clear, or a colored layer over clear glass. The Edo Kiriko Cooperative explains that deep blue (ruri) comes from cobalt, deep red from copper and bright red from gold. The pieces in this guide include cobalt blue, green and black as well as clear.
- Is Edo Kiriko a good wedding gift?
- It can be. A pair of cups or glasses is an easy gift for a couple, and a set such as Kagami's five wine glasses suits a household that entertains. All the pieces here except the vase come in a wooden box, according to the shop's listings.
- How do I care for Edo Kiriko?
- The Edo Kiriko Cooperative says not to use a microwave, dishwasher, dish dryer, oven or open flame, and to avoid sudden temperature changes and impacts. Wash by hand, using something softer than glass, such as a soft brush, for dirt in the cuts. Crystal glass scratches more easily than soda glass, so handle it with care.
- Will it arrive safely from Japan?
- Discovery Japan Mall says its orders are shipped with tracking and insurance, and usually ship within 5 business days. For Kagami pieces ordered from the maker, its listings add 3 to 5 days. Returns are accepted only for damaged, defective or incorrect items reported within 7 days of delivery, with photos, so open glass as soon as it arrives.
