It is believed that glass-crafting began in Japan over 2,000 years ago. During the 7th to 8th centuries, the Japanese started to use various raw materials to make glass "magatama" curved beads and "kudatama" cylindrical beads. Glass crafting then went into a decline, before developing into a proper industry in the Edo period (1603-1868). However, glass crafts during this time were quite fragile and were not suitable for practical use. Through many years of hard work and trial and error, glass artisans improved the quality of their products, and the glass industry progressed rapidly from the late Meiji (1868-1912) to the early Taisho period (1912-1926).

Today, techniques such as glass blowing and glass cutting known as "kiriko" are used to make tableware, flower vases, ornamental items, and other crafts.