Making dragonfly balls in Hokkaido · Otaru! To my sparkling accessories made by myself, my daughter is impressed!

That's why ... It's close, but I went to Otaru's glass studio to experience crafts with my parents!

Speaking of glass in Otaru, "Kitaichi Glass" is famous, but in fact, there are many attractive glass studios in Otaru city besides the Kitaichi brand. Especially now, the plan to create a glass craft by yourself seems to be very popular. Various types of courses are held in various workshops, and the difficulty of production varies. For example ...

"Sand blasting" that sprays fine sand to create your favorite pattern on glass items. "Fusing" creates a single piece of work by sticking small, colorful plate-shaped glass together. There was also a plan to make big things such as single-wheeled inserts and glasses from scratch with "blown glass".

All of them are very attractive, but since it is a work that uses ultra-high temperature heat, I have done "Tonbo ball making" that seems to be safe even for elementary school students. It is this plan that we participated in.

A workshop called "Ayoriya" was done, but it is highly recommended! First of all, the building is cool. In Otaru city, there are many historic buildings that were built in the Meiji and Taisho period, but the buildings here are also Meiji 40 Year It was built on Of course I'll do maintenance, but it's wonderful to leave a crate window or a warm building, but it's very nice. "Insta shine" is good for the guy who is aiming (laughs), surely.

Many unique souvenir products made by craftsmen are exhibited and sold on the 1st floor, and the production studio is on the 2nd floor. While looking at various samples at the reception, first select the design you want to make. We tried to design it for the most beginners. I decided that it would be better for an elementary school daughter to make it, but if it was a dragonfly ball, I might have been able to go to the intermediate level. The staff explained the points very carefully, and I didn't feel much anxiety when using the burner. It took some tricks to melt the thin glass rod and add a pattern, but thanks to you, a very beautiful work was completed! It takes about 15 minutes. The experience fee was as low as 540 yen, and I think you can easily challenge yourself.

One thing I thought was "Hmm" is that I had to attach small parts such as straps to the finished dragonfly ball. It's a strap that costs about 2 to 300 yen, but my wife says, "If you buy it for 100 yen, it's a material that costs 100 yen for 5!" But it's a tourist spot. The experience fee is cheap. I thought it would be good because I had a good memory. My daughter was very happy. My handmade is the only original in the world, so it's different.

The location of the shop is about 5 minutes on foot from the Otaru Canal and about 15 minutes from Otaru Station. It's a busy place for tourists, so I think it's safer to make a reservation in advance. Speaking of sightseeing, if you live in Hokkaido, you might say that you live with a lighthouse, or you don't go to sightseeing spots, but when you go to Otaru, is it a tourist attraction that I definitely stop by? I think it's also good).

The coffee shop "Kitaichi Hall" in Kitaichi Glass Building No. 3. The lighting inside the store is all oil lamps, and there is no electric light. It seems that oil lamps were first manufactured when Kitaichi Glass was founded, and oil lamps have been the main product that illuminates the nights of the region for a certain period of time. The attitude of paying homage to its roots and cherishing it is also cool. When you enter the store when it opens in the morning, you can see the process of manually lighting all the oil lamps in the store one by one. It's very fantastic, beautiful and you can feel the history. Drinking coffee here makes you feel like you've slipped back in time. Of course, I stopped by with my family this time as well. It's in the same building as the souvenir shop, so my daughter asked me for accessories and it was an unexpected expense, and I also bought a float lamp that I've always wanted (laughs). I'm crazy about that atmosphere ~ (laughs).

Well, I really enjoyed the glass craft experience in Otaru and making small dragonfly balls, so I would like to try making another work while increasing the difficulty as my daughter grows up. If you come to Hokkaido, please come and enjoy the city of Otaru and the glass!