Preserving a Glass Culture Over 4,000 Years Old! The "Glass Doctor" Trusted by Manufacturers Worldwide Collaborates with Global Factories. GLASSBACCA's Development System to Elevate Restaurant Tastes and Brand Worlds Through Glasses Officially Launches.

GLASSBACCA (operated by JTC Corporation, store location: Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City), which develops OEM and development production for glasses, will officially launch its OEM development system for glasses that embodies the tastes and brand worlds of restaurants by matching factories with high manufacturing technology from around the world in a "suitable place for suitable talent" starting June 2026.

GLASSBACCA Director, Takatoshi Okazaki

Currently, handmade glass factories both domestically and internationally are facing a devastating crisis. In response to this cultural decline, GLASSBACCA will tackle the challenge by combining the strengths of being "fabless" (not owning factories) with the expertise of Takatoshi Okazaki, the "Glass Doctor" who has traveled to 68 countries worldwide over 50 years in the industry. Leveraging a strong network built through learning and teaching with factories around the world, we will enhance the experiential value for restaurants and brands. By creating new demand (work), we will connect the disappearing skills of glass artisans worldwide to the next generation.

Why is a Unique Glass Development System Necessary Now?

Glass has developed in various forms alongside the prosperity of nations since its origins around the 24th century BCE in ancient Orient (Mesopotamia and Egypt) with the creation of glass beads and other items. While glass vessels are said to have originated around the 16th century BCE, the manufacturing techniques honed throughout history are now on the verge of extinction.

For example, the experiential lab "GLASSBACCA EXPERIENCE LAB & GALLERY," which recently reopened in Minamimorimachi, Osaka, exhibits approximately 500 types of beautiful antique glasses collected by Okazaki from around the world. However, about 60% of these (approximately 300 types) can no longer be reproduced. This is because the manual processes are too numerous to be economically viable (costing hundreds of thousands of yen per piece), and in advanced engraving techniques like "gravure," used for Bohemian glass in the Czech Republic, which involves cutting gemstones, the number of artisans has dwindled, making reproduction difficult. The loss of traditional techniques that once captivated the world is rapidly progressing.

Numerous Masterpieces of Antique Crystal Glass

Numerous Masterpieces of Antique Venetian Glass

Crystal Glass Manufactured Over 200 Years Ago

Accelerating this decline was the wave of mechanization (automation) since the 1900s. Machine-made glasses, mass-producible for tens of yen, emerged and drastically changed the market compared to handmade glasses costing several thousand yen per piece. Furthermore, the use of "lead oxide," which enhances transparency and the acoustic properties during toasts, is now avoided due to environmental and health concerns, leaving only a handful of factories in Europe capable of producing authentic crystal glass. This wave of change has led to a devastating situation in manufacturing sites both domestically and internationally.

Current Situation in Japan

About 50 years ago, there were four glass factories in the Minamimorimachi and Nakazakicho areas of Osaka alone, but they have all disappeared. The 30 to 40 glass factories with over 50 employees that once existed nationwide have dwindled to just seven.

Global Industrial Structure Changes and New Possibilities

The decrease in handmade glass factories is not just a Japanese phenomenon but a global turning point. Following the wave of mechanization since the 1900s and the shift to environmentally friendly materials, European countries such as Romania, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, which once employed hundreds of thousands of artisans, have seen continuous factory closures and downsizing.

However, GLASSBACCA views this change not merely as a decline but as an "opportunity to connect borderlessly with selected artisans worldwide and co-create new value."

A Factory in Poland That Once Existed

Challenging to Inherit History and Create New Value

As a concrete action to expand the possibilities of the industry, we are also undertaking projects to reproduce antique glasses. For example, in collaboration with a prestigious Hungarian glass factory, we are reviving beautiful designs and advanced techniques that are on the verge of being lost. By cherishing and inheriting history and culture, and by combining them with the needs of contemporary food culture and brands, we continue to pioneer new possibilities for glasses.

Reproduction of Antique Glasses Manufactured at a Now-Defunct Hungarian Factory

Blueprints Used During Manufacturing

Three Solutions Offered by GLASSBACCA

(1) Connecting Artisan Skills to Future Demand Through a Fabless Strategy Unbound by Specific Equipment

GLASSBACCA embodies the taste of alcoholic beverages for restaurants seeking to provide the best experience, and the brand world of companies conveyed through products and novelties, with the strength of being fabless and not owning its own factory. Unlike manufacturers tied to their own equipment, we match the most suitable factory from our global network based on design, budget, and intended use. We translate the characteristics of alcoholic beverages, where even a change in shape can alter the aroma, and the subtle nuances of a brand into three-dimensional objects without compromise. By reliably transforming challenging projects that other companies have rejected with "we cannot do that with our equipment," we supply new work (demand) to the global glass industry, contributing directly to the industry's survival.

"GLASSBACCA EXPERIENCE LAB & GALLERY" (Minamimorimachi, Osaka) Where 2,000 Types of Glasses from Around the World Can Be Experienced

Glasses Exhibited at GLASSBACCA EXPERIENCE LAB & GALLERY

(2) A Co-creation Network Led by the "Glass Doctor" Who Has "Learned and Taught" with Global Factories

The core of this global network is Director Takatoshi Okazaki. The true value of his 50-year career in the glass industry, having visited over 450 factories and workshops in 68 countries, goes beyond mere knowledge. It lies in his journey of learning from artisans' techniques at various factories and, at times, sharing his own knowledge by introducing tools and teaching techniques, thereby contributing to the continuation of global glass culture together. As a result, a deep trust has been built across borders with artisans worldwide, leading to GLASSBACCA receiving development consultation requests from glass companies globally. GLASSBACCA, led by this world-recognized doctor, will accompany customers at its showroom in Minamimorimachi, Osaka, which boasts over 2,000 types of glasses, to complete ideal glasses that serve as business tools.

"Glass Encyclopedia" Supervised by Takatoshi Okazaki: The Definitive Introduction to Everything About Glass, from History to Practical Use

(3) World-Class Glass "Co-created" with an Indian Factory Through 20 Years of Technical Guidance

The background of our high-quality glass OEM system, which richly expresses the taste of alcoholic beverages and the brand world, is a history of co-creation where we have nurtured the artisans' skills themselves, not just placed orders. We have built a deep relationship of approximately 20 years with a factory in India, a key manufacturing base. Initially, the site had only primitive equipment and was not of high quality. Okazaki provided direct technical guidance over many years, including advice on introducing European machinery and introducing tools. As a result of jointly improving the technical level, the factory now manufactures glasses of world-class quality, with top European brands also entrusting their production. This initiative of refining techniques with artisans worldwide is the foundation of GLASSBACCA's high-quality glass production.

Meeting at the Indian Factory (Left: Takatoshi Okazaki)

Manufacturing of now-rare 24% lead crystal

Factory where many artisans are engaged in cutting crystal glass

Future Outlook: Carrying the 4,000-Year-Old Glass Culture into the Future

Unlike ceramics and other materials, glasses are the "only vessels to be savored with the five senses," as they come into direct contact with the mouth, allow direct appreciation of the color and aroma of the contents, and enable enjoyment of the resonant sound during toasts. Creating the best glasses suited to their purpose deepens the enjoyment of daily meals and alcoholic beverages, strengthens the bond between brands and their fans, and enriches life.

GLASSBACCA will absolutely not extinguish the flame of this beautiful glass culture that has continued for over 4,000 years since around the 24th century BCE. By utilizing our network connected with artisans worldwide and continuously maximizing the value provided by restaurants and companies through glasses, we will generate new glass demand without interruption.

<Reference URLs>

GLASSBACCA

https://glassbacca.com/

GLASSBACCA EXPERIENCE LAB & GALLERY

https://glassbacca.com/gallery