Daphne Yeo
Google
Edo Kiriko Glass Cutting Experience - Booked the experience voucher through Klook and am always satisfied with their clear instructions on how to get to the venue. Conveniently located just 1 min walk from Exit 4 of Asakusa Station on Ginza Line.
The ground floor is a shop front, where the staff greets you then led me up to the workshop area on Level 2, just beside the shop. You'll have to remove your shoes there and given room slippers. The session started with me choosing the shape & size of my glass, from a selection of shot glass, sake glass, to whisky and regular, with a variety of colours too. Klook's package only includes the experience and the most basic clear glass. For other colours and shapes, you'll have to top up. I paid another JPY1100 for mine.
After choosing the glass, I was asked to select the base design, most of which they have stencils for, or for the artistically inclined, you can also draw your own. The instructor then went on to do a live demo on how to use the buffering machine, then I got to practice a few rounds before doing it on my glass.
The instructor was extremely patient and encouraging, constantly reassuring me with 'oh very nice, very cute, very good'. While it appears to be a group activity, with 5 of us during my session, the instructor was largely attending to us individually. While she showed me how to use the machine, the rest were choosing their designs, then while I practice, she did the demo for whoever was ready next. I like the personal attention and she also kindly help fix one of my Sakura petals which had a jagged edge cause I lost hold.
Once it's all done, she cleaned up the glass and they even provide a photo area with proper lighting and white backdrop where you can take pretty photos and videos. Once you are done, it gets wrapped up with foam and packed into a box nicely.
The entire experience took almost 90 mins, I enjoyed it very much and am happy to have my very own, exclusive Edo Kiriko Glass. The machine is also very safe and easy to use, just takes time to perfect the control of strength and direction.