Timeless Stained Glass - Zero Waste Life

Since ancient times, the Japanese have believed that a life force resides in all creations. Valuing and caring for the things we use, a zero-waste life. Pointing the way to better living for a new era. Just 30 kilometers east of Tokyo, we find an artisan with a rather rare specialization for Japan. Saito Masaya. Saito's workplace is a one-room workshop in his home where he repairs broken stained glass. When I asked around, they told me that there are many places to repair, but not many places to repair. So I looked everywhere, and finally found a place to repair. There were quite a few people like that. Stained glass in Japan has over 150 years of history. It first arrived in 1865, a donation from a French monastery to a church in Nagasaki. After the atomic bomb in World War II, it was broken, but was later repaired, and remains there to this day. Today, Saito's starting repairs on a lampshade for an antique shop. It was damaged in an earthquake two months prior. The stickers mark the sections needing repair. The broken glass will be replaced. He begins with this green piece. He searches his large stock of replacement glass for the closest possible color and texture. There's no information on when or by whom the lampshade under repair was made. There's no way to find the original glass. Worse yet, the number of glass makers in Japan is in decline. It's better not to feel any discomfort when I put the lampshade on than when I turn it off. So I look for something similar when the lamp is on. He also tries to interpret the makers' intentions while choosing the replacement glass. I wonder what this is. I think this is a leaf, and this is a stem. I wonder if there's something like a vein. I wonder if it's like a vein. He's finally found the right replacement. In total, 41 broken sections will be replaced. The process continues one piece at a time over a period of two weeks. Saito doesn't just do repairs. He also produces his own original stained glass. Six of them are featured in the atrium of his family home. They represent the changing seasons of Japan. Each one depicted beautifully in glass. Saito first encountered stained glass as a young student, fascinated by its brilliance while visiting an art museum. I thought it was beautiful to see the light changing. Stained glass is a painting made of glass, so I was impressed by the change in colour and atmosphere. After graduating university, he studied at a school for stained glass makers. This is one of the projects I did when I was in high school. It was the first time I painted on glass. First of all, I couldn't cut glass. It was difficult to cut glass, to assemble it, and I couldn't draw. There weren't many fun elements. When it comes to painting, the process of assembling gradually takes shape. When I assembled it, I felt the joy of it taking shape. He first opened his own workshop 13 years ago. While producing original pieces, he also began taking on repair work. Glass is very vulnerable to shock, but it's a very stable material. Of course, there are ways to get rid of it, but I can fix it. If I don't fix it, there aren't many people who can do it. So I try to do as much as possible Treasured stained glass regains its brilliance in the hands of this skilled artisan. So far, he's repaired over 400 pieces. About half a year earlier, he repaired a true masterpiece. The Kazamas are serious collectors of antique stained glass. Found in an antique seller's warehouse in quite poor condition, they brought it to Saito for repairs. There are no wooden frames. It's just glass on a board. If you try to lift it up, it will snap and break. Of course, there were cracks everywhere. Saito fixed them all. The piece is believed to be over 100 years old. Saito didn't just replace the broken glass. He also built the wooden frame surrounding it, so it could be viewed by others once again. Everywhere there was a crack, he added additional lead solder. It's a job you can't do unless you're serious and passionate. Stained glass is easily damaged. It's not a matter of love, but it's wonderful to fix it little by little and pass it on to the next generation. I really like stained glass. I want to cherish it, and I want to fix it even if I have to burn it. I want to cherish it. If it breaks, I'll fix it and pass it on to the next generation. I'll do my best in what I can do now. The lampshade broken in an earthquake is now repaired and is illuminated once again. One more ray of light shining forward into the future.