Sea & Nature
Sea & Nature
The surface seen from underwater, light falling into a cave, small fish darting between the coral. These pieces hold the beauty of an Okinawan sea that changes constantly with the light.
About this theme
Okinawa's nature holds more scenes than any single view can capture. A sea turned clear in the sun, light swaying underwater, small fish crossing between the coral. Further north on the island lies deep forest, its green layered with light filtering through the leaves. Sea, forest, and sky all shift color by the hour and by the light, so that no two moments look quite the same.
The makers featured here have observed that nature closely, and set into glass the colors, the light, and the moments that moved them most.
Series
Water Shadow (Mikage)
Tomori Ryu, Master Artisan from Okinawa Prefecture
Water Shadow began not with the surface of the water, but with the light inside it: sand seen from underwater, the surface viewed from below, the sea colors drawn out by light inside a cave. Tomori continues to pursue that endlessly shifting shadow of water.
Subtropical Sea (Anettai no Umi)
Teruya Mitsunori, Master Artisan from Okinawa Prefecture
Subtropical Sea takes its inspiration from the coral reef, often called a cradle of life and home to countless creatures. The brilliant tropical fish and the coral itself stand among the treasures of these islands. Built around the motif of small fish leaping between the waves, the series holds both their beauty and the preciousness of life itself.
Yambaru Paradise (Yanbaru Rakuen)
Teruya Mitsunori, Master Artisan from Okinawa Prefecture
Yambaru Paradise turns to the Yanbaru forest in the island's north, where layers of subtropical evergreens filter light into many shades of green. That deep forest scene is what the glass reflects. Yanbaru remains home to rich, living nature, including a flightless bird found nowhere else, and in 2021 the ecosystem was recognized as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.
Sea Mirror (Umikagan)
Umikagan is an Okinawan word for the moment clouds mirror on the sea, as though the water itself had turned to glass. Okinawa often brings to mind a calm southern sea. But in winter, a strong wind pushes clouds quickly across the sky, and the sea's color shifts by the moment as it reflects them. Born from that winter sea and sky, Sea Mirror uses black glass to hold the passing clouds.
Miinishi
Miinishi is the Okinawan name for the north wind that begins to blow across the island around October. It marks an easy season, when the late-summer heat has softened and the north wind has not yet turned cold.