Artist Hiroko Joshin Uses Shippo Cloisonne Technique to Create Pieces Serving as Appetizing Treat for Eyes

By Hiromi Kanekita / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

11:00 JST, November 21, 2025

Glossy tuna sashimi, squid adorned with decorative cuts and silver-skinned kohada (gizzard shad) all look like toppings of temarizushi (small, round pieces of sushi). Their delicate, translucent beauty is captivating. But don’t try biting into them. These are actually special containers created by artist Hiroko Joshin using the shippo cloisonne technique.

Shippo is a craft technique used to create wondrous patterns and colors by applying glass glazes to the surfaces of metal and other materials and then heating them at high temperatures.

Joshin specializes in “yusen shippo,” a shippo method that uses metal wires. She uses wires, including some made of silver, to delineate color boundaries and create patterns.

“I like the richness and transparency of various colors of glass and the intricate compartments of colors divided by metal wires,” Joshin said. “They are really appealing.”

Joshin was born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1991 and attended Tokyo University of the Arts graduate school. She first experienced the shippo technique during her fourth year at the university, where she majored in metal carving. While creating a shippo piece for a class project, she found herself instantly captivated by the beauty of glass because in her classes up to that point she had primarily worked with metals with subdued colors like silver, she said.

She chooses themes for her shippo pieces based on what she believes to be truly beautiful and appealing.

Joshin, who loves eating, particularly focuses on the beauty and charm of Japanese culinary items such as temarizushi and osechi New Year’s Day dishes, both of which are visually appealing.

She has also created pieces that resemble various other traditional Japanese foods and ingredients, including pickled vegetables and wagashi Japanese sweets. The jewel-like elegance of shippo pieces matches traditional Japanese elements, she said.

“I realistically recreate motifs first of all, but I make a greater effort to express the warm feelings that people experience when eating together and the connections that form between people,” Joshin said.

Recently, she has had opportunities to exhibit her work overseas once or twice a year.

“I want to exhibit my work overseas more often to show it to more people,” Joshin said. “I also want to increase the quality of each piece.”

She received the chairman’s award at the Japan Enameling Artists Association exhibition in 2015. Joshin is planning a solo exhibition at the Nihombashi Takashimaya department store in Tokyo in December. Her work can be seen on Instagram (@hiroko_joshin).

Flat pieces

Joshin also creates food-themed pieces in flat shapes.

Her pieces inspired by osechi New Year’s Day dishes are a typical example. These pieces look real and appetizing: the kuromame simmered black beans are glossy and plump; the tazukuri (cooked small dried anchovies) are browned appetizingly; and the datemaki rolled omelet looks soft and fluffy. The vivid colors of the shrimp and fuki butterbur are also eye-catching.

“I hope my work conveys the joyful excitement of a festive occasion,” the shippo artist said.