Shinai

"Shinai" is a blown glass flower vessel that captures the inner texture of shinai—bamboo swords used in kendo.

Though often discarded after just a few uses, the inside of a shinai retains beautiful bamboo nodes shaped by hand, bearing quiet traces of time and craftsmanship.

This work reinterprets that hidden interior, contrasting the worn exterior used in strikes. Through glass, it reveals the “inner memory” of the material—fragile yet strong.

Discarded shinai are collected from Hakata-ya Bōguten in Nagasaki and reborn at Rurian Glass Studio, forming a local, circular production model.

Rooted in the artist’s own experience practicing kendo in childhood, the piece reflects the Japanese philosophy of dō—the Way—linking martial practice and flower arrangement.

Shinai offers a quiet transformation: from tool to vessel, from kendo to kadō, from action to reflection.