In Japan the sound of a furin (wind bell) tinkling in the breeze is believed to invoke a sense of coolness during a hot and humid summer.
At Shinohara Furin Seizo Honpo, established in 1915 and now the only glass furin studio left in Japan, about 500 furin are made a day. Yoshiharu Shinohara, the second-generation proprietor of the studio/shop, works side by side with his son Yutaka in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo. It's a family business, where his wife, daughter-in-law and several other employees help by painting the furin designs.
The 75-year-old craftsman has been making furin since childhood, and was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Asset of Edogawa Ward in 1982. However, he says that only recently was he able to start making furin the way that he wants to.
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