Akiko Noda’s Rare Kyoto Nature, Zen-Inpsired Glass Art

High above the city of Kyoto, beyond the famed Philosopher’s Path a few minutes from a mountain said to be the home of the gods, is a glass studio that crystallizes the region’s natural wonders. Akiko Noda’s rare creations — ranging from lotus flowers to ripples of water — reflect the poetry of the forest laden with millennia of history, culminating in the political rise of Kyoto and its now bygone imperial status.

Nobody understands the importance of shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of “forest bathing” quite like Noda, the Kyoto native who left the city life in Tokyo and a job in advertising to return to her roots.

“There is a historic shrine dating back 1,200 years just a short walk from my house, and I used to play in the mountain behind it as a child. Even now, I pick nuts and wild plants, eat them and go for walks in the snow,” she tells WWD, while serving matcha, offering a warm yet ceremonial reprieve from the wind and rain outside.

Surrounded by finished and unfinished creations, containers of pigments and tools, she explains her unique glassmaking technique, which has given birth to award-winning pieces that have garnered acclaim from Tokyo to New York City: fantastical droplets of water in midair and even upcycled Baccarat crystals turned into a leaf as a part of her “Re-Born” series in 2022. What is most striking about her glass forms is how they mirror Nature — in their true-to life thinness and the sort of hues only it can provide.

The simple, yet therapeutic act of immersing herself and observing Nature has indeed given birth to otherworldly glass pieces that mimic the wonders of the Japanese forest. Mount Hiei, pinpointed in ancient lore as the home of Shinto deities, continues to be a holy place for her, where she finds a true connection between the physical and the spiritual worlds.

“I often talk to the majestic moon rising from Mount Hiei. In the quiet mountains, where there is no one around, are the most relaxing places for me, and it feels like the breath of nature is entering my body through my veins,” she reflects.

Noda’s technique is radically different from those found in the crystal-making landscape of Bohemia in Czech Republic or the glassmaking islands of Venice for that matter, in which sands are melted under dangerously high temperatures and are then quickly blown and modelled into whimsical creations.

Her style combines a wide variety of glass techniques based on the antique and mysterious method of pâte de verre, French for “glass paste.” The technique originated in Mesopotamia and was revived in the late 19th century. It involves kneading ground glass with glue, infusing it with pigments and later packing it into a mold.

“These require much more time and effort than glassblowing, but they allow for very detailed expression,” she says, holding up a folded, modeled piece of clay where the realistic veins of a leaf have been delicately etched by her own hands. Containers of colored glass beads filter the light from the outside as she demonstrates how she turns them into a soft powder that is sprinkled over the mold and then placed in a glass kiln.

Her work is further enhanced by her mastery of the decorative arts, particularly ceramics and the traditional Kyoto ceramic artisan traditions of Kyo-yaki and Kiyomizu-yaki, which she learned at a local public school.

Noda’s mission is to celebrate and draw attention to nature, and she studied environmental marketing at university with emphasis on the environmental protection. After completing a master’s course at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 2011, she saw her reputation rise in the art world and was awarded the Grand Prize at the 52th Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition in 2013. In 2016 she made a splash on the international art scene after showing in Milan at the Il Vicolo gallery as a part of “Japan My Love,” and the Concorso Arte Milano 2016, an art competition.

She also showed in Paris in 2017 at “Savoir-faire des Takumi,” a collaborative project to support artists and artisans from Kyoto and Paris, where they interact and create new works geared toward the global art market while gaining inspiration through each other’s culture and techniques. Today her pieces are on display at New York City’s Onishi Gallery, showcasing contemporary Japanese works that celebrate traditional craftsmanship.

No matter where her career takes her, she says Kyoto is her home. It’s the place where she was born and where she was meant to be. In her art, she often returns to the lotus flower, which is a maternal tribute to life, love, fertility and peace. A religious symbol, it often sits at the foot of Buddhist statues.

“As a plant, it is also an ancient species, the seeds live for thousands of years but bloom for a limited time, only four mornings. And it blooms larger flowers in muddy water rather than clean water,” she explains, adding that she’s drawn to its eternal, magical nature, which consistently demonstrates both strength and fragility. “It is like a human’s way of life. That is why I chose the lotus as a motif, and express the transition from leaves to flowers to fruit as a human life,” she says.

Seasons are often an inspiration for Noda. “The best is when Kyoto is colored with vivid autumn leaves,” she enthuses.

“I would like to express respect for nature, transition and the spirit of Zen with the theme of autumn leaves and moon viewing, which have been enjoyed by Japanese people since ancient times in autumn,” she says, recalling a solo exhibition in 2017 in which she created a glass garden inside the Entokuin temple, part of the Kodaiji Temple complex, a shrine to Zen Buddhism. It’s also the burial site of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the nation’s greatest samurai generals from the 16th century who is known as the “Great Unifier” of Japan.

“I installed my large works in a dry landscape garden, like a petal floating on the water,” she adds.
She’s gearing up for another exhibition at the Kodaiji Entokuin temple from Oct. 9 to Dec. 14. In May 2026, she’ll stage a solo exhibition at the Daimaru art gallery in Tokyo Station.

She also has her eye on a collection dedicated to water and its wonders.

“One day I would like to float my works on water and create an installation exhibition where the shadows of the glass works are projected on the water’s surface.”