Any Japanese-reading marble collectors interested in history of marbles?

[Steph]

Do we have any people here who can read Japanese?  Well enough to dig into history?

What kind of marble historical facts would you be able to dig up on Japanese Google?

I have seen an explicit reference to very early Japanese marble making, but it was said in a mean way  so it's not something I have kept in an easy to find place.  

I would LOVE to learn more about Japanese marble making in early 1900's, but how?

[winnie]

It's a pity Steph that we know so little about the history of the production of Japanese marbles.

According to me they made very nice marbles before WW11,probably since 1920.

I would also like to see some more evidence like documents etc.

[bumblebee]

Probably many original workers are still alive since Japanese longevity is so high.

[Steph]

I found the article with the offensive language.  Be warned, it's bad.  

It is the April 15, 1907 issue of The Mixer and Server.   The relevant quote from near the end of the article is, "Japanese glass marbles of much beauty sell for a cent apiece, . . . "

https://books.google.com/books?id=25GfAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA3-PA3




 

[Steph]

There is a 1973 book called A History of Glass in Japan, by Dorothy Blair, which briefly mentions marbles.  I saw it in a "snippet" view on Google Books. I didn't see the years but was after "when electricity came into use".  

[bumblebee]

59 minutes ago, Steph said:

I found the article with the offensive language.  Be warned, it's bad.  

It is the April 15, 1907 issue of The Mixer and Server.   The relevant quote from near the end of the article is, "Japanese glass marbles of much beauty sell for a cent apiece, . . . "

https://books.google.com/books?id=25GfAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA3-PA3




 

Wow, surprising racial bigotry against Japanese pre-WWII...I wonder what the marbles were? Couldn't be our familiar Japanese pinch pontils, no?

[Steph]

If we're sure those are machine-rounded, I wouldn't think so.  But 

[Steph]

Jason, remember this one?

@bumblebee

[bumblebee]

Check out this Akro Agate ad from the March 4 1922 Vancouver Daily World newspaper. "...far superior to any of the Oriental lines."

[Steph]

That is so cool.  That could be Japan OR China. And we have tantalizing marbles from both areas that it could be.

[spara50]

Somewhere I have a newsletter from an American Japanese internment camp from WWII that has news about a marble tournament held in the camp. Gotta track that down.

[Steph]

1 hour ago, spara50 said:

Somewhere I have a newsletter from an American Japanese internment camp from WWII that has news about a marble tournament held in the camp. Gotta track that down.

 

In the meantime ... 

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/02/remembering-japanese-internment-camps-75-years-170213095548604.html