Japanese Glass Beads - Vintage & Cherry Brand

In 1945, the world celebrated the end of WWII and started to rebuild. General MacArthur was sent to Japan to govern and rebuild their economy. Japan desperately needed foreign currency, so MacArthur encouraged Japanese manufacturers to produce consumer items for export to the United States. Small artisan glassmakers in Osaka were asked by American jewelry makers to produce glass beads for export. American agents provided the Japanese glassmakers with samples of the goldstone glass and molded flower cabochons produced in Czechoslovakia in the 1920s and 1930s. The Japanese artisans made glass beads in similar styles in equal quality. Full-time rice farmers set up flamework workshops in their homes and spent the wee hours of the night producing glass beads and stones for export. Osakan glassmakers were independent artisans, unaffiliated with any particular company. However, they did informally band together and sell their products under the name Cherry Brand large quantities, it was only made during the seven years that the Americans occupied Japan.