The 100th Anniversary of Mingei: Kyoto’s Legacy of Everyday Life

A Century of Mingei — Beauty in the Everyday

This thoughtfully curated book traces the origins of mingei (folk craft), a concept introduced in Kyoto in 1925 by Yanagi Soetsu with potters Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro to celebrate the beauty found in everyday handmade objects.

Featuring over 170 works, the volume highlights the expressive wooden sculptures of the monk Mokujiki, which first inspired the term mingei, as well as pieces by Kuroda Tatsuaki, Aoki Goro, Kawai, Hamada, Bernard Leach, and others connected to the early Mingei movement and the 1928 Folk Craft Museum.

Archival materials and works by Kyoto artisans and supporters further illuminate the deep and lasting connection between mingei and the cultural heritage of Japan’s ancient capital.

A compact and engaging introduction to the timeless charm of Japanese folk craft.

Format: 257 × 182 × 10 mm, 184 pages, Softcover
Language: Japanese and English
Printed in Japan