About Mingei

What is Mingei?

Mingei is the Japanese word for "folk art", or art of the common people. The word was invented in 1925 by Yanagi Soetsu (1889-1961), a philosopher and art critic, who established the folk art movement in Japan with friends Hamada Shoji (1894-1978) and Kawai Kanjiro (1890-1966), who were potters, in the 1920's.

How did the Mingei movement start?

Before the modern era, production of handmade goods flourished throughout Japan, suiting the needs of the general population. But by the late 19th century Japanese regional craftswork began to disappear as the government encouraged mass production and standardization for more economical goods, which were easily produced and less expensive than handmade items. Concerned with this rapid Western Industrialization in the 1920's, Yanagi sought a return and recognition of the beauty of traditional Japanese craftwork.

Yanagi was successful in teaching the Japanese to respect and enjoy high quality, traditional handmade crafts again, rescuing them from extinction; he was also partially responsible for the continuation of the production of these goods. (By the late 19th century a majority of Japan's folk kilns were closed or shutting down.) Meanwhile through his famous book, The Unknown Craftsman, he introduced folk products’ rich heritage to the West. Yanagi and friends Hamada and Kanjiro also founded the Nihon Mingei Kyokai, the Japan Folk Art Association, and published a journal, Mingei, since 1931, which is still published today. Their famous collection of Mingei objects can be seen today in their lovely museum in Komaba, Tokyo, the Nihon Mingei Kan.

How is Mingei different from the fine arts?

The main distinction between Mingei and what are called the "fine arts", is that fine arts were usually produced with an emphasis on decorative or aesthetic use—as attractive art objects, with less of a functional emphasis, or only for use by an elite population, or for special events (for example a decorated Imari sake pourer).

Mingei products most often were made first and foremost for function--for example, an Edo era ceramic water container from Tsutsumi, or a painted Ishizara, for food service on a daily basis, rather than for rare or special occasions, making their survival up until now remarkable.

What are typical examples of Mingei?

There is no strict definition of what qualifies as Mingei; it can take almost any form. Mingei products include both old and contemporary examples. Common Mingei objects include many ceramics, lacquer products, wood objects, baskets, and textiles. Mingei can be seen more as a style; often adjectives such as simple and unaffected are used to describe Mingei items. Elements are usually kept to a minimum, and form generally follows function.

Mingei Resources

There are many books in Japanese about the Mingei movement and Yanagi, Kawai and Hamada. There are also folk art museums in Osaka, Kurashiki, and Tottori.

English language books about Mingei, consulted for this essay and suggested reading include:

  • Kudo, Kazuyoshi. Japanese Bamboo Baskets, 1980.
  • Moes, Robert. Mingei: Japanese Folk Art,The Brooklyn Museum, 1985.
  • Mingei, Masterpieces of Japanese Folkcraft, The Japan Folk Crafts Museum, 1991.
  • Munstererg, Hugo. The Folk Arts of Japan, 1958.

Museums with significant Mingei Collections in America:


 

Copyright by Blue & White America, Inc., 1998