Have you ever been concerned about the stuff sold to us? With mass production or for whatever arbitrary reasons, the things we own often feel low quality and don’t last as long as they used to. Some products feel generic and yet somehow come with a hefty price tag. And are things even made with passion anymore? 

If you had these concerns, then you’re not alone. People from the past share the same worry, and sought to counterbalance them through an art movement: Mingei. But is not just about art: it spreads to our way of life, our community, our nature, and how we think about the things we use every day.

What Was the Mingei Movement?

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Mingei (民藝), meaning “folk craft,” refers to utilitarian crafts that were created by nameless craftsmen. This was a movement meant to show that everyday things can be beautiful, and it emerged as a resistance against rapid industrialization and westernization in Japan.

The term was coined together by philosopher and art collector Soetsu Yanagi, along with Japanese potters Shoji Hamada and Kanjiro Kawai. The movement officially started in 1928 with the launch of Yanagi’s magazine titled “Mingei.” It was inspired by creditless Korean pottery and ceramics, which prompted Yanagi to believe that Japan must certainly have something similar, and indeed Japan has aplenty.

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Under Mingei, the “crafts” typically refer to pottery and utensils, though they can include clothing and furniture as well. Crafts are considered Mingei if they follow these principles: they are created for day-to-day use, are inexpensive, produced in huge quantities, and are made by anonymous creators.

Mingei also encompasses miscellaneous things that have survived from ages ago under its umbrella. Not many items considered Mingei have survived due to their daily usage and rough handling, which, in a sense, is a good thing because it aligns with the movement as they served their purpose well. Those that lasted until now have mostly come from the Edo period, which coincidentally was a time when the common people became their own artists and invented many new art forms.

The Ideas Behind Mingei

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Yanagi believes that our sense of beauty is dulled by the many thoughtless, dispensable, and purely trend-driven things surrounding us at every moment. We become desensitized to the constant subpar quality of things, that we subconsciously lower our standards and the respect we have for ourselves into willingly accepting works that were made with dishonesty and lack of effort. 

Mingei goes against overcommercialized products—ones that are obviously made solely for profits and their utility declining drastically in their short lifespan. Yanagi considers these “amoral and unethical” because making them involves cutting a lot of corners, resulting in fragile and aesthetically unpleasing crafts.

Mingei also challenges aristocratic craft, which are purely decorative items that are indeed a work of art but are functionally useless. They can only be bought by the affluent and are often made to appease the ego of the artist, seeking to earn fame through their name. To Yanagi, the beauty of a craft should not be swayed by the maker’s reputation, and should be made to be useful for the people.

A Utilitarian Focus

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So why the emphasis on utility? Art movements generally focus on appreciating new forms of art for their visual appeal, often ignoring utility as a factor or even downplaying its value. We admire beautifully painted artworks and carefully sculpted statues yet overlook the beauty of everyday objects like cups and plates.

Yanagi was inspired by the early generations of tea masters, who created tea cups and kettles designed to serve their purpose—pouring and holding tea—while also being integral to the beauty of the tea ceremony. Beauty should not exist as a standalone concept; we can bring beauty into our everyday objects and activities as well.

Utilitarian objects possess an inherent beauty, not just in their appearance but through their sentimental value. The relationship between a person and their tools deepens with constant use, fostering a sense of affection for our belongings. These objects should serve as trustworthy companions—dependable, enduring, and intimately woven into our daily lives. And when things are built to last, they can be passed down to future generations or entrusted to those we cherish, becoming meaningful heirlooms. And so, though they may be inexpensive, they prove to be priceless.

Developments Thanks to the Movement

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Yanagi founded the Japan Folk Crafts Museum in 1936, devoting himself to introducing the philosophy of the Mingei movement and various folk crafts from all over Japan. He traveled all the way to Kyushu, Tohoku, and Okinawa to study and bring over crafts and held exhibitions to showcase cultural items from underrepresented groups like those from the Ainu tribe.

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The Mingei movement also helped revive the economies of impoverished villages by reestablishing craft and artisanal work as a viable industry. It was reintroduced to towns with long-standing handicraft traditions that were on the brink of disappearing, preserving both the townspeople’s livelihoods and cultural heritage.

One example of this was when Shoji Hamada established a pottery studio in Mashiko town of Tochigi Prefecture in 1924, where he would produce intricate and beautiful ceramics, introducing the town to the idea of Mingei. Ultimately, Mashiko has now become a world-renowned center for pottery and folk crafts, being famous for producing Mashiko-yaki (Mashiko wares), which are sold in markets like the Mashiko Pottery Cooperative.

Other Principles in Mingei

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Mingei emphasizes mass production by hand, which is achievable only when creation becomes second nature to the artisan. Through diligence and repetition, making becomes as effortless as walking, which no one takes pride in; in the same manner, Mingei artisans don’t need to take pride or put their name in their creations because it’s just a Tuesday for them. Mastery is achieved through repeated practice, refining skills in ways a novice cannot replicate. This is evident in Uma no Me (Horse’s Eye), where smooth, free-flowing swirls can only be drawn by someone with a lot of experience. Repetition is the mother of learning.

Mingei is in characteristic also very regional, because the material used to make Mingei must come directly from the local nature. Folk crafts will vary from region to region, as each region is abundant with different raw materials, which leads to unique variations in Mingei. The material is what gives the rich color and texture, and so there was a needed push to protect the local nature in order to continue producing high-quality things.

Apply the Idea of Mingei in Your Life!

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Next time you’re out shopping, keep the philosophy of Mingei in your mind! Before committing to a purchase, think first! Inspect the quality of the item first and consider the reputation of the brand making them—are they known to be a reliable producer, or do their products break the instant they leave the store? It’s important that you get an item that lasts long and offers good value for your buck!

Related articles:

• 6 Contemporary Japanese Artists You Should Know
• How Hokusai Paved the Path for Japan’s Art Scene
• Sustainability in Japanese Craft: Modern Pottery Leading the Way

Sustainability in Japanese Craft: Modern Pottery Leading the Way

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