Hi, there.
We started Osouji (New Year’s Big cleaning) the other day. In the middle of cleaning, the sunlight was shining through the leaves of trees (we call that “Komorebi”), which made me feel peaceful. We still have the cold weather, but I found the sunlight of winter mellow and pleasant, which the rest of the seasons don’t have.
Things That Inspire Me
During my holiday, I visited the special exhibition, 60 years after the death of founder Yanagi Muneyoshi, in the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. This exhibition, titled “100 years of Mingei: The Folk Crafts Movement,” showcased folk crafts and publications made in the different regions collected by Yanagi, including unique items created through traditional handcrafts.
What attracts me to “Mingei” is that folk crafts are not created with the intention of “Making something beautiful.” And I like the idea that it values functional beauty and design for everyday objects. I think that “Mingei” focuses on the beauty that goes well with people’s daily lives, such as the beauty of the handle of a used medicine box and a vessel an easy-to-pour spout.
I enjoyed this exhibition differently from other art exhibitions. It had been a long time since I visited the art museum, so I was so tired, but it was good that I got inspiration from it.
Small Pieces of “Mingei” in our office
While cleaning the office, I found many beautiful items, such as pottery and baskets collected by the Chairman. Some of them were like folk crafts. I was so intrigued by such beautiful things that had been put away until now.
The beauty of handcrafts and everyday things may have something in common with the beauty of a garden.
The gardens we create are not like the Daimyo gardens, with vast land and large stones and ponds. Our job is to bring a little greenery into our daily lives. We want to create a garden that has the beauty of everyday lives as folk crafts have. That’s what I thought while I was cleaning.
Through the experience of seeing beautiful things in this world, I want to be the person who can continue to enrich the heart.