Mingei (民芸) “Art by the people and for the People”

?Japan’s appreciation of and recognition of artistic objects is a well-known trait. Japanese people believe that the concept of beauty in everything makes places beautiful and minds inclined to work, ideate, and create more useful and beautiful objects. This is seen in every aspect of their lives. Keeping things beautiful, creating beautiful things with utility and value which delights the mind and brings joy to hearts!! A work desk, the factory floor, the homes, the spaces outside homes, shops become a canvas to express the beauty they feel within.

In today’s article, lets understand how Japanese minds sees uniqueness in things and places others take for granted. ?

The whole philosophy of Mingei is that art is found in “common and utilitarian objects” of everyday use created by “unknown, nameless artistes”. Think deeply, and it does make a lot of sense in present world which embraces sustainability.

The Mingei was brainchild of Yanagi Souetsu, a Japanese philosopher, born in Tokyo (1889-1961). He was brought up in the Meiji Period (1868-1912) which changed the Japanese society and thought into a modern westernised one. This period marked the westernisation of Japan which arose after the end of the Edo period (1606-1868).

Yanagi Souetsu had a natural inclination towards arts and philosophy. So keen was his interest that he formed the Shirakabaha Literary Society (White Birch Society) which took interest to study and find art forms, especially the folk arts which was a despised by most art societies.

?In 1914 Yanagi learnt about the Joseon Dynasty ceramics in South Korea. ?So impressed was he by the ceramic artifacts there which were of a simple rustic nature made in countless ways, and used by common people and having a simplistic beauty. He collected quite a lot of these ceramic ware and founded the Korean Folk Art Museum in Seoul in 1924 and exhibited them. The art was so common place and natural, appearing in kimchi jars, tea pots, saucers that it was taken for granted. Yanagi through his discovery of hidden arts worked on making the Koreans aware of their pottery and create an appreciation for them.

The founding of the Korean Folk Art Museum prodded him to become curious about his own home country’s folk arts. He started with observing Buddhist arts and found expression and uniqueness in statues of Buddha. To describe his interest and work, he coined the term mingei along with two of his associates, Kanjiro Kawai and Shouji Hamada. In 1926, Yanagi came up with Mingei Movement.

?In 1936, they founded the Japan Folk art Museum or Nihon Mingeikan (にほんみげいかん). Its basic goal was to “find the arts of the people and return it to people.”, In 1999, this Museum became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan

Yanagi explains the concept of Mingei in his book, The Unknown Craftsman:

“It is my belief that while the high level of culture of any country can be found in its fine arts, it is also vital that we should be able to examine and enjoy the proofs of the culture of the great mass of the people, which we call folk art. The former are made by a few for the few, but the latter, made by the many for many, are a truer test. The quality of the life of the people of that country as a whole can best be judged by the folkcrafts.”

?The meaning of Mingei is arts of the common people. Mingei is a product of two words min 民?みんmeaning common people　and gei 芸、藝?げいmeaning arts. Mingei is an abbreviation of minshuteki kougei　（民主的工芸?みんしゅてきこうげい）meaning popular industrial arts.

The Mingei Movement

The philosophical concepts of the Mingei movement have influenced the perception, appreciation and preservation of the common arts worldwide. In other words, people have got the eyes to see beauty in arts featured in common use articles.

Though controversies have surfaced, the impact of the movement is undeniable. The movement is not about debating or mudslinging or denying but to collect and present these artistic ideas in form of films.

In Yanagi Souetsu’s words in the International Conference of Craftsmen in Pottery and Textiles in United Kingdom,

“All movements of art tend to the pursuit of novelty, but the essence of beauty ought to exist in that which has been liberated from the distinction of the new and the old.

Rather than attribute it to the personal ability of the potters, we are to conclude that their environments protected and assisted them. The long tradition behind them, the abundant natural resources, the repetition of work needed for producing in large numbers, the objective of making articles for daily use – all these factors collaborated to protect and develop their work….to the craftsman, tradition is the saviour and benefactor.

Will it not be possible to say that all beautiful work is the work done by work itself?”

Characteristics of Mingei objects

·???????? Utility: The object must me useful and have plain designs. No decorations, ornamentations.

·???????? Should be anonymous. In that it should be made by a common man artisan who has no fame or titles. In other words, just working for his livelihood.

·???????? Must satisfy the condition of plurality, in that these products should be mass produced to satisfy the daily needs of common man

·???????? They should be cheap and affordable for the common man to buy.

·???????? They should portray regional characteristics in patterns shapes ,colours etc.

·???????? Should embody division of labour , that is it should be made by many artisans working together to produce large quantities.

·???????? It should be made in a traditional way, without use of elaborate technology or machines. Should portray tesagyou（手作業―てさぎょう）

·???????? It should show the influence of climates, regional culture, nature get reflected in the art.

You no bi 用の美(ようのび) (Beauty of utility)

Beyond the meaning Yanagi’s thematic concepts which include “daily use”, “common man”, nbsp;“functional and useful” the beauty which appeals to the mind and the spirit is explained by the term You no bi 用の美(ようのび). The beauty which is perceived by the mind or spirit gives a sense of joy and accomplishment.

Mingei in Foods.

Many Japanese foods are mingei in their manner of growing and preparations. Foods like tenobe udon(手延べうどん), ougon dashi (黄金だし), sobakoそば粉（そばこ）、kokunaisanmai 国内産米（こくないさんまい）seisenyasai 生鮮野菜（生鮮やさい）gyokai 魚介（魚介）、nikurui 肉類（にくるい）

tenobe udon(手延べうどん)

This kind of udon is prepared using the methods of the olden days, the most characteristic quality is the chewiness of the udon. This mingei therefore is practised in present days making udon popular.

Teuchi（手打ち?てうち） and tenode are two kinds of methods which satisfy mingei definition. Teuchi refers to knead the wheat flour and flatten it and cut with a large knife.

Tenobe refers to cut the noodles finely and the extend them with hands

ougon dashi (黄金だし)

The kombu and kelp seaweeds and katsuo or sea bream are processed by hands daily to prepare the dashi.

sobakoそば粉（そばこ）

Soba which is blissfully flavoured, chewy and smooth is prepared in a manual way using the traditional methods.

kokunaisanmai 国内産米（こくないさんまい）

Domestically hand produced rice has an aroma and flavour and has a luxuriantly springy texture.

seisenyasai 生鮮野菜（生鮮やさい）gyokai 魚介（魚介）、nikurui 肉類（にくるい）

Vegetables grown manually without chemical use, water which is meticulously tested for safety and poultry raised in clean conditions mark the mingei definition for this category of foods.

Mingei in Fashion

The art of restoring and reusing old clothes which characterised the lives of peasants appealed to the Mingei movement due to its simplicity and usability. It was called the boro style. Boro referred to worn or damaged clothes of buildings or tattered clothes. These clothes were generally worn by common people and hence were made of cotton and hemp which was easily grown. Throughout the history of Japan, traversing eras, peasants would recycle clothes.

?Cotton was initially grown in China and Kyushu started growing it. Due to its demand, it started being grown in other regions as well. During the Edo period there used to be a trade of selling used cotton, which was indigo in colour. It was easier to dye clothes in indigo.

These were bought by women in the farming communities and recycled to noragi (野良着) or farmers clothing, futongawa(布団皮)or futon covers, pillows, and other useful items.

People used a stitch called sashiko a kind of running stitch to layer and do patchwork on the worn-out clothes and convert them into sustainable and warm multilayered clothes. (I had written an article about Sashiko earlier).

Boro is now a cultural heritage which the people of Japan are proud of. So popular is the once slighted boro fashion that nowadays fashion designers are trying to replicate the boro style into modern fashion.