Japanese Modernisation and Mingei Theory: Cultural Nationalism and Oriental Orientalism

By Yuko Kikuchi

Published by Routledge

Conceptualised in 1920s Japan by Yanagi Soetsu, the Mingei movement has spread worldwide since the 1950s, creating phenomena as diverse as Mingei collectors, museums, shops and restaurants.

The theory, at its core and at its adaptation by Bernard Leach, has long been an influential Oriental aesthetic for studio craft artists in the West.

But why did Mingei become so particularly influential to a western audience? And could the Orientalness perceived in Mingei theory be nothing more than a myth?

This richly illustrated work offers controversial new evidence through its cross-cultural examination of a wide range of materials in Japanese, English, Korean and Chinese, bringing about startling new conclusions concerning Japanese modernization and cultural authenticity. This new interpretation of the Mingei movement will appeal to scholars of Japanese art history as well as those with interests in cultural identity in non-Western cultures.

About the contributors