Folk Crafts of Tottori Prefecture

Surrounded by abundant nature, Tottori prefecture possesses vast natural resources that include forestry -- which supplies wood production -- and quality sand iron found in the Chugoku mountain area -- which is used for metalworking. The prefecture has been home to a variety of handicraft products over the centuries.

In 1926, Yanagi Muneyoshi (1889-1961) coined the term "mingei" to express the aesthetics of crafts made by anonymous artisans. He developed and transmitted this idea by collecting folk crafts, writing, and lecturing. Sharing Yanagi's ideas, Yoshida Shoya also joined the Mingei Movement. When Yoshida began his profession at a hospital in Tottori City in 1931, he also started a project to develop new designs for traditional Ushinoto ware ceramics, which until that time had been produced for for everyday use. He also began buying and selling Ushinoto ware.

In the following year, he opened a Tokyo branch in Ginza to further expand his sales channels. The Ginza shop not only carried new works of folk crafts from Tottori, buy also functioned as a distribution center for folk crafts from all over Japan.

Located near JR Tottori station, the Tottori Folk Crafts Museum showcases works of folk crafts from Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, and Western cultures that were collected by Yoshida, as well as his very own creations of folk crafts that include examples of furniture and dishware. The TAKUMI Folk Art Shop next door also promotes and sells folk crafts not only from the San'in region (in which Tottori is located), but also from other regions in Japan and the world. The TAKUMI Japanese Restaurant next to the museum offers local specialties, including "Susugi nabe" -- a wagyu hotpot created by Yoshida himself. The restaurant uses local ingredients, and folk craft dishware made in various parts of Japan. It has become a popular destination for foreign visitors in recent years. 

In 1962, Yoshida opened TAKUMI Japanese Restaurant next to the museum and shop to offer local dishes served on mingei ceramic tableware. The idea was to give visitors the opportunity to learn about folk culture at the museum, experience it through dining at the restaurant, and then provide the chance to acquire their own pieces at the shop. Yoshida wanted visitors to not only appreciate pottery and ceramic wares on display at the museum, but to experience and enjoy such wares in their daily life -- hence giving it the name "Museum for Daily Living."

Yoshida referred to folk art pieces that he himself conceptualized as "shinsaku mingei," which means "new fold crafts." Using traditional techniques, he designed items for daily use in modern life, including dishware, furniture, and fashion accessories. He was rightly referred to as a "producer of folk arts," for he not only designed objects -- ranging from pottery to wood/metal/bamboo crafts, and from dyeing and weaving to making washi -- but he also handled the distribution and sales. Such "new folk crafts" conceived by Yoshida continue to be made and sold today, after more than 80 years. The following are some of his longest-selling products.

In one set, there are contrasting designs that include distinct glazing that accentuates the simple shapes. One is solid, while the other is separated by white and black glazing. These sets of coffee cups and saucers are Japanese, while at the same time possessing a Scandinavian sensibility.  

Yoshida studied Chinese folk crafts and interacted with local craftsmen, establishing the Huabei Shenghuo Gonyi-dian shop in Beijin in 1943. These knives are said to have been inspired by the shape of Chinese broadswords (qinlondao). The shape of the board is simple, yet beautifully rounded. There is a groove along the edge of the board for collecting bread crumbs.

These ties were inspired by British neckties. The word "niniguri" means the secondary silk thread that was produced during the spinning of silk. It was considered a byproduct and unsuitable for finished goods. Yoshids Shoya believed in effective utilization of all byproducts to create novel opportunities for additional products and sources of income.  

Yoshida is known to have regularly used this bag made from woven bamboo. The metal fittings used to protect the corners and secure the leather strap are simple in design and add attractive accents.

Works of Ushinoto Ware were produced from the end of the Edo period (1615-1868). Yoshida first learned of these ceramics through the Gorohachi tea bowl made by the Ushinoto Ware Kiln, and immediately began working on designs for his "new folk crafts." He was assisted by key figures in the Mingei Movement including Yanagi Muneyoshi (Soetsu), Hamada Shoji, Kawai Kanjiro, and Bernard Leach. Through this joint effort, many best-selling items were created. 

The founder, Fukuda Akira, took up folk craft woodworking as a profession after studying under Torao Seiji, and receiving guidance from Yoshida Shoya. His workshop, known as Tottori Mingei Mokko, is guided by the spirit of folk craft, using only natural lacquer on solid wood. Today it is headed by the second generation, Yukata, who continues to promote the traditional spirit and designs of Yoshida.