🗺️ Japan Folk Art Museum

The philosopher Yanagita Kunio, in order to showcase the beauty of crafts (mingei) created by the nameless artisans for the daily lives of the people, established the Japan Folk Crafts Museum in 1936 (Showa 11) in the Meguro district of Tokyo. This museum houses approximately 17,000 pieces of pottery, textiles, lacquerware, paintings, and other crafts that span both ancient and modern times, as well as East and West. Among the collection are works by renowned artisans such as Kawai Kanjiro and Munakata Shiko, as well as crafts from the Joseon Dynasty, and even a large number of Otsu-e and important cultural properties like the painted Karatsu pots. The diverse collection is truly impressive, with around 500 items on permanent display that rotate annually. The building itself is based on traditional Japanese architecture, incorporating elements of Western design, and its stone wall facing the street has been designated as a tangible cultural asset by Tokyo. Across the road from the main museum is the West Wing, which is Yanagita Kunio's former residence. This consists of a longhouse gate relocated from a farmhouse in Tochigi Prefecture and a newly constructed main house. The Yanagita Kunio residence is open to the public four times a month for interior visits.

A museum that gathers everyday crafts. It has approximately 17,000 craft collections, including ceramics, textiles, and lacquerware. The museum houses many works by craftspeople such as 河井寛次郎 (Kawai Kanjiro) and 棟方志功 (Munakata Shiko). The main building, designated as a tangible cultural asset by Tokyo, is also worth a visit. The west wing of the former residence of 柳宗悦 (Yanagi Soetsu) is open to the public only four times a month.