Attendance at Mingei lecture (13th May)
2024/5/18
| On May 13th (Monday), cultural translator Ms Tomo Yoshizawa gave a lecture in Edinburgh about Mingei, with support from the Japan Foundation. Ms Yoshizawa has been doing a lot of activity overseas in order to teach people about the ideology and philosophy of Mingei handicraft, and about her grandfather Rikizo Munehiro, who was the first holder of the Important Intangible Cultural Asset (National Living Treasure) in the field of tsumugi weaving. According to the lecture, the Mingei movement started in 1926, when nameless craftsmen handmade bright and beautiful ornaments that showed the beauty of the land and way of life. In addition, the cultural background of how Ms Yoshizawa’s grandfather Rikizo Munehiro’s tsumugi weaving work and Mingei has had an influence on the present day was introduced. The lecture was followed up with questions from participants and concluded with them being able to touch and feel real Mingei items with their hands, making it an extremely valuable chance to learn more about the Mingei of Japan. |