Yanagi Soetsu

The originator of the Mingei movement is Yanagi Soetsu (1889–1961). About 90 years ago, he traveled around Japan visiting people doing various kinds of handwork and published information about them in magazines and elsewhere. He re-evaluated the value of the handwork of Japan, which had been ignored.. "Surprising beauty resides in simple vessels and other works created selflessly ... They are made to carry on tradition and not to make a name for the creator," he wrote.