[Kawai Kanjiro's House]

Not far from Kiyomizu-dera Temple, in an old alleyway a little south of Higashiyama Gojo, is the Kawai Kanjiro's House. Kawai Kanjiro (1890-1966) was a potter who led the folk art movement along with Yanagi Muneyoshi (1889-1961) and Hamada Shoji (1894-1978). The house is Kanjiro's residence and kiln, which has been opened to the public and carefully maintained by the Kawai family, preserving the atmosphere of the time. Inside the museum, you can see flowers casually arranged in a vase made by Kanjiro, and Eki-chan, the “Cat Curator,” napping. It is a warm and comfortable space where visitors are encouraged to linger in the old wooden chairs.

The Mingei (folk art) movement blossomed when Yanagi Muneyoshi and Kawai Kanjiro met, but in fact, the two were not close friends from the beginning.

The young Kanjiro had made a spectacular debut in the art world with his elaborate Chinese-style works, which were highly acclaimed. However, he gradually began to question his own style. At the same time, Yanagi Muneyoshi bitterly criticized Kanjiro's works, saying that they were merely imitations of old Oriental ceramics, and that technique and beauty were not the same thing. Although they were keenly aware of each other's existence, they were unable to see each other. One day, Hamada Shoji, a friend of both, forcibly took Kanjiro to Yanagi's house. The two were uncomfortable, but when Kanjiro took one look at the Mokujikibutsu (wooden Buddha) at Yanagi's house, he was deeply moved, and at once they were reconciled and completely hit it off through the pure joy of beauty. Later, in 1925, during a trip with Hamada to investigate the Mokuigui Buddha, the term “mingei,” short for “people's craft,” was coined. The following year, in 1926, Yanagi, Hamada, and Kenkichi Tomimoto (1886-1963) joined forces to announce the prospectus for the establishment of the Japan Folk Crafts Museum. As a central figure in the folk art movement, Kanjiro came to embody Yanagi's philosophy in his works and way of life. He chose to remain a simple potter, no matter how highly regarded he was, and declined to be nominated for the Order of Cultural Merit or the Living National Treasure.

“Kawai Kanjiro's single-minded actions and pure words and deeds, the joy of discovering beauty in this world, and the constant tension of his daily work, were almost godlike. Moreover, his human kindness and compassion never ceased to attract people,” said Yanagi Sori, the son of Yanagi Muneyoshi and a famous designer, about Kanjiro. It seems that the Kawai family had a constant stream of visitors who adored Kanjiro.

The house also exhibits some of Kanjiro's works, which can be viewed chronologically in one room. From the neatness of his early works, which Yanagi Muneyoshi criticized, one can see how the colors and shapes of his works became more and more expressive as time went by. The later works are more dynamic, almost cosmic, and the joy of freedom seems to overflow from their strength, and standing in front of them, I always feel as if energy is rising from the bottom of my stomach.

The Kawai Kanjiro's House can be reached in about 30 minutes by bus from the Sanjo Showroom. We invite you to leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind and experience Kanjiro's work and way of life.

Kawai Kanjiro's House
http://www.kanjiro.jp/
Sanjo Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/imadegawa.html
Sori Yanagi's Cutlery
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yanagisori/cutlery.html

References
“Sori Yanagi Essay” by Sori Yanagi (Heibonsha Library, 2011)
https://discoverjapan-web.com/article/35791
https://discoverjapan-web.com/article/41966