[The Connection Between Nordic Design and Mingei]

Visiting the Aalto House in Finland, I noticed elements of Japan—such as sudare (bamboo screens) and sliding doors—woven throughout the space. Since then, I have often contemplated the relationship between Japanese and Nordic craftsmanship.

The Aalto House was the residence of the world-renowned Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Although he never visited Japan, he reportedly drew significant inspiration from the country. When I lived in Denmark, I was surprised to realize how deeply Japan and the Nordic countries are drawn to each other’s cultures and designs. The simple, minimalist beauty that strips away unnecessary ornamentation and designs that highlight the essence of natural materials—the peculiar sense of "fitting just right" when looking at Japanese and Nordic crafts likely stems from this shared aesthetic. In recent years, a new interior style called "Japandi"—a portmanteau of "Japanese" and "Scandinavian"—has emerged in the West.

The origins of what is now called "Nordic design" primarily emerged during the Mid-Century era, around the 1950s. Iconic designers such as Alvar Aalto, Eero Saarinen, Arne Jacobsen, Hans J. Wegner, and Kaj Franck produced one masterpiece after another. Through exhibitions like "Good Design" at MoMA in New York (1950–1955), which showcased "good lifestyle products," and "Design in Scandinavia," which toured American cities over four years starting in 1954, Nordic design became a global phenomenon via the United States. These masterpieces have been loved across borders, forming the foundation of Nordic design that continues today.

Looking at the history of Nordic Mid-Century design and the Japanese Mingei (folk art) movement, one finds many connections. Gregor Paulsson, chairman of the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design, published "Better Things for Everyday Living" (Vackrare vardagsvara) in 1919. In it, Paulsson argued how the design of everyday objects could improve lives, advocating that artists should collaborate directly with factories to provide high-quality daily goods to all social classes. This was approximately seven years before Soetsu Yanagi coined the term "Mingei" in 1925 and proposed "Yo-no-Bi" (the beauty of utility) through the Mingei movement.

Almost simultaneously, movements to re-evaluate traditional handicrafts and rethink the beauty of everyday objects occurred in both Japan and the Nordic countries. While Soetsu Yanagi shone a spotlight on ordinary goods previously dismissed as "getemono" (low-quality items) to protect vanishing traditions of handwork, Paulsson aimed to democratize beautiful daily objects through the power of factories. While Nordic design and Mingei share a common belief in the "beauty of life" and "beauty of utility," their approaches differed fundamentally—anonymity versus authorship, and handwork versus mass production.

In fact, Soetsu Yanagi and Shoji Hamada first visited Sweden in 1929. Their visits to Skansen, the world's first open-air museum, and the Nordic Museum (Nordiska Museet) significantly influenced the founding of the Japan Folk Crafts Museum. In the museum's prospectus, Yanagi stated, "Let us first refine objects in quality rather than perfecting them in quantity." Inspired by the Swedish model of introducing handicrafts through demonstrations, he resolved in Sweden to build a collection guided by his own unique aesthetic eye. Furthermore, Wilhelm Kåge and Stig Lindberg—designers representing the famous Swedish pottery Gustavsberg—and Kaj Franck of Finland’s Arabia visited Japan in the 1950s. They brought the spirit of Nordic design to Japan while introducing Japanese crafts back to their home countries.

Sori Yanagi, a leading product designer of Japanese modernism and the son of Soetsu Yanagi, is known for creating many long-selling items that balance design and utility. By giving form to "Yo-no-Bi" through mass production—an approach shared with Nordic design—Sori Yanagi succeeded in delivering beautiful, high-quality everyday objects to a wider audience. The aesthetics and attitudes toward craftsmanship born in the distinct lands of Japan and the Nordic region, along with the paths carved by their predecessors, will undoubtedly continue to create timeless products that enrich the lives of people around the world.

Showroom Information
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/
Shoji Hamada Memorial Mashiko Sankokan Museum
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7j8uiPaHbXW2Qret8
Kogensha Sendai
https://maps.app.goo.gl/J1szbMYqEFuAasZs6

References
Chiharu Watabe, "The Concept of Nordic Design," Seibundo Shinkosha (2022)
https://www.alexcious.com/en/campaign/japanesemodern
https://tacksamycket.jp/blogs/nordic-guide/nordic-tableware-utility-beauty-yanagi-soetsu