Sanshiro Ikeda: A Pilgrimage of Folk Crafts

"Mingei Henreki" by Sanshiro Ikeda, who studied under Soetsu Yanagi and was deeply involved in the Mingei movement. This book traces the philosophy and practice of Ikeda, who revived the woodworking techniques that had died out in Matsumoto after the war and laid the foundation for Matsumoto Mingei furniture.

Using Japanese timber such as mizume cherry and zelkova, which grow naturally in the Hida Mountains, the book combines the joinery techniques inherited in Matsumoto with the structural beauty of British and Joseon Dynasty furniture. It explores the pursuit of robust furniture making rooted in "beauty in use" in defiance of the era of mass production and mass consumption.

In 1948, Ikeda's journey into Mingei thought was triggered by attending Soetsu Yanagi's lecture "The Doctrine of Beauty" at Shokokuji Temple in Kyoto. The book traces the path to the birth of Matsumoto Mingei furniture, from gathering dispersed woodcraftsmen during the post-war chaos to challenging the creation of new Western-style furniture through trial and error.

In addition, it includes interactions with central figures of the Mingei movement such as Soetsu Yanagi, Shoji Hamada, Kanjiro Kawai, Keisuke Serizawa, and Bernard Leach, research on Windsor chairs, and "Matsumoto Mingei Seikatsukan" (Matsumoto Folk Craft Life Hall), which was established as a place for young craftsmen to train. This is a record of Mingei thought that goes beyond furniture making and is directed towards "life" itself.

[Title] Sanshiro Ikeda: Mingei Henreki
[Publisher] Kyodo Publishing
[Publication Date] January 8, 1990 (First Edition)
[Pages] 296 pages
[Size] Approx. 156*218*22mm / 630g
[Format] Hardcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] MINGEIHENREKI
[Author/Editor, etc.] Sanshiro Ikeda/Author
[Printing] Taiyo-sha/Printing, Suzuki Bookbinding/Bookbinding
[ISBN] 4876631441
[Condition] Used 【6】Fair to Fair- (Cover: minor scratches, light sun discoloration; Body: sun discoloration and foxing on all three edges)
[Accessories] Obi
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Sanshiro Ikeda (1909-1999)

Born in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture in 1909. Wood craftsman and Mingei movement activist.
After graduating from the photography department of the former Tokyo Higher School of Arts and Crafts (now Chiba University), he ran a architectural photography business called "Sanroku Kobo" in Tokyo. In 1948, he studied under Soetsu Yanagi and participated in the Mingei movement, applying the philosophy of "beauty in use" to furniture production in his hometown of Matsumoto.

Using mizume cherry and zelkova, which grow naturally in the Hida Mountains, and based on the joinery techniques passed down in Matsumoto, he integrated the structural beauty of European and Joseon Dynasty furniture. He pursued robust furniture making in defiance of the era of mass consumption and laid the foundation as the founder of Matsumoto Mingei furniture.

He also served as a permanent director of the Japan Folk Crafts Association, chairman of the Nagano Prefecture Folk Crafts Association, and director of the Matsumoto Folk Craft Life Hall, among other positions. Beyond furniture making, he continued activities to promote Mingei philosophy as a practical way of life. His numerous works include "Mingei Henreki," "Matsumoto Mingei Furniture," "Mingei no Kagu," "Joseon Dynasty Woodcraft," and "Sanshiro no Isu."

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