What has changed since the renovation, and what products do you recommend? An interview with the curator
The Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft reopened after renovations in March 2020.
We spoke with Kaori Hiramatsu, a curator at the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft, about the specific changes before and after the renovation and which products she recommends.
Making the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft easier to visit
It has been more than a year since the museum reopened. Have you noticed any changes compared with before the renovation?
Hiramatsu (honorific omitted)
I think it has become easier for visitors to stop by the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft.
Previously, there was only one entrance, and the sales floor was small and a little dimly lit.
Since the renovation, there are now two entrances, and I get the impression that more people are coming to visit.
The interior is brighter now.
We significantly increased the number of lights.
We made improvements not just to make the space larger, but also to help visitors enjoy a relaxing time here.
We also chose display tables, shelves, chests of drawers, and other furnishings that suit the exhibits.
In addition to the sales floor, we also changed the lighting in the exhibition rooms and repaired the windows, carrying out repairs to address deterioration.
We were also able to move the formerly outdoor restroom inside the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft building, making it easier to use.
A sales floor with a greatly expanded selection
The sales floor seems much larger. Have the variety and number of products changed as well?
Hiramatsu
The biggest change is the number of folkcraft items.
Along with the expanded sales floor, we have increased the products and the number of items from each kiln and workshop.
I hope visitors will enjoy an even wider selection and the pleasure of using these items.
The number of products on the sales floor grows with every new delivery, and it makes me want to buy them myself, too.
Folkcraft items from Okayama Prefecture that may never be available again
Are there any folkcraft items you would recommend at the moment?
Hiramatsu
Well, I recommend them all, but...
I would especially recommend igusa products from Kurashiki right now.
These are hanamushiro mats from Miyake Matsusaburo Shoten, which the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft carries.
They are made with Japanese igusa rush, and include handwoven pieces as well as patterns designed by Keisuke Serizawa.
Unfortunately, the company has gone out of business, and only its remaining stock is available now.
These are folkcraft items representative of Kurashiki that even inspired the museum’s first director to come to Kurashiki, so if any are still in stock, I hope you’ll buy one.
A wide selection of folkcraft items from outside Okayama Prefecture, too
I’ve heard that “folkcraft items from Okayama Prefecture are the most popular,” but you also sell many items from outside the prefecture. What criteria do you use when selecting them?
Hiramatsu
One of our selection criteria is that the items be made by people whose work has been selected for the Japan Folk Crafts Museum Exhibition, held once a year.
We also carry folkcraft items that have received the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Award, which is held once every three years.
It’s fun to see how folkcraft items made in the same region can differ depending on the kiln.
For example, you can see the differences by comparing Nakada Kiln and Baizan Kiln, both makers of Tobe ware from Tobe, Ehime Prefecture.
Nakada Kiln has an old-fashioned, gentle look, while Baizan Kiln’s pieces are a crisp white.
I hope you’ll take your time to look at each folkcraft item closely.
The Bashofu Textile Workshop in Okinawa has also received the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Award.
Each fiber in the “binshiki” and “gamaguchi” is obtained by splitting the stem of ito-basho, a large plant resembling a banana tree.
After harvesting, each strand is tied by hand, one by one, making this a very labor-intensive process.
The items are made by the Bashofu Textile Workshop, headed by Toshiko Taira.
Taira is from Okinawa Prefecture, but during the war, Kurabo’s textile factory in Kurashiki was converted into a military aircraft factory, and she was sent there as part of the Women’s Volunteer Corps.
After the war, she reportedly learned weaving from the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft’s first director, Munemura.
After returning to Okinawa, she began weaving by first planting vegetation in areas that had been reduced to scorched earth by the war. She later became a Living National Treasure.
Incidentally, the Bashofu Textile Workshop mainly makes kimono, so items such as “binshiki,” “gamaguchi,” and card cases are unusual.
Folkcraft items carry on the wisdom of everyday life
When did you first encounter folkcraft, Ms. Hiramatsu?
Hiramatsu
I learned about it when I was a university student.
I studied design at university and did pottery.
Folkcraft always came up in the history of art and design, so I knew the term, but I didn’t know that there were still crafts being made today that had been carefully passed down through generations.
I find it appealing that the character and ease of use of these works reflect how they were made from materials suited to the local area and for the way people there lived.
It’s also moving to think that these items have survived to this day because they have been used in everyday life.
Make folkcraft part of your life while enjoying the pleasure of choosing
Do you have a final message for us?
Hiramatsu
We live in an age when there are so many machine-made products and you can buy almost anything cheaply.
At the same time, folkcraft items have become something you have to seek out for yourself.
But when folkcraft items, each carefully made by hand, are part of your everyday life, they somehow put you at ease.
I always hope that people will bring folkcraft items into their lives.
The museum’s first director, Kichinosuke Munemura, once said:
“Everyday tools are silent friends. If you choose good ones, whether they speak or remain silent, you can become a good person.”
We will continue doing our best to bring beautiful companions for everyday life to all our visitors.
I hope you’ll take a good look at the folkcraft items in the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft’s exhibition rooms, find a favorite in the sales area, and make it part of your life.
From the Writer
The spacious sales floor at the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft lets you take your time and enjoy each folkcraft item.
The charm of folkcraft items lies in the fact that, because they are handmade, no two are exactly alike.
I love handmade items, especially pottery, so I thought I would enjoy the process of choosing from the wide selection of folkcraft items.
People tend to associate “folkcraft items” with “pottery,” but the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft also offers many easy-to-buy items such as accessories, keychains, and postcards, making them ideal gifts.
Visit the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft and choose a favorite item to bring into your everyday life.
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