Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft (hereinafter referred to as "Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft") awards the "Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize" every three years to young individuals or groups who are expected to be active in the field of folk crafts in the future.
On March 13, 2026 (Friday), a press conference regarding the announcement of the 16th Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize winners and the change of the director was held at the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft.
What is the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize?
The Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize was established to commemorate the achievements of the first director, Tonomura Kichinosuke, and has been awarded every three years since 1994.
The award is given to young individuals or groups who are active in the following fields and are expected to be increasingly active in the future:
- Production of folk craft items
- Guidance and training of artisans
- Promotion of the folk craft movement
In the past 15 awards, 14 individuals or groups have received the prize.
Press Conference Overview
The press conference was held for about 50 minutes in the Irori Room of the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft on March 13, 2026 (Friday).
Kurashiki: The Land of Folk Crafts
The press conference began with a statement from Ohara Kenichiro, the chairman of the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft and the current director, regarding the announcement of the 16th Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize and his thoughts on the change of the director.
Ohara Kenichiro (honorifics omitted)
In the previous 15th Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize, there was no awardee. Therefore, for the 16th prize, the judging panel was completely renewed, and the selection criteria were reconsidered, resulting in the decision to award the prize to Sunami Ryuki.
Additionally, the director of the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft will change from me to the current assistant director, Yanagisawa Hideyuki.
Currently, we have two major thoughts.
First, Kurashiki is the land of folk crafts.
Although the first director, Tonomura, was not from Kurashiki, he established the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft with the belief that the future of folk crafts lies here.
The term "land of folk crafts" refers to a world created by the three parties: the makers of folk craft works, the happy users who find and use them as beautiful items in their lives, and the distributors who mediate between them. The Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft aims to be a medium that creates such land of folk crafts.
At the same time, Kurashiki is a town with the Ohara Museum of Art.
The relationship between folk crafts and art is still being explored today. Therefore, we also have the desire to unravel the relationship between folk crafts and art from the perspective of modern and contemporary Japanese cultural history, art history, and art.
Against this background, it was decided that Sunami, who is revitalizing folk crafts from Kurashiki, would receive the 16th Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize, and that Yanagisawa, who has deep connections with the makers and distributors in Kurashiki and rich experience at the Ohara Museum of Art, would take over as director.
The 16th Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize Winner, Sunami Ryuki
The 16th Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize was awarded to Sunami Ryuki, who was born and resides in Kurashiki City.
Sunami, as the 5th generation of Sunami Toh Shoten, which was founded in 1886, produces traditional items made from igusa (rush grass). He is also actively involved in promoting the folk craft movement as the vice president of the Okayama Prefectural Folk Craft Association, a permanent director of the Japan Folk Craft Association, and an editorial committee member of the magazine "Folk Craft."
In the judging process, his efforts in developing original products that apply traditional igusa weaving techniques to modern needs and in promoting the folk craft movement were highly evaluated.
Upon receiving the award, Sunami made the following comment.
The 5th Director of Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft, Yanagisawa Hideyuki
From April 1, 2026 (Wednesday), the directorship of the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft will change from Ohara Kenichiro to Yanagisawa Hideyuki.
Yanagisawa has worked as a curator at the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art and has been employed as a curator at the Ohara Museum of Art since 2002. Since 2023, he has also been active as the assistant director of the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft.
Regarding the change of director, Yanagisawa made the following comment.
The essence of the folk craft movement is to improve the quality of life for many people.
I want the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft to be a place where many people can reconsider their way of life. To achieve this, I plan to think about ways to improve quality of life, encourage the makers, and distribute their works to enhance society as a whole.
Commemorative Projects
In conjunction with the decision of the 16th Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize winner, the following commemorative projects are planned.
- 16th Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize Presentation Ceremony
April 19, 2026 (Sunday) from 2 PM - 16th Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize Commemorative Talk
April 19, 2026 (Sunday) from 3 PM - 16th Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize Commemorative Sunami Ryuki Exhibition and Sale
April 19, 2026 (Sunday) - May 6, 2026 (Wednesday, substitute holiday)
Conclusion
Ohara, Sunami, and Yanagisawa maintained a friendly atmosphere throughout the press conference, engaging in lively conversation before and after, providing a moment to experience the openness of the folk craft community in Kurashiki.
It has been 18 years since a local resident of Kurashiki received the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft Prize.
With this auspicious occasion, it will be interesting to see what kind of museum the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft will become under Yanagisawa, who has deep connections with the makers and distributors in Kurashiki.
We will be keeping a close eye on the future of the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft.
This award is not just my achievement; it is thanks to the support of those who help me with my work, those who grow igusa, those who sell the products, and those who promote them through exhibitions and other means. I am grateful to everyone involved.
Currently, folk crafts are gaining attention as a lifestyle choice in areas such as furniture and apparel. I would like to continue to promote folk crafts through various approaches.