Japan's 'mingei' elevate the everyday to art

New book celebrates country's enduring folk-craft tradition

Mishima Japanese Candle Shop, in Hida, Gifu Prefecture, where artisans have made their waxy wares by hand for more than two centuries. (Photo by Kentaro Hagihara)

EDWARD M. GOMEZ, Contributing Writer

December 25, 2020 08:00 JST

TOKYO -- What is old can sometimes seem new again, as the adage goes. This is especially true in these late-postmodernist times, when many artists and designers still routinely quote or borrow long-gone styles and, winking ironically, imbue them with updated meanings.