k sauce answers “Should I read Soetsu Yanagi's "The Beauty...”

Raymond Foo asked this question about The Beauty of Everyday Things:

Should I read Soetsu Yanagi's "The Beauty of Everyday Things" or "The Unknown Craftsman"?

k sauce Both have different essays, although there is some overlap. It depends really on what you would like to gain from it. The essays in Everyday Things tr…moreBoth have different essays, although there is some overlap. It depends really on what you would like to gain from it. The essays in Everyday Things try to capture the key ideas behind the Japanese Folk-Crafts Movement, as well as much about Japanese aesthetics too. In a way, it covers Yanagi's development of folk craft aesthetics, given its essay on Mokujiki, but the essays aren't in chronological order. There is also an essay on the Folk Craft Museum at the end too and 'A Letter to my Korean Friends' which is Yanagi's response to Japan's treatment of colonial Korea. So if you're more interested in the folk-craft movement, then this collection provides a more insights into the movement and period itself.

The Unknown Craftsman has some overlap as some essays are printed in that too (the kasuri and pattern chapters off the top of my head), but also provides good insight into aesthetics too. The key difference I'd say is UC includes the essay on craftsmanship and what the craftsman should be according to Yanagi (and Leach, given his editorship). I'm also not sure which version of UC you are looking at, but I think most will have the introduction by Leach and potentially another foreword by someone else (I can't remember who exactly). In this way, UC also gives an outsider's view of the movement, especially Leach's relationship with Yanagi, given that Everyday Things only includes essays by Yanagi and nothing more.

Each collection has its nuance, I think if you're after an overview of Japanese folk-craft aesthetics then probably Everyday Things, as that's also more accessible I think. Both include a decent amount that covers the folk craft aesthetics, so it depends on what you're after really. (less)

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The Beauty of Everyday Things

by Soetsu Yanagi

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