Folk art store Mashiko

Folk art store Mashiko (民芸店ましこ, Mingeiten Mashiko) is a long-established folk-craft pottery retailer in Mashiko, Haga District, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It opened on 3 November 1952 as the first shop in Mashiko dedicated specifically to selling Mashiko ware (益子焼), the region's distinctive everyday stoneware. The shop was named by the celebrated potter Shoji Hamada, a central figure of the Japanese mingei (folk craft) movement, and it was established with the guidance of Hamada and potter Totaro Sakuma and the cooperation of local kilns. Its first owner was Shigeru Nakayama, whose wife taught sewing to Sakuma's daughter — the connection that brought Nakayama into contact with Hamada and Sakuma and led to the shop's founding. From the beginning the store focused on the practical, unpretentious side of Mashiko ware: simple, sturdy, everyday vessels that the owner's family would actually use, in what the shop describes as an orthodox modern Mashiko style that feels neither old-fashioned nor merely rustic. It handled work by Hamada and Sakuma as well as potters such as Hajime Murata, and it followed Hamada's advice to keep the merchandise clean and to stock good pieces even when they might not sell quickly. The shop's example is credited with encouraging other folk-craft shops to appear in Mashiko. Today the shop is run by the Nakayama family, now in its third generation. It maintains close ties with the Hamada kiln (Hamada Yaki), including the Hamada family potters Shinsaku Hamada and Tomoo Hamada, and hosts an annual Hamada Kiln exhibition in May to coincide with the spring Mashiko Pottery Fair. It also continues relationships with other leading Mashiko families and kilns, such as Shimaoka Seitosho and the Kamoda family, and still goes to kiln openings to select pieces by hand. The store is located at 2901 Mashiko, Mashiko-machi, and is open from 10:00 to 17:00, closed on Tuesdays, with three parking spaces in front and public wireless LAN available. It presents itself as a shop that conveys the honest charm of Mashiko ware and proposes the pleasure of encountering and using good objects. Its product range changes over time and includes both established and newer potters, making it a well-known entry point for people beginning to collect and use Mashiko ware.

Folk art store Mashiko was founded on 3 November 1952 as the first shop in Mashiko dedicated to selling Mashiko ware. Its creation grew out of a personal connection: the wife of Shigeru Nakayama, the shop's first owner, taught sewing to the daughter of potter Totaro Sakuma. Through that link Nakayama became acquainted with Shoji Hamada, the leading figure of the Japanese mingei movement who had settled in Mashiko. Hamada and Sakuma suggested that Nakayama open a shop to promote Mashiko ware, and with their guidance and the cooperation of local kilns, the shop opened under the name "Mingeiten Mashiko," chosen by Hamada. The signboard is said to have been written by Yoshimichi Goda. From the start the shop handled work by Hamada and Sakuma as well as potters such as Hajime Murata. Its merchandise was mainly everyday ware, in keeping with Mashiko ware's character, but the shop insisted on simple, unpretentious pieces that did not feel merely old — an orthodox modern Mashiko style that the owner's family tested in daily use for their quality as vessels. Hamada advised the shop to keep its pottery clean and to display good pieces even if they might not sell, and the shop learned much from this practice. The example of Mingeiten Mashiko is said to have encouraged other shops selling folk-craft goods to appear in Mashiko. Because of its ties to Hamada, the shop has maintained a deep relationship with the Hamada kiln and the Hamada family, including potters Shinsaku Hamada and Tomoo Hamada. Each May, when the spring Mashiko Pottery Fair is held, the shop holds a Hamada Kiln exhibition. In January 2012, Takeshi Nakayama, the third-generation owner, helped lead the founding of the "Let's Go to the Reference Museum!" executive committee to support visitation of the Mashiko Reference Museum, which had been damaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake. The shop continues to think about the role of a Mashiko folk-craft shop, supporting the challenging spirit of potters and wanting customers to see the most Mashiko-like things because they are in Mashiko. It has carried on relationships across generations with the families of Mashiko ware masters, including not only the Hamada kiln but also Shimaoka Seitosho and the Kamoda family, and still goes to kiln openings to select pieces by hand. Among the shops in Mashiko handling Mashiko ware, it remains known for conveying the healthy, everyday mingei feel and for offering a selection well suited as an introduction to Mashiko ware that can be used for a long time in daily life. The shop has been led by three generations of the Nakayama family. The first was Shigeru Nakayama, who opened the shop on Hamada's suggestion. The second was Hayato Nakayama, regarded as a storyteller for the shop, Mashiko ware, and Mashiko town. The third is Takeshi Nakayama, a central figure in the Uchimachi district of Mashiko, who has served as head of the Uchiwaka organization for the Mashiko Gion Festival and worked on reconstruction efforts for the Mashiko Reference Museum after the 2011 earthquake; he also contributes his own paper-cut art for flyers and events. His wife Kumi Nakayama grew up in Mashiko, worked in local shops and a cafe, and after marriage joined the shop as staff while participating in local organizations and contributing to the town's free paper "Mashiko no Ne."

• 2022

  The shop marked its 70th anniversary.

• 2012

  Third-generation owner Takeshi Nakayama helped found the committee to support visitation of the earthquake-damaged Mashiko Reference Museum.

• 1952

  Opened on 3 November as Mashiko's first specialty Mashiko ware folk-craft shop, named by Shoji Hamada.

A family-run folk-craft shop specializing in orthodox, everyday Mashiko ware, conveying the honest charm of the craft and serving as an entry point for users.

• Mashiko ware (益子焼)

• Works by Shoji Hamada and Totaro Sakuma

• Works by contemporary Mashiko potters and kilns

• Hamada Kiln exhibition (濱田窯展)

1. 1民芸店ましこ - mingeitenmashiko ページ！mingeitenmashiko.jimdofree.com
2. 2概要 - mingeitenmashiko ページ！mingeitenmashiko.jimdofree.com
3. 3民芸店ましこ - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
4. 4Folk art store Mashiko - Wikidatawikidata.org