Visitors to the folk craft museum in Tokyo often complain of the brevity of the descriptions of the objects, written in red on black lacquer tablets, saying that this is inconsiderate and insufficient. Yanagi always insisted that this was a greater kindness because it helped visitors to develop their own perceptions instead of Yanagi always insisted that this was a greater kindness because it helped visitors to develop their own perceptions instead of relying upon written words and other people’s ideas.
The Unknown Craftsman: A Japanese Insight into Beauty
by Soetsu Yanagi
adapted by by Bernard Leach
foreword by Shoji Hamada