FUMIDAI & MINGEI
There was once a time when FUMIDAI — simple wooden step stools — could be found as an ordinary part of almost every Japanese household.
They were used to reach high shelves.
To access objects placed just beyond one’s hand.
Quietly fulfilling their purpose, they existed as humble tools deeply woven into everyday life.
At first glance, they may appear to be nothing more than practical household objects. Yet depending on the region, the era, and the materials available, each FUMIDAI carries a distinct form and character of its own.
It is within these quiet differences that I find what the Japanese call yo no bi — “the beauty of utility.”
I believe that FUMIDAI embodies the spirit of Mingei, the philosophy of Japanese folk craft rooted in ordinary life.
Mingei was a movement and philosophy introduced in the 1920s by Japanese thinker Yanagi Sōetsu (柳宗悦), who believed that true beauty exists within everyday objects created by anonymous craftsmen for daily living.
Rather than valuing objects made purely for decoration, Mingei recognized beauty in practical handmade objects — humble tools created to serve people’s lives.
Kyoto has long been a place where craftsmanship and traditional making culture have flourished, and it also shares a deep connection with the history of the Mingei movement.
Within the world of Mingei, everyday vessels and practical household tools were often referred to as Getemono (下手物) — objects not created to be admired, but born simply to be used.
Yet strangely, *fumidai* has rarely been discussed within the context of Mingei.
I believe the opposite.
To me, FUMIDAI represents one of the purest expressions of Mingei.
There is even an old belief that when carpenters built traditional Japanese homes, leftover pieces of timber from the construction would be crafted into FUMIDAI and given to the homeowner as a gift.
Wood used to build a home would then take on a second life as a tool made for the household itself.
From the process of building a house, another object essential to daily living was born.
That FUMIADI would remain in the home for decades, quietly supporting the everyday lives of the family who used it.
These were never objects made to impress others.
They were born simply for living, made to serve a purpose, and used continuously through generations.
Within these simple, practical objects — created through anonymous craftsmanship — I believe there quietly resides the beauty of Japanese living and the spirit of Japanese making culture itself.
Through collecting old FUMIDAI found across Japan, I hope to preserve not only the objects themselves, but also the culture, history, and forgotten beauty of everyday life that they continue to carry.
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踏み台と民藝について
かつて日本の家庭には、ごく当たり前のように踏み台がありました。
棚の上に手を伸ばすため。
高い場所にあるものを取るため。
日々の暮らしの中で必要とされながら、静かにその役目を果たしてきた生活道具です。
一見すると何気ない道具でありながら、その土地や時代によって形や材質はさまざまであり、一台一台には異なる表情があります。
私はその姿にこそ、「用の美」が宿っていると感じています。
私は踏み台を、民衆的工芸――すなわち民藝の精神を体現する道具のひとつだと考えています。
民藝とは、1920年代に思想家 柳宗悦 を中心に提唱された考え方で、名もなき職人たちが日々の暮らしのためにつくり出した、実用的で素朴な手仕事の日用品の中にこそ、本当の美があるとする思想です。
京都は古くから工芸や手仕事の文化が根づく土地であり、民藝運動とも深い関わりを持ってきました。
民藝の世界では、日常で使われる雑器や生活道具を 下手物 (げてもの) と呼び、装飾のためではなく、使うために生まれた道具に価値を見出してきました。
しかし、踏み台はこれまで民藝の文脈で語られることは多くありませんでした。
私はむしろ、踏み台こそ民藝を象徴する存在のひとつではないかと考えています。
古くは、大工が家を建てる際に使った木材の端材を用いて踏み台をつくり、完成後に施主へ贈っていたという話も残されています。
家をつくる過程で生まれた木から、新たな暮らしのための道具が生まれる。
その踏み台は家の中で何十年にもわたり使われ、家族の日常を支え続けてきました。
誰かに見せるためではなく、ただ暮らしのために生まれ、使われ続けるもの。
簡素で、実用的で、名もなき手仕事によって生み出された踏み台には、日本の暮らしとものづくりの美意識が静かに宿っていると感じています。
私は各地に残る古い踏み台を蒐集し、その背景にある文化や歴史、そして忘れられつつある日本の暮らしの美を記録として残していきたいと考えています。
FUMIDAI & MINGEI
There was once a time when FUMIDAI — simple wooden step stools — could be found as an ordinary part of almost every Japanese household.
They were used to reach high shelves.
To access objects placed just beyond one’s hand.
Quietly fulfilling their purpose, they existed as humble tools deeply woven into everyday life.
At first glance, they may appear to be nothing more than practical household objects. Yet depending on the region, the era, and the materials available, each FUMIDAI carries a distinct form and character of its own.
It is within these quiet differences that I find what the Japanese call yo no bi — “the beauty of utility.”
I believe that FUMIDAI embodies the spirit of Mingei, the philosophy of Japanese folk craft rooted in ordinary life.
Mingei was a movement and philosophy introduced in the 1920s by Japanese thinker Yanagi Sōetsu (柳宗悦), who believed that true beauty exists within everyday objects created by anonymous craftsmen for daily living.
Rather than valuing objects made purely for decoration, Mingei recognized beauty in practical handmade objects — humble tools created to serve people’s lives.
Kyoto has long been a place where craftsmanship and traditional making culture have flourished, and it also shares a deep connection with the history of the Mingei movement.
Within the world of Mingei, everyday vessels and practical household tools were often referred to as Getemono (下手物) — objects not created to be admired, but born simply to be used.
Yet strangely, *fumidai* has rarely been discussed within the context of Mingei.
I believe the opposite.
To me, FUMIDAI represents one of the purest expressions of Mingei.
There is even an old belief that when carpenters built traditional Japanese homes, leftover pieces of timber from the construction would be crafted into FUMIDAI and given to the homeowner as a gift.
Wood used to build a home would then take on a second life as a tool made for the household itself.
From the process of building a house, another object essential to daily living was born.
That FUMIADI would remain in the home for decades, quietly supporting the everyday lives of the family who used it.
These were never objects made to impress others.
They were born simply for living, made to serve a purpose, and used continuously through generations.
Within these simple, practical objects — created through anonymous craftsmanship — I believe there quietly resides the beauty of Japanese living and the spirit of Japanese making culture itself.
Through collecting old FUMIDAI found across Japan, I hope to preserve not only the objects themselves, but also the culture, history, and forgotten beauty of everyday life that they continue to carry.
