There is an essay on the concept of mingei, the Japanese folk craft movement Yanagi helped establish. He defines the criteria for genuine folk craft, emphasizing that true beauty is found in utilitarian objects made by common people for common people.

We don’t need to surround ourselves with Japanese creations to appreciate this book. Yanagi asks us to be aware of how our lives are surrounded by everyday things and urges us to ensure these things are made with care, built to last and treated with respect. This is a call for simplicity, beauty and utility to come into harmony.