With an essay by co-curators Michele Bambling and Tamae Sagi

Published in conjunction with Kawai Kanjirō: House to House, Kawai Kanjirō’s first US solo exhibition at Japan Society, this handheld book walks readers through the artist’s life and creative practice over the course of the 20th century. The publication was produced in collaboration with the Kawai Kanjirō House, the artist’s former home which is now a privately run commemorative museum and repository of his personal collection. The book celebrates the collection’s first trip outside of Japan, from the Kawai Kanjirō House to Japan House (home of Japan Society). Examining Kawai’s influential role in the Mingei (folk art) movement in Japan, and his multimedia art practice spanning architecture, furniture, calligraphy, folk pottery, experimental ceramics, and wood carving, the book features newly published archival photographs of the artist at home, color reproductions of select artworks in the exhibition, and personal anecdotes shared by Tamae Sagi, the artist’s granddaughter and Curator of the Kawai Kanjirō House.

Product Details:

Softcover, 80 pages

Japan Society, Inc. (2026)