Editor's Note by Takeshi HIRATA

An astronaut Naoko Yamazaki has just started on a journey to the universe by Space Shuttle Discovery. In Kyoto, this “Uchu-mingei” (folk handicraft in the universe) is being held. The “Uchu-mingei” means the collection by a poetic objet artist, Mitsu SAKURA. At the first time, it was planned and prepared to construct an exhibition space “Uchu-mingei kan” to showcase the works. However the works were stolen and contemporary artists reproduced the works in this exhibition.
We can only imagine what the original works that the almost people have never seen. However, the contemporary artists who challenged to reproduce the “Uchu-mingei” work invented an unexpected work here. We can see a work different from the work of art or folkcraft there.
However, what the earthling creates might all be the one like a folkcraft for an alien. Wait, our surroundings might already have overflowed by the “Uchu-mingei” (alien works) because the Prime Minister of this country is called an alien.