1934 Born into a doctor's family in Kochi, Japan
1954 Entered Kyoto City University of Arts, Department of Crafts, majoring in ceramics, studied under Kenkichi Tomimoto,Yuzo Kondo and Yoshimichi Fujimoto
1959 Received first prize at the Modern Art Exhibition
1960 Completed the major course at Kyoto City University of Arts, Became a part-time lecturer
1961 Held solo exhibitions at Gallery 16, Kyoto, Mainichi Best Three in Arts and Crafts at Kyoto municipal Art Museum
1962 Sixth Mainichi Selected Art Exhibition, Kyoto
1964 Second The New Generation in Ceramics Exhibition, Goto Art Museum, Tokyo
1966 Moved to the U.S. and was invited to teach ceramics at the University of Washington, UW, Seattle
Held a solo exhibition at University of Washington Art Gallery
1967 Two-persons show with Olga Amaral, Museum West, CA, USA
1971 Awarded the Ravenna City Chamber of Commerce Prize at the Faenza International
Ceramic Art Exhibition
Selected for the First Japan Ceramic Art Exhibition,Tokyo
1972 Moved to the U.S., Assistant Professor at Alfred University and Scripps College,
lectured and taught ceramics in various places (- 1974)
Traveling Exhibition of Japanese Ceramics, Canada, USA
1973 International Cup Exhibition, Ishikawa
1975 Contemporary Crafts of the Americas, Colorado State University, Colorado, USA
1976 Traveling Exhibition of Japanese Ceramics, Australia, New Zealand
1978 Contemporary Japanese Crafts Exhibition, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
1979 Japanese Ceramics Today Exhibition, Denver Art Museum, USA
1980 Received the fellowship of the National Endowment for the arts
and come to the U.S. to give lectures and teach ceramics in various places
Cray Work-From Pottery to Formative Art, Otsu and Ikebukuro Seibu Department Store
1981 Art Now 1970-1980, The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Modern Art
12 Contemporary Kyoto Ceramic Artists,Kyoto Municipal Art Museum
1982 The Japanese Selected Ceramics Traveling Exhibitionin Italy, Florence and elsewhere
Contemporary Japanese Ceramic Arts at the Festival of Asia Arts, Hong Kong Museum
Art
1984 Became a professor at Osaka University of Arts (-'06)
1998 Awarded Kyoto City Art Contribution Prize
2000 Awarded Kyoto Prefecture Prize for Cultural Contribution, Japan
2003 Awarded Japan Ceramic Society Prize
2005 Awarded Kyoto Art Culture Prize
2011 Exhibition "Tea Room, Empty Room, Four and a Half Tatami" by Mutsuo Yanagihara
at the Hagi Museum of Art, Yamaguchi and Urakami Memorial Hall
2012 <Opening Form> series, In celebration of the Kiju Memorial, Held the exhibition "Open Form" at Takashimaya Department Store
2015 In celebration of Sanju Memorial, Held the exhibition "Mayu and Tama" at Takashimaya Department Store
2016 Mutsuo Yanagihara Colored Vessels Exhibition -Opening Form- at Galerie Tazawa da
Cote, Kyoto, Japan
2017 Mutsuo Yanagihara Exhibition -Memories Deep in His Soul-, Gallery Kikukan, Japan
2018 Mutsuo Yanagihara Exhibition -On the Wind- at Nihonbashi Takashimaya, Kyoto
Takashimaya, JR Nagoya Takashimaya and Osaka Takashimaya, Japan
Masterpieces from the Crafts Museum: 100 Years of Japanese Crafts,
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan
The Ceramic Society of Japan Award Winning Artists Exhibition -
Wa no Kokoro, Pleasure of Utsuwa - Wako, Tokyo
Current: Professor Emeritus at Osaka University of Arts, Member of IAC