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My old phone’s battery just gave up. So, I replaced it. I stopped Instagram Live Streaming for many reasons a year ago, and one of them was problems with my phone. So, I tried the new one. It worked fine, and many new features surprised me. Since it works, I will do Live Streaming both on Instagram & Youtube.

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Youtube is for more “Theme” based Live Streaming with dates planned, specifying the language I speak. Instagram, no theme, no topics, no language specification, and no schedule. I will do it when I feel like it. I may bring someone in, or I may do it by myself. My goal is to “leave” all the living voices of Sashiko so that someone can refer to them in the future. I hope the live streaming will be part of that. 

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If you would like to jump into the Live & Talk with me, DM me. I only accept them when I know them.

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久々の＆突然のインスタライブのご視聴、ありがとうございました。インスタグラムで配信をしなかったのには諸々理由があるのですが、スマホを新調したことと、もっと本音を言うと人様の配信（しのぶさんとしのぶさんと一緒に配信をされていた方々の）をみて「わ〜俺もしたい〜」と思ったのが理由だったりします（笑）Youtubeは、構えちゃうんです。良い意味でも悪い意味でも。だから、サクッとその瞬間をお伝えできるインスタグラムも選択肢として再開しようと思っています。いろいろ新機能もあるみたいなので、使ってみようと思っています。（配信アーカイブが30日ダウンロード可能なのは嬉しい驚きです）。

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厳密に配信の棲み分けをする訳ではないのですが、しっかりとテーマが決まっているものはYoutubeで時間を決めて行います（例えば靈氣のお話とか – 7/30の配信でお話しました！）。ゲストを招いた配信とかもYoutubeかな。逆にインスタグラムでは、テーマも何もなく、思いついた時に配信をする形にしようと思っています。ちょっとバタバタするかもしれませんが、1年ほどリズムが掴めなかった配信のリズムを、これをきっかけに取り戻せられたら良いなと思っています。

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#Sashiko #JapaneseSashiko #SashikoLiveStreaming #刺し子

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The world is getting more sensitive to Cultural Issues: and I am learning a lot about what “Cultural Appropriation” is. My message is simple, though. Please (keep) learn(ing) when they speak about their foriegn culture. Is it too much to ask? Unfortunately, for some of them, it is.

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I often find a definitive phrase saying“Sashiko is ◯◯” while I do not find the similar phrase in Japanese so often. I don’t question them anymore because I learned their phrases are based on the interpretation of someone non-Japanese – they talk based on the 2nd-source. However, when I see a new phrase, I try to be as humble as possible and ask for their wisdom. I dare not say I know everything about Sashiko. There may be a non-Japanese who have documentation to validate their saying.

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In 2019, I read a phrase, “Learn the Basic Sashiko technique (established) from the Edo period”. No one around me knows when “the Basic of Sashiko” was established. So, I asked him/her for the documentation. The reply was just astonishing: “I do not engage in any discussion with your opinion”. They clearly ignored the voice, and filtered the culture for their convenience (business or exhibition) by their privilege. I get a LOT of comments with worry about C/A. I am happy to offer individual consultation if that’s a good solution. However, here is a very clear line – “If you worry, then you don’t have to worry so much.” The C/A I am fighting is those who intentionally ignore & never learn the practice, yet use the word for their profit. English is my second language. I try to make it as simple as possible.

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不思議な人生です。刺し子があれだけ嫌いで、逃げる為に頑張って留学して。でも縁は切れなくて、切り捨てる覚悟を決めようとした年に、真逆の一緒に生きる覚悟を決める時間を頂いて。偉そうに刺し子を語りますが、それほど刺し子は上手じゃありません。ただ、好き嫌いに関わらず刺し子と向き合ってきた時間だけは誰よりも……と自負しています。だからこそ伝えられることがあるかなと。

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#Sashiko #JapaneseSashiko #CulturalAppropriation #刺し子 #日本人の刺し子

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Workshop Registration for the QuiltCon 2022 is just around the corner (August 4th 10 am EDT – for MQG members). I have heard that the registration goes really fast. I hope you can catch what you want. In this QuiltCon 2022, I will be teaching 2 workshops. (1) Core & Essence, which is all time standard, and (2) Application & Practice, in which I will walk through the projects with the participants who took the Core & Essence workshop. For the differences, I made a blog article (https://ift.tt/37gHNHu). I hope to meet you there, and see you again there.

*”Application & Practice” has the prerequisite of “Core & Essence”.

【Workshop】

Please search the workshop via Code or my name “Atsushi”.

Code: QHA001Thu

Sashiko: Core & Essence

Thursday, February 17, 2022

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM MST

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Code: QHA001Fri

Sashiko: Core & Essence

Friday, February 18, 2022

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM MST

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Code:QHA005

Sashiko: Application & Practice

Saturday, February 19, 2022

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM MST

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General Registration opens on August 19th. However, if you are planning to visit Phoenix & Quiltcon 2022, I recommend the membership for MQG. It is a great event. I hope to meet & see you there.

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少しだけ宣伝を。コロナ禍で完全オンラインで開催された2021年のイベントはご丁寧にも断ってしまったのですが、2022年のイベントにまた講師として呼んで頂けることになりました。本当に有り難いお話です。キルティングは素人に毛が生えたようなもので、日々勉強している身ですが、「キルティングじゃなくて刺し子を教えて欲しい」と明確に希望を伝えてくれる運営に感謝しつつ、思いっきり刺し子を伝えてこようと思っています。キルティングも勉強します。2回目なので……配信とかする余裕ねーかなー（笑）

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The first Online Lecture (Webinar) I offered in a closed group setting was a great success. I am now preparing for the lecture on Sashiko for both in-person & Online. It is NOT a workshop or class to teach the technique. It is more like a “Story-Sharing” in a presentation style. Although I have so many stories to share, the messages can be summarized into several topics. In order to offer an enjoyable (Online & In-person) Lecture, I would like to understand which story resonates with them, or inspires them the most. 

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Could you please comment here if you have a specific story, concept, mindset, or any writing I have done here that was powerful enough for you to keep it in your memory? I share so many stories that I cannot locate when & where I shared. However, I can write the same story again over and over. 

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As I did not know what to teach in 2017 because everything was so ordinary to me, it is challenging for me to understand which story is “better” for non-Japanese audience. Your feedback will help me to develop a lecture, or even Youtube videos. Thank you for your time in advance!

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10年前、大槌刺し子について初めて人前でお話したのが、刺し子に関した講演の初回でした。その後、ご縁を頂ける範囲で人前でお話をさせて頂いてきました。配信もそんな講演の大切な練習だったりします。こうして思いを共有し続けることで、ワークショップの依頼だけではなく、ワークショップに付随する形で講演を依頼されることも増えてきました。原則として針を動かして運針の実感をして頂きたいので、ワークショップに注力をするわけなのですが、同時に「話だけでも聞きたい」と思って下さる人がいることは、とてもとても有り難いことだなと思っています。

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日本語で刺し子を話す時、ある程度の台詞を持って話をしています。わかりやすく響きやすい言葉が、存在します。「刺し子は味噌汁みたいなものだ」という長年使っている例えは、僕が伝えたい刺し子の本質を的確に表現していると思うのです。英語だと、どのような表現が一番響き、また伝わるのか。これは実践を通して学んでいく必要があるのかなと思っています。願い続けて、望み続けて10年目で一つの形ができました。ここから10年後には、もっと講演という形でも刺し子についてお話をしていけたらいいなと思っています。ワークショップと両輪としながら。

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10 years have passed since we joined a Earthquake Disaster Recovery Project with Sashiko, so called Otsuchi Sashiko Project (@ootsuchisashikoproject). Earthquake & Tsunami wiped away many precious things from the town. It is a project to mend, strengthen, and “make it beautiful again” with Sashiko. It is our sincere honor to be part of this project for 10+ years.

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On the 10th anniversary, we decided to make something memorable. I share/teach “Sashiko” online in Japanese as well – and we all are part of “Ibasho” that I am trying my sincere best to make & protect. With a total of 64 people, we made this big piece. All hand-stitched. Keiko connected all of them to connect them to one – like a flower, or like hands with praying with “En 縁 & 円”. It is an on-going project with many rising Sashiko artisans. Sashiko isn’t in the past yet. It is still alive… so please do not ignore the voices from Japanese people for someone’s convenience.

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*I so wished to involve my Sashiko friends outside of Japan with this project. However, due to Covid-19 & shipping logistics, I had to prioritize the date to complete. I will involve you (graduates of my class/workshop) for the next possible project.

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大槌刺し子プロジェクトとのご縁を頂いて、10年以上もの月日が経ちました。ご縁。居場所。僕や恵子さんが刺し子を続けられているのも、このご縁を頂き、またそのご縁が居場所を作ってくれたからだと思っています。「ご縁が繋がります様に」との祈りを込めて、大槌刺し子と運針会の皆様の七宝の円を繋げて、一つのタペストリーを作りました。詳細はブログに纏めました（https://ift.tt/3j75pE1).

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刺し子を楽しみ、また好きで続けて下さった諸先輩方の大きな力の上に僕たちの刺し子は成り立っています。ご縁を頂き、そしてまたご縁を繋げる。そうやって刺し子を少しでも後世に伝えて行けたら良いなと思っています。大槌刺し子と私達のご縁についても、上記のブログをご参照頂けたらと思います。

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In the last 2 years, I believe I have never had any nasty arguments with anyone who came to me to learn Sashiko. Some are professionals in textile. Some are teachers of crafting – even Sashiko. There are so many reasons I keep saying: “Sashiko (introduced/taught) in English is NOT wrong, but insufficient”. And the “students” in my Online Class or In-person workshop realize how our mindsets (Western & Japanese) are different. 

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To be honest, it is quite easy to be a Sashiko Teacher. I offer only “One (Core & Essencial)” class. It is simply because my teaching concludes there. Yes, I sometimes arrange the workshops, but it is more “Application” like saying let’s enjoy Sashiko together. Therefore I ask. Please be mindful of whom you are learning from. Some give me interesting feedback – that they have to “unlearn” all of the things they had learned, in order to stitch like we do. The value & mindset one has is valid & respected. Getting better in controlling the needle to make even stitches & stitching faster isn’t wrong at all. However, they have to understand that Sashiko is from their foreign culture & therefore, there is a completely different mindset & value there. It took 5 years for me to realize how & what I am teaching. Now, I am pretty confident that I can finally “teach” Sashiko. It was an “eye-opening” workshop even in 2017 (when I started teaching in English). Now, I can promise to help you to open another box – which is deeply linked to the Japaneseness in stitching. Sashiko is more than techniques in the trend.

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ありがちな話ではあるのですが、米国に移住してから日本の歴史の本や文献、記事を貪るように読んでいます。歴史とは、事実を基準にして想像力を膨らませて曖昧な箇所に肉付けをしていく学問なんだなと思うようになりました。文面に残された歴史を尊重し基準にするのと同時に、想像力を駆使して「残ら（せ）なかった声」を聞くことが、右にも左にも偏らない大切な姿勢なのだと思っています。

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明日金曜日の夜、「靈氣」についての配信をします。できるだけ眉唾ものにならないように、僕なりの解釈をお伝えしますね。

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On August 13th and 14th, I will be visiting Pittsburgh for the first time. A long-established Gallery & Studio, Contemporary Craft (@sccpgh), invited me as a visiting artist/artisan. It is always a great honor to be a part of a nonprofit organization where I can be a small contribution to the Art & Crafting Society. The Full-Day Workshop on 14th is fully booked at this point. However, the lecture is open to the public. I will bring many Sashiko & Boro pieces I own & make. Visitors can touch, feel and “experience” the fabric I always talk about here. 

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For the lecture registration, please visit their Eventbrite Page (https://ift.tt/37367N7). I believe they prepared the waiting list for the Sashiko Workshop. If you are interested in coming, please DM me. I will try to contact them to see what the options are. 

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I won’t be talking about anything new in the lecture. If you are a long-time follower, it will be the same message & stories you have heard. However, it is very important for me to repeat, and especially in the “lecture” setting. I hope to see/meet you there.

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来月の中旬、同州のピッツバーグの芸術系NPO（ギャラリー）にお招き頂いて、刺し子のワークショップをしてきます。同州と言っても、4時間くらい運転するんですけどね。非営利法人として地域密着で50年近く活躍されているNPO。ご依頼を頂くNPOは少なくはないのですが、やっぱり予算は限られていて、飛行機代とかなんだかんだでこれまでご縁を頂くことはあまりありませんでした。今回は運転できる距離なので、ガッツリと楽しんでこようと思っています。前泊させて頂くので、ミニ講演もついてきます。話したいことを1時間に纏めるのが大変そうですが……でも、思いっきり楽しんでこようと思っています。（講演は英語ですが、オンラインでも配信するようです）。

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Clean Carpet Smell. Shining Floor. Fresh Baked Bread. I am glad that the “precious ordinary” resonates with many of you. Happiness is not something to win, it is something to realize (in the ordinary). It took so many years & excruciating (embarrassing) detours for me to realize the importance of the ordinary. We can “choose” to clean the carpet, polish the floor, and bake the bread. So we can choose to enjoy Sashiko. We Choose To Stitch/Mend out of so many choices.

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The fact we can call our choice as “ordinary” is one form of privileges. We work so hard to maintain the ordinary, and I am not minimizing our sweat and tears. However, we have choices. We have so many choices in Sashiko as well – and often, the choices are filtered by the person who has a loud voice. I say there is no such a thing as Right and Wrong in Sashiko. However, it doesn’t mean that “Whatever” is okay. I am NOT avoiding the discussion in Sashiko (if the argument is valid, I would learn from it). I am just asking to doubt what they know before they enjoy the simplified, filtered, and customized answers, especially if the information source isn’t from Japanese. A choice can be a power, and sometimes, I can be a violence creating pains.

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The Japanese who originally developed Sashiko didn’t have “choices” but stitching. Did they really embrace the imperfection? Was “making rice grain size stitches” so important to them? Do they enjoy “visible mending”? Maybe so, and Maybe Not. Therefore, we have to keep imagining based on our continuous learning. Filling those gaps is “History” – and I am here to share stories. The significance of “trend” is to make a practice extraordinary to stand out. I hope you can be a part of the stones in this trend.  

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面倒なことを英語で書いてますし、フォロワーさんも増えてきているのですが、「刺し子好きなおっさん」のままでいたいです。唯一抵抗しているのが、「英語圏での刺し子の塗り替え（言葉の一人歩き）」です。それ以外は、面倒で笑いが好きで針目で会話できる変なおっさんのままが良い。日本で日本語で刺し子をされている方は、僕にとって、全員「先生」です。マジで言っています。僕がお教えすることもありますが、逆に皆様から教わることも沢山あるのです。僕の今の刺し子の原点である大槌刺し子の皆様と昨日話をして、ふと、大槌＆遠野での2ヶ月を思い出しておりました。

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After saying bye to my daughter at Day Summer Camp, my wife and I spent a good 5 hours cleaning the house. Mainly Deep Carpet Cleaning (with always ending up with the agreement to get hardwood floor the “next” summer), and other laminated floor scrubbing with Zokins. I enjoy this kind of day. I rarely eat out simply because I like cooking. Easy gardening (like tomatoes) will always be a good addition to the hot summer. I am just an ordinary happy man, with learning the new pain because I learned English language. Criticizing me as an angry and unhappy man is already the reflection of the social issues they are in.  

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Deep Cleaning. Product Packaging. Order Fulfillment. And, other daily “house chores”. Some advise me to outsource them so that I can have “more” time. Yes, I am often busy, but with those “more time”, what would I do? To market myself to look bigger than who I am? Market our product so I would get more money? I am tired of those “purpose” oriented mindset as if there are better things when I focus on productivity. They say it is the time to get happiness with Sashiko. Well, I am already happy by doing those “ordinary” things (Of course, I want to earn money to make my dream happen, but not by sacrificing what I do today).

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Sashiko existed in the ordinary. Therefore, the “ordinary” is precious. As long as I can move (physically), I will not let others do this seeding of happiness. Seriously. Cooking a meal for my daughter’s smile with “Daddy’s food is the best” is the happiness I find & define.

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昔は考えられなかったことなのですが、家事がストレス発散方法だったりします。日常の家事というより、少し日常から離れた家事。日曜大工だったり大掃除だったり（それは家事とは言わないかもですが）。「忙しいなら家事とか代行しちゃいなよ」と、代行天国の米国だと良く助言を頂きます。その方が経済も回るのかもしれません。でもね、この日常の家事を大切にするからこそ、刺し子が活きてくると思うのですよ。毎晩フレンチのフルコース食べながら刺し子って、なんか違和感ありません？（嫌悪感とか間違いとかじゃなく違和感です）。刺し子には味噌汁が似合う。

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“Sashiko described in English isn’t wrong, but it is insufficient”. My Sashiko Stories in English are for fulfilling the “missing pieces” of this. There is an example of this “Western Development/Simplification” within the Japanese Word. It is Reiki. Reiki (靈氣) is a Japanese form of alternative medicine called energy healing.

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Reiki in English is “Correct & Valid”, but I believe it does not cover the whole picture of the Reiki it was practiced in Japan. 99.9% of the Reiki practiced today is established based on Usui-Reiki → via Hayashi Reiki → then Takata Reiki. Some say GHQ prohibited some Japanese spiritual work/healing after WW2, and the Japanese imported Western Reiki later on.

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Reiki or similar energy work existed in the ordinary for the Japanese people, I believe. It is natural to believe in invisible matter when we live in Animism & Shinto. For that matter, Reiki itself isn’t only Japanese practice. The similar practice has happened all over the world – just Japanese has its name for that.

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“Sashiko being imported from Western Culture (as a whole picture)” is my fear, especially because Sashiko isn’t established within Japan. The culture of “Sushi” will be protected by the Japanese. It is so established. We have lost so many Sashiko artisans with no voices left – so I am afraid of the future of “Sashiko” becoming merely a technique, and “Boro” being just a visible mending. 

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*I am not a master in Reiki. I apologize for any possible incorrect information I had shared. However, please understand that I am talking about Japanese ”靈氣” rather than Western Reiki, here.

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日本国外で、国内以上に知られている言葉に霊気（レイキ）があります。霊気が西洋レイキとなり逆輸入された形です。その流れは全く問題ないのですが、刺し子も同じ道を辿るとしたら、実際に刺し子をずっと行ってきた人間からすると、やっぱり嫌です。霊気のお話、刺し子とは関係ないけど、配信したら興味の有る方いらっしゃるかしら。

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