Do you have anything that you have spent time with all of your life? It doesn’t have to be something you liked, or you were passionate about. It can be something you didn’t actually do, but had to spend time with. It can be anything. It may be “books” if you were born in a novelist’s family. For me, Sashiko is the one. I hated it so much until 2011, then changed myself, which ended up with holding a strong commitment to “pass it down” somehow.
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I often ask: “What do you like about Sashiko”? There is no Right or Wrong in answering this question. It is for me to understand why one calls “it” Sashiko. I used to ask “Why do you call it Sashiko” – but I learned it can sound aggressive as if I am accusing them of calling it Sashiko. I didn’t mean that, so I changed the question. As you know, I want everyone to enjoy Sashiko. I NEVER said that I do not like you (or anyone) enjoying Sashiko. I just want them to enjoy the Sashiko with some understanding of what it is. No need to fully master it. Then you may ask, what is the line between “Some understanding” and “Ignorance”? It is, for me, “acknowledgement”.
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As I had spent so much time in Sashiko. Therefore, [Sashiko = Decorative/Visible Mending] is one concept I do not accept. Decorative/Visible Mending is a very important part of Sashiko, but Sashiko is NOT equal to mending practice appreciating the “fixing” itself. Some Japanese didn’t want to mend the fabric, and therefore they developed Sashiko. They stitched in a no-choice environment. Discussion on [Sashiko as Decorative Mending] ignores their voice in the history of Sashiko.
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Sashiko is nothing special to me. Therefore, it is important to be angry when one decides to ignore. I received a good phrase: “Your Anger isn’t Negative. It is a Driving Force”. I hope you feel the same way. Well, I often include something more than “anger” even in the angry post. If one thinks this account is just a series of angry posts, they won’t understand what Sashiko is anyway. Do you have “it” that you will protect no matter what?
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また長くなりました。改めて日本語にしたものを書きますね。とはいえ大したことは書いていないのです。当たり前のお話。その当たり前が伝わらないから、大仕事なんでしょうね。
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