While re-watching Sashiko Live Streaming on 3/7, I found a great analogy spoken by mouth. It is about “Simplification of Sashiko”, and I believe it is happening to many other Cultural Practices.
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Imagine that a Whole Story of Sashiko is like a big circle. When it was introduced to “Western (Non-Japanese) Culture”, people there had their own mold of how stitching should be – which was complete square. Instead of trying to accept the “Circle” as is, in order to feel comfortable (or comfortably spreading), they decided to change the “Circle” to “Square” by putting Circle into the mold. It may have been done nicely or violently, gently or forcefully. Cutting Off the 4 edges of Circle to make Square would be the easiest way to fit the square mold. So they did & their “Comfortable Sashiko” happens in their own understanding of how Sashiko should be. The cut of parts is something defined as “unnecessary” or “uncomfortable”.
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Some cultures may have more complex shapes. The more irregular the shape is, the more parts would be cut off to make the complete square. I am NOT saying it is bad to mold it to their comfortable shape. I am saying it is NOT fair to define the “Cut-Off” part as “unnecessary” part of the culture, or even worse, ignore them & hide them by putting them into the trash bin. Sashiko introduced in English may be comfortable for those who wish to have the answer right away – but it is molded by someone who does not belong to the original culture. We can avoid this by being mindful & acknowledge – then we will not follow/support those who appropriate the culture.
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英語の配信を見直していて、改めてこの数年で表現力は身についたなぁと（自己自賛で恐縮ですが…）。英語圏の刺し子での何よりの問題は「切り取り」です。これは現代に生きる私達の宿命みたいなものなのかもしれませんが、全体の流れを無視して一部を切り取り、その一部があたかも全てであるように多数を巻き込んで利益を得ようとしているのを受け入れられないのです。受け入れてはならないと思っています。切り取ることは誰でもできますが、それを利用する為には力が必要です。それは金だったりコネだったりメディアだったりするのですが、今の私の活動においては「英語」という言語が力です。そりゃフェアじゃない。英語ができないと日本の刺し子をしている人として認知されないなんて…でも、現状はそうなってる。だからこそ、英語ができる力があるからこそ、声は上げ続けないとと思うのです。変化は良いんです。その変化に至るまでの過程が卑怯なのが駄目なんです。
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