I’m thrilled to announce my new Sashiko Online Course, “Introduction to Japanese Sashiko Stitching“. This course is a bit different from what I have been offering online & In-Person. A team of professionals worked with me on Domestika, and the course has more clear, beautiful, and creative videos & photos. The Trailer is already so artistic (not my work – they are the professionals in film making!).
What you can learn in New Sashiko Online Course?
The main goal of this new Sashiko Online Course is to introduce the Sashiko we have been practicing. In a big trend of sustainable fashion & mending, the word “Sashiko” has now it own definition in English. As many “Sashiko Teachers” with no Japanese background offering classes, workshops, and publication, Sashiko in English is not the Sashiko I have received. I understand that the trend is so powerful. What they are teaching is NOT wrong – just insufficient to define the Sashiko as a Japanese Stichery.
It is very challenging to introduce a culture & its practice. It requires a series of Story-Telling & practicing it. However, I do not want to just let the word (Sashiko) go away without original Stories. The New Sashiko Online Course “Introduction to Japanese Sashiko” will teach you a sample of my Sashiko project, start from the beginning and application with sharing what is Sashiko for me, for Japanese, as “Japanese Sashiko”.
What is going on with Atsushi
Some of you here may find this new Sashiko Online Course as “inconsistent” to what I have been saying on Instagram & Youtube. You may wonder why Domestika? How about a (self-published?) Book that I promised to work on? If I were you, I would have so many questions, too.
I do have the answers to your question, of couse. To be honest, this course wasn’t an easy decision. In fact, I was very difficult to many people in Domestika’s Great Team, and I feel bad for them for being so difficult.
In last 5~6 yeares, I have declined almost all offers I receive from publishers, either video or book. It is because I learned that their goal & my goal aren’t always the same. In most cases, the goal is quite different even if we agree on the basic things. I learned it in a pretty painful way, but well… I learned it.
Domestika broke through this fear by sending me many offers with their willingness to understand what I want. The person in charge read most of my Instagram Post, watched as many videos on Youtube, and understood the “limitation” I worry about. It was very different from the others who try to raise “loyalty” to convince me to take the offer. No, that kind of negotiation doesn’t do much to me (Of course, money is very important, but it isn’t the reason to decline): What I want is their willingness to understand what Sashiko is for me.
Again, I am aware that I was very difficult to manage as I kept mentioning this personal code. I know teaching “How-To” is the biggest demand in the trend, but I wanted to go over it, as much as I can. I really appreciate Domestika’s Team for being understanding of this.
So, I am still the same. I worry if this new Sashiko Online Course may impact me somehow… but my goal is still the same: to pass down (up/across) the Sashiko we have been practicing. I still take very careful steps for “teaching” the culture & its practice. As I feel the need for direct interaction & communication the Online Sashiko Class / In-Person Sashiko Workshop I offer is still the best way to get the “Core & Essence”.
At the same time, I wanted to speak up instead of being silent when the word “Sashiko” walks away from the Japanese Sashiko Artisans. So, with a great help with Domestika, this is the new Online Sashiko Course.
This is my answer to the most asked Question
One of the most frequend asked question I receive is: “What is your recommendation for books? Where should I start Learning Sashiko?“. Before I wrote a blog article about “I have no recommendation”, I received this question almost daily. Well. Unfortunately, my answer to the questions was: “There are no recommendation for books about Sashiko written in English. Therefore I share so many Stories on SNS. You can start watching the videos on Youtube.“
I understand this is not what they want to hear. They want to have a “package (a book or a course)” where they can start following without spending time in searching. “Searching” can waste our time, and we all do not like wasting time. Therefore, so many books & courses are available online, and they are quite popular even if an author or a teacher has very limited knowledge & experience in Sashiko.
By offering this New Online Sashiko Course, I can answer to the most frequent asked question: This is the place where you can start learning (Japanese) Sashiko we have been practicing.
More Stories are Comming!
Super pleased to see this course available on Domestika and reading this article makes me even more convinced that Sashiko Story is the account I should continue to follow for a valuable insight into this traditional practice and this course will help me to get some coherent start to something that has fascinated me from Japanese culture for very many years.
I took your previous “Introduction to Sashiko” class a year ago and it was a wonderful experience. I really appreciated learning about Sashiko within the cultural context as you taught it with such passion, and good humor. I’ve had Sashiko classes from other people who are just teaching their version of a technique, and it’s a very different experience. I read a quote recently about taking up others’ traditional cultural practices out of context. The phrase for this was “Imitation without Integration”. And of course, it’s even worse when people make money from others’ traditional practices by imitating without integrating the cultural context. The way you taught the class has given me a profound respect for the practice of Sashiko and the historical and cultural significance within which it developed. Since taking your class, each time I do Sashiko, I think of your class and what I learned about the cultural relevance of it. I’m very grateful for the grounding I was given in your class, and wish you all the best with this new endeavor.