I used to be (accidentally) “involved” in discussions about “What is Sashiko” in English. When discomfort happens, some often said: “My understanding of Sashiko is correct because I have so many Japanese friends”. Well… Where to start…? The number of friends does not define their understanding of the culture. A deep relationship such as marriage […]
This summer, I am taking more time to face my feelings while stitching. I described my feeling now as “Anger” – and I have been thinking why I feel angry. I am angry because I have hope – when I am in total despair, I will be drained and focus on my stitching only… as […]
Npr, Life Kit Podcast, [Extended the life of your clothes with visible mending] is released on 5/25. A short interview of my idea toward mending is included. You may wonder, “Visible Mending” isn’t really Sashiko if I understand Atsushi’s story correctly. Yes, Sashiko isn’t the word for Visible Mending – and therefore, the producer of […]
You may remember the statement I made when I realized the strong trend of Sashiko a few years ago. I wrote: “I hope I can be a small stone in this Sashiko trend to create a small whirlpool”. The same statement is with me. Now, it has become my “mission” rather than a “hope”. ☆ […]
[Sashiko] is not a word to describe the visible mending. [Boro] is not a word for patchworking with recycled fabric. When I say [Sashiko/Boro] is NOT ___, many demand me to offer the alternative definition as if there is a single line to describe the whole culture. Unfortunately, as no single line can describe someone’s […]
I hope you had moments to mull over the Mind-Food in the previous post. When will Sashiko be “completed”? How/When did Japanese consider it (Sashiko) to be done or completed? Again, there is no absolute answer. We have only imagination. However, the imagination & stories will teach us the importance of supplies & tools. They […]
While talking to many (rising) Sashiko artisans in Japan, I started seeing a boundary between what we are trying to do & what the other “Sashiko Teachers” are doing. I have been trying to explain the difference in “teaching” as a professional or as a guide. However, it didn’t explain the whole picture of struggles […]
Boro isn’t a word for “(colorful) patchwork”. It isn’t even a word for “Mending”. Then, many ask “what is it?” as if I have a desirable answer for them. This account exists to explain what Boro is without eliminating the voices of Japanese people – and I don’t have the answers they want to hear. […]
In 2017, I decided to Stop buying new clothes. Instead of purchasing a new one, I decided to “fix (mend)” it. More importantly, in order to avoid the mending (which isn’t the best joy to me), I am trying to add Sashiko stitching everywhere I can feel. Many say that I am doing a good […]
We now enjoy the “antique” side of Boro – some pieces of Boro are nicely exhibited in museums, or sold in the big antique market as “Art”. This is a very interesting phenomena, and I agree with the beauty of Boro. However, I feel the need to share the Stories of “Boro” and Sashiko. (Boro […]