In 2019, the words “Sashiko” and “Boro” taught me great lessons. Sashiko, Boro, Zen, Kimono, Wabi-Sabi, Matcha, Pecha-Kucha, Ikigai… those words are translated with “something” missing, I feel. I haven’t read all the books, so I shouldn’t speak on behalf of others, but it is insteresting to find out most of the authors do not have Japanese-name. As I always say, they aren’t wrong, but insufficient, because “knowing what we do not know” is one good start in the Japanese mindset.
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Another extreme analogy here. I feel like I happened to have a huge national event in my small village. They say they appreciate what our village offers as sightseeing locations, yet they focus on the event with their “fun”, often with noise and sounds where the quiet ordinary exists. If the party is a one-time event, like the Olympics, then we would welcome it. However, the event continue every night. We don’t know when it ends… but some say it will end for sure. My house happened to be right next to the park, yet I cannot say anything because the land they host a party is a public property (of local people): park. I speak up. This party “may” change the quiet and “Japanese-like” sightseeing asset. I do not mean to exclude them. I would love to welcome them. I just want them to enjoy what we really can offer instead of what they would bring into our village with their “fun”.
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The words themselves start getting their own “journey” based on what we hope to. Without proper understanding, mixing those words and creating another “catchphrase” can be very dangerous because the word will start walking with leaving the original meaning behind. Again, please don’t get me wrong. Their understandings are NOT wrong. It is just “insufficient”, since some words require an enormous amount of stories to have mutual understanding. Some words do not exist for marketing purposes to stand out in the crowd: for some of us, they reflect our identity.
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先日、妻が「淳、家計簿って知ってる？」と夕飯時に話題に。我が家も一応家計簿はあって期間毎に赤が出てないかは確認しています。この”Kakeibo”が、「日本的な（出費に意識を向ける）アート」として紹介されていて。家計簿がアートなら、そりゃ刺し子もアートだわ……と言葉の一人歩きが怖いなと思った夕飯時でした（笑）ってか、笑えないんだけどね。
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#Sashiko #JapaneseSashiko #刺し子 #日本人の刺し子
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