“Fighting against the Cultural Appropriation of Sashiko” (story on @fantastical_fibers thank you)… It is funny that I didn’t realize it was about me. It is true that I am fighting against ignorance. However, I barely “attack” someone specific (unless they attack me first), and what I am trying to do is “sharing”. I guess… I am more like “prayer” than “fighter”. I sincerely hope that “you” choose to learn Sashiko from someone valid. I am sharing stories here – for that, yes, I am a fighter against the Cultural Appropriation of Sashiko, but I am depending on you more.
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“People will listen to only what they want to listen to”. Unfortunately, this is true. Even if I aggressively fight with C/A, some people literally do not care. They think my pain is “a choice”. They think they are entitled to take what they want and call it “freedom (of art)”. Some think what they do is good because they are having fun. Positive over someones pain. Some even said, “why aren’t you grateful that we are enjoying your culture”.
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Some say I am over-reacting. Others say it is too late. I know what I am doing – sharing Sashiko – and just hoping that we can be better than who we are now. Is it too slow? Do we need a silver bullet? I have failed too many times in the past to be a fighter. I am afraid of being aggressive. Therefore, I just share what Sashiko is, praying that more people will learn the Sashiko we practice. Sashiko is more than stitching.
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本日の配信、「刺し子の部屋（4）」も素敵な時間をありがとうございました。手芸としての刺し子では、全ては好き嫌いで問題ないと思っています。実際僕もそうだし。ただ、手芸となる以前の刺し子を話す時は、あるいは「刺し子を日本の文化・手仕事として教える」場合は、やっぱり勉強をして欲しいなと思うのです。配信でも言いましたが、極論日本国内は心配してません。たぶん、声を出さない（けれど）想いを持った人が沢山いるから。英語圏は、声を出したものが正解になっちゃうんです。下地がないから。だから、日本語以外での情報発信の優先順位を何よりも高くしているのです。刺し子が逆輸入された時に、声を出さない日本人らしい日本人の方の気分が害されないように。
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2021-03-19 12:42:23
May I ask how it’s being appropriated and ruined? I’m not sure I understand how it’s cultural appropriation to try to learn and practice an efficient and beautiful style of mending. Just curious and would like to learn :]
Ich liebe die Kultur Japans, habe schon eine lange Zeit mit japanischen Stoffen gearbeitet und jetzt bin ich bereit für Sashiko 🙏🙏
I just learned about your page but I’m so happy to have done so! Really appreciate the education you’re providing ❤️
Thank you for your perseverance in the fight against C/A of sashiko. I have learned so much from your stories and knowledge.
The steady stream of stories and stunning photos reaches more people and long term preserves the important history of Sashiko. It is such an important work.
O totally agree with you. I am just learning about sashiko and want to know more about it, about its development, its meaning, etc. but have not find much literature about it. Could you share links or books?
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💙💙nice!!
Thank you for all the work you are doing through this account. It is helping me and others to think more critically about how we are engaging with textile traditions that are not our own. Sashiko is beautiful, and I’ve learned so much more about it through the stories you’ve shared.
As a mixed Japanese American living in Japan studying kimono, thank you so much for this post!
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Japanese people have enthusiastically taken up the crafts of knitting, crotchet and quilting, learned from europeans, but do not feel they have culturally appropriated these arts from the west. Does shame for CA apply only to non Japanese?
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I want to be clarified on what the issue is. I want to know what exactly happened that youvare picking up the cultural appropriation thing. Also when it comes to traditional embroidery. This looks exactly like our kanta of Bengal.