Sashiko exist(ed) in the Ordinary. Therefore, it is nonsense to discuss what is “Right” and “Wrong”. I also do not wish to filter the (Sashiko) culture by offering my own definition. What I am doing here is to share the story while picking up as many stories from Japanese people as possible. In this vague description, while I do not want to offer “the (quick) answer”, there are a few things that I can speak up for sure with strong confidence. [Boro is NOT a word for technique].
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Unfortunately, in English, the word “Boro” has become the word for technique. Almost everyone who asks me a question comes to me with an expectation that I stick with “Boro Technique”. This is one negative outcome of being trendy – the word becomes something completely different over the translation: it isn’t a “Lost in Translation”. I believe there is intentionality there to filter the stories for someone’s profit/convenience.
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I’ve been thinking how I can correct this misunderstanding. Again, I do not want to suppress others with my own definitions. However, a wrong statement is wrong. “Boro” is not a word for stitching technique. I believe everyone with decent Japanese Language skill will agree on this mess in language. The trend is too big: and they “choose” what they want to listen to. They ask me questions, but when my answer isn’t what they expect, they choose to ignore me by saying “Oh, you aren’t the only teacher of Sashiko/Boro”. It indeed happened a few years ago, and ever since I am learning the deeper issue behind this “filtration”. All I can do now is to keep speaking up, isn’t it? Please help me, help other Japanese who like Sashiko/Boro, to stop this misrepresentation by someone who do not even know the culture.
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刺し子に正解も間違いもないとは良く言う言葉です。また言葉の定義も曖昧なままで、排他的になるよりは、包括的にあやふやな方が良いと思っています。基本は日常に存在したものだからです。ただ、「そりゃ違うだろ」と言う断定できる間違いも存在します。一つは「襤褸は技術（テクニック）」と言う英語圏での概念です。私は刺し子は教えていますが、襤褸は教えていません。教えられません。でも、英語圏では襤褸は「まつり縫い」と同じような感じの技術として捉えられているのです。やっぱり間違いは間違いで指摘するべきだと思って早3年。自分の力の無さにしてしまっていますが諦められるものでもなく。引き続き頑張ります。語り続けるしかない。
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2022-07-03 10:53:04
まつり縫いと同じ技術❓❓
Thank you for sharing the knowledge that you do. I find that a lot of what you say is also happening with Yog(a)
Thankfully, the word for Boro 襤褸 is the same in Chinese, and it means the same, so I can somewhat access what it was and the role it used to play in society. Now that being Boro has become a style and trend, would it be alright to answer these questions by saying that it’s a fashion or stylistic choice (now that people are not 襤褸 because they’re poor and have no choice)?
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Thank you for the explanation. I’m only a beginner in sashiko stiching and the vocabulary is not so clear 😍
😍😍😍😍😍😍😍