I sometimes make a strong statement, such as “Boro is not a word for visible mending” and “Sashiko is not a word for your trend”. Please read what I have been writing before you react. My goal is to “share”: not exclude, not judge, not limit, not control others. I am asking to “respect” the stories behind the Japanese words, but I cannot “force” by taking any actions. For that, I am not fighting for anything. I am not trying to change one’s perception. I am not defining what Sashiko is. I am simply trying to protect my identity by “Sharing my stories”. ☆
I share my gratitude for your understanding. I share my frustration for sad “ignorance”. I am an ordinary Japanese who happened to be born in a Sashiko family – who had struggled (and wished not) to be born there. Sashiko is a vehicle to tell my core concept of “caring”. Once we all care for others, and especially oneself, our ordinary will be a bit (lot) brighter. Please share your stories. Your stories form the future of Sashiko/Boro, with my stories based on many years of experience. Please do not estimate my words by just reading a few posts. I am here to share “it”, and it would be great to have you in this path (journey). ☆ – – – ☆
久々に運針会の皆様と語れた一日でした。眠気が強すぎて記憶が定かじゃない所もあるのだけど、楽しめたし感情が動いた時間でもありました。本当に感謝です。居場所があるというのは。 ☆ ☆途中で口にした言葉。「昔ほど斜に構えてないんですよね〜」。そうなんです。昔はもっと刺し子を斜めから見てました。背を向けることもできず、でも面と向かって向き合うこともできず。それはずっと、なぜか、「独り」を感じていたからなんだろうと思います。会社やってたから周囲に人はいたんだけど、でも常に独りを感じてました。だから刺し子を再開した時に一番に掲げた目標が、「居場所」です。これは過去5年くらいずーっと言ってるはず。だから、こうして居場所があって、「おかえり」と言って貰えるのは、本当に心強いし嬉しいんです。ストレス吹っ飛びます。眠いけど。運針会、やっぱり続けます。ビデオを編集する時間も取れてないけど、でもなんとか続けます。 ☆
2020-05-22 13:56:11
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As always, I. Feel thankful for what you share Atsushi❤️🙌
Thank you for sharing your experience. If we don’t share or stories, we can’t learn from each other 😍😍😍
Stay STRONG and keep saying The TRUTH. 💯💯💯💯 More people need to hear it and stop being ok with appropriation and disrespecting other cultures by not doing even the SIMPLEST research to hear and understand the stories. Keep speaking up. We need you. I need you. And when you speak up, you encourage others to be strong as well. Thank you.
I totally support you. And I think I understand you. In my previous field of work, jewelry design working as an entrepreneur crafter that was taught in a traditional manner, with traditional techniques and knowledge of jewelry history, I saw a rise of people starting to make jewelry in 3D printing or laser cutting (not against that at all), what shocks me is they selling their articles to a client describing them as Handmade….. Hand?made?…. computer machine made!…. They are offending all the history of ancient hand-made techniques and fooling the client… Unfortunately in these days of this era, with all this social media world this quote by Plato is very on point – “An empty vessel makes the loudest sound”, so if we have something more complete to say to people, it’s too much for the quick consumerism, the empty vessel is easier to absorb as an idea, the easy message 😔 and they sell it cheaper because its without soul, it’s without the ancient attention to detail techniques of our wise ancestors!…. I had to stop fighting all that …. Unfortunately due to stress and pressure of the job to be a traditional crafter in this era of quick consumerism of clients that want cheap and void articles and fighting for that made me a chronic illness patient, so I had to give up… 😔 But I truly admire you, your strength to keep the tradition alive. I think and know in my heart that is truly important for the future generations. And it’s also a part of your family history and your country’s cultural history. We as humans should respect more History, learn more from History. As humans we should have more respect for other countries cultural history – more respect for cultural history in general (but most don’t). I will always support you. I will always admire and love the ways of Japanese crafters. Japanese always want to live for their craft and have the mastery to achieve better and better works. The respect that exists for the knowledge that elder crafters have, it’s amazing. My heart beats faster with this level of cultural reverence for crafts and so many other aspects of life, that Japanese people have. I will always take my shoes in your house 🙏
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
You are a great teacher, Atsushi. Despite English being your second language, you communicate your ideas and cultural information splendidly. I am proud to call you sensei.
短い時間でしたがありがとうございました。いる場所も違って会ったこともない人もいるのに刺し子をするということで居場所を共有出来る事に感謝です
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@azuli.trade I still don’t understand your questions here, but there are good articles about Cultural Appropriation – I am still learning. I strongly recommend reading them before you make a comment.
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