“Cultural Appropriation” is still a difficult term for me. I’m still learning. Some may understand my writing as “No non-Japanese should enjoy (wear) Sashiko/Boro because it is Japanese word”. This is Not a true at all. As you know, my message is completely opposite. I want everyone to enjoy Sashiko & the concept of Boro, therefore, I want to explain the way of appropriation “appropriately”. Ah, English is difficult.
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As I stated in my blog, “I encourage others to call their stitching Sashiko when they try to respect the Japanese culture”. Anyone to do so is my friend. Any Sashiko teachers/business owners who respect the Japanese culture & story behind Sashiko are a companion of the Sashiko journey. They are not my enemy. I just simply would like to protect the image of my own culture – which is pretty much my whole life. I am here to learn. I may be wrong from time to time. Sashiko is after all a simple form of hand-stitching. However, I the Sashiko I would like to share is not shallow at all. ☆
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ここ米国東海岸も、短い春を置き去りにして、夏の空気になってきました。暑いのは苦手です。刺し子も夏とは相性が良くありません。そりゃそうだ。原点が冬だし、夏は農作業で忙しいし。ただ、刺し子にしたデニムは、太陽の光が本当に似合います。刺し子糸、特に草木染めの刺し子糸は、光の当たる角度によって（なぜか）微妙に色合いが変化する為、時に立体に見えたり、また時に虹色に見えたりします。「揃っているけれど不揃い」という手仕事が為せる技なのかもしれません。こういうのを残していきたいんですよね。まだまだすべきことは沢山あります。
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2020-05-30 10:36:52
Beautiful Shashiko and words 💙
I didn’t know this tecnique and I really loved it. I’m really curious to leram more about Sashiko.
❤️❤️❤️
I don’t think cultural appropriation is something you need to put too much worry into, since you are a master at your craft and it’s your right to share sashiko if you want to. I love seeing your posts and it saddens me that you have been worrying about the concept of cultural appropriation when I know it’s distinctly a Western notion that isn’t really in the consciousness of Japanese. Please don’t let the insecurities of the West mar your desire to share. I personally find a lot of people take the idea of cultural appropriation too far. I’m American (ethnically mixed also, Mexican and Nicaraguan), living in Japan and I love practicing sashiko, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. Thank you!
Unfortunately, way too many folks aren’t even readjng your post… “liking” the work, and scrolling on….
Precioso 👏👏👏💙💙💙
I’m not Japanese, I’m Australian. Japan is literally the only country I want to go visit and I really do hope I’m not appropriating because I’m in total and absolute adoration of the art of sashiko. Have I started learning yes, did I buy a kit from the local craft store yes. I’ve also got 4 books coming from the book shop so I can read the history of it and I’m very keen to get those books and I haven’t read an actual book for years now.
I won’t be making money from my efforts but I will be sharing them.
My big dream is to save up and go to Japan. I’d love to watch a sashiko master create in real life. My worst nightmare would be following my interests and learning this art and for that to be taken as a sign of disrespect
Beautiful
I think part of the problem is that we don’t have a good way to talk about cultural appropriation when the effects are neutral, or even good. It comes a problem when it no longer benefits the original practitioners, usually when capitalism becomes involved.
wow💯 amazing work and message👌
Wow😍
Thank you.
For your words, and your time to write them, for giving of yourself.
I saw this post on my feed, as I follow the tag #slowstitch which you used.
I’ve now sat for a long time reading many of your posts; my tea went cold I was so engaged in your words.
I stitch, I learn and I teach a little. I’m an ex-museum curator and recall discussions over cultural appropriation so many times. There are mending traditions the world over, yet sometimes one sparks our community and all want to try. That’s ok. But I wouldn’t just learn Japanese word sounds without learning their meaning, so when you learn stitching you must learn why it was created. Respect tradition and you respect yourself.
草木染めの刺し子糸は見える角度によって違うって不思議ですよね
身につけると、体の線や太陽光で微妙な変化があってだから惹かれるのかもしれないです。染めていて思うのがひとつのでもいろんな色ががかくれているのでそれが微妙に変化して見えるのでしょうか
@red5skywalker