I wrote: “Your understanding of Sashiko is NOT a whole if you don’t understand the Japanese language”. Don’t jump into the defensive mode. I am NOT saying you need to master the Japanese language to enjoy Sashiko. A respect (caring) to the Japaneseness is only what I ask. In my opinion, there is no need to master the Japanese to teach Sashiko (when the teacher has proper understanding). Of course, I want you to learn the Japanese. It will significantly enrich your experience. However, it is not a “rule” to enjoy Sashiko. I am here to share – not exclude.
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The point is, though, the risk of “conceit (the act as if they know a whole picture” in foreign culture). Well… it is a very bold thing to say, “I know the whole picture (of Sashiko)”. I dare not to say so… Regardless, saying “I know everything” in the native language (here in Japanese) is less risky to repaint the culture because there are Many Others who practice the same ordinary. Let’s say, if I say, “the Sashiko I practice is the (only) Sashiko”, someone can/will point it (conceit) out. The culture should be secured collectively.
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Loud voices from the majority in the most-used language may minimize, or even worse, erase the voice. Therefore, I say, “One needs to master the Japanese to talk about the whole picture of Sashiko” so other Japanese can help them to fulfill the pieces when needed.
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I “can” write in English. If I weren’t, I cannot even discuss the “analogy” of Japanese Sashiko to pizza. If a person defines the (insufficient) whole picture of Sashiko written in English, then no Japanese can fulfill the missing parts. Again, the Sashiko in English is NOT wrong. It is insufficient – and therefore I am here to share.
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日本語で「これが刺し子だ！」って言うのは不安を感じません。なぜなら、それに対して様々な思いを以て補完してくれる人が沢山いるから。日本語以外で、「これが刺し子だ！」って言われると、とても不安です。なぜなら、刺し子への思いを共有する前に英語という言語の壁を乗り越える必要があるから。誰も指摘しない（できない）文化の変化なんて、怖すぎますよ。（靴脱いでって英語で言えないから沈黙せざるを得ない日本人を見てきましたから）。
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2021-03-04 09:43:16
I found your account by happenstance while searching for embroidery and stitching and sewing posts, and while I love how beautiful and functional your physical work is, I definitely feel like I am getting extra value from your cultural perspective and caption writing work. So while I came for the pretty stitching pictures, I keep coming back to learn more than stitching. I appreciate you 💜
Pizza = cultural appropriation, isn’t it?
❤️ thank you
Thank you for sharing. I recently took a course, embroidery for clothing repair basics. The instructor referenced Sashiko, and taught her her style of the skill. I appreciate your pizza analogy. I’m very intrigued to learn more about the beautiful skill and art of Sashiki. Also very thankful to have found you on IG.😍 🙏 Your work is stunning and inspiring!
Thank you very much! I agree 100% that learning a language gives deeper cultural insights. I have studied Japanese for 15+ years, and although I can function when visiting Japan, I’m very aware that I will never understand as deeply as a native Japanese person. I feel very grateful for my Japanese friends who overlook my mistakes and continue to share their lives and culture with me!
素敵✨✨
👏👏👏👏👏
❤️
I’ve just started a small illustration project inspired by sashiko, and I came across a few of your posts and wanted to learn more. I’ve watched a few of your videos and read some of the articles you write and linked to about cultural appropriation (which I am very nervous of) and whilst I do live in Japan and have a very, very small handle on the language, I am aware that I definitely have a limited understanding of things due to a language barrier. This can be said of all cultural aspects, no? Culture in language and intonation and subtleties of the meanings of words to describe parts of a culture can only ever be understood better, or perhaps fully, through learning the language. As you have found there are Japanese words that have no direct equivalent in English, and vice versa, so it shouldn’t need to be offensive to anyone to recognise and acknowledge this. So far I found nothing in what you write and say that could be described as anything but careful, respectful, open, inclusive and encouraging. Thank you for taking the time to share what you know and have learned and believe, and of course the beautiful photos of sashiko! ありがとうございます！
@sashi.co – there are untranslatable “practices” in various cultures that demand precise articulations because they are hard to pin down in an inadequate lexicon of another language. These “practices” are embodied/ felt in our bodies. Many years ago my bilingual Japanese friend who speaks Japanese and Hindi told me that sashiko is like sadhana: sadhana is an indescribable Hindi word that can be used for a) refined and repeated practice, b) spiritual quest, c) meditation, d)discipline e)dedication etc. But that’s only part of it – it doesn’t bore down into other aspects of sashiko ‘a history and value in Japan. When it comes to many culturally coded hand made processes – words simply aren’t enough. And yet that’s all we have 🙂