There are reasons (stories) why it is so difficult to find documents and records

There are reasons (stories) why it is so difficult to find documents and records about Sashiko. In fact, the reasons themselves explain what Sashiko is more clearly than someone’s definition (mainly made by Western). Please think of something you do everyday, regularly, as a part of your ordinary life. Let’s say, cooking, for me. As a previous stay-at-home dad, I still enjoy preparing meals for my family. I don’t cook fancy food. My daughter sometimes prefers to go out and eat in a restaurant, but we chose to eat at home for financial reasons. Cooking meals is an ordinary part of my days, and therefore I do not write-down/record everything I do. It can be cleaning, doing laundry, lawn mowing… you name it. We don’t keep the detailed record unless it is requested, or realize how precious it can be for others. I would happily leave my cooking to my daughter… but I don’t use cups and measures… so she needs to record it.
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I do not prioritize “look for” the documents as the “recorded documents” are already outside of ordinary. I don’t say it is meaningless, but “learning the upstream” is much more important than finding the documents. They (upstream) often do not know the value of what they do. I didn’t until very recently. Therefore, I keep saying, in order to “teach” Sashiko, one has to have the language ability to learn from the upstream – otherwise, it is modified by “their” ordinary – which can be different from the Sashiko’s ordinary. I hope to be a bridge between the past & the future. Too much romanticism may destroy the culture.
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日本語圏外で刺し子が有名になるに連れ、「刺し子の昔がわかる資料が欲しい」と依頼されることも増えてきました。ここ50~60年の資料であれば、ある程度あるのですが、刺し子の原点とも言えるような大正、あるいは江戸時代以前の資料は目にすることは、ほとんどありません。嘆きの声を頂くこともあるのですが、この「資料がほとんど残っていない」ことこそが、刺し子が日常の針仕事だった何よりもの資料だと思っています。日常って、何か具体的な理由がない限り、文章や図画では残さないのですよ。毎朝の味噌汁のレシピ、残してます？日常に忙しくて残さないのではないかと思うのです。
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では日常を知るにはどうしたら良いかというと、それは残された「もの」や「物語」から読み解いていく必要があるのです。想像力を働かせながら、「なぜ？」を考える。私の刺し子の引き出しが続くのは、この「なぜ？」を幼少期からずーっと続けてきているからなのです。だから簡単に「刺し子は私の情報で全てOK」という人の気持ちがわからないし、それは刺し子の本質を捉えていないなと思うんでしょうね。
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2023-06-11 20:19:00

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