Last few months, I have been receiving emotional comments from “Japanese” people. Some actually practice Sashiko. The others come to me to “study” Sashiko for their related field. Their words are very frank (as it is toward me directly). Their straight words indirectly accuse me of saying “Well, it is what it is”. As they think, I tend to give up things. Don’t get me wrong. I really appreciate them telling me what they feel. Their Japanese expertise are the most important input I can ask for. The summary of their scream is, with making it soft & nice, it is [Respect the Upstream of a practice/culture]. I guess they are asking me [Are you protecting your own Upstream? You aren’t!? WTF!?].
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One Sashiko Artisan with 40+ years experience told me, [I see so many videos of using a ring thimble & using middle fingers for Unshin on Youtube & everywhere. Are they all your students? It wasn’t common 10 years ago, right?]. Before 2016, there were no videos/books/articles explaining Unshin I often share here and there. THEREFORE, I started uploading videos. Interestingly, the Unshin with the middle fingers isn’t (wasn’t) mainstream in Sashiko. It is part of the Sashiko I received, but a modified version with them for me.
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The logical solution you say would be “securing it with IP”. I don’t want to do that as I believe the Unshin is NOT “mine”. Therefore, I share on Youtube & say copy it. So, I am glad they copy it, and I don’t ask for money for the right to use it. As I always say, all I want is the “acknowledgement”, so that I can identify the “upstream”, and share more stories around what happens(ed) in the upstream. I think it is time for me to speak up in that direction, too. We do not want to lose an upstream on anything, I believe.
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Youtubeチャンネルの掲示板 （コミュニティ）にて「配信中止のお知らせ」を直前に掲載したのですが、（また）仕様が変わったのか上手く表示されていなかったようでご心配をおかけしました。ごめんなさい。次回からはインスタのストーリーに文字だけでも流すようにします。
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ここ最近、「淳はそれでいいの？気持ち悪くないの？」という私以外の方からの、怒り（？）に似た感情を頂くようになりました。何かが流行ると、流行る前に存在していた本質を貫けるモノが置いてけぼりになるのかもしれません。それが嫌で今の活動を行っていますが、同時にある程度は「仕方ない」とも自分に言い訳をしています。でも、声を持たない人、でも覚悟を持った人の代弁は必要で、「仕方ない」は見て見ぬふりをするという卑怯な行為なのかもしれません。いじめっこが悪いのは当然ですが、傍観者も同様に悪いと言う論理のような感じで。何ができるかわかりませんが、考え発信し続けます。
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2023-12-09 21:58:22
葛藤の日々迷い考え打ち込む刺し子と向き合うお姿素敵です。何も出来ない私ですがインスタ楽しみにしてます😊
I would be interested to know in what regions of Japan the plate/palm thimble was originally used, and any more you know about the history of this stitching technique for sashiko. I collect old sewing books as well as textiles and I see the history of sashiko through the 20th century as a process of homogenisation where the regional diversity and character of sashiko got lost. From Meiji through to early Showa patterns for sashiko fukin/zokin and sometimes furoshiki were included in kimono sewing books for school and home use – ie for people who didn’t have family traditions of sashiko. These books didn’t teach stitching techniques other than unshin for making kimono with a regular ring thimble. Then in the late 1970s you start getting sashiko books for hobbyists and in 1979 Olympus started selling kits. I don’t think I have seen any Japanese books on sashiko from the late 20th century that teach sashiko using a plate thimble. I was taught sashiko in 1997 using a ring thimble in Ehime by a Japanese friend who had learnt it as a hobby. The earliest book in English that I have is Karen Matsunaga’s from 1990 and she also teaches unshin with a regular thimble. Sadly the wonderful diversity of character of original sashiko traditions got largely forgotten and of course many of the techniques that were handed down in families weren’t recorded – but I would be interested in any Japanese books you could recommend .
Tus manos Atsushi….humildad y respeto 🙌