If you are new to Sashiko, the best place to begin may be my book, Sashiko: The Untold Story.
For many years, I have shared stories, reflections, and educational resources about Japanese Sashiko online. Again and again, I found myself returning to the same realization: many people were learning how Sashiko looks, but very few opportunities existed to explore why Sashiko exists.
That question became the foundation of this book.
Sashiko: The Untold Story is not simply a book about stitching techniques or patterns. It is a book about the people, history, values, and experiences that shaped Sashiko in Japan. Through personal stories, historical context, practical knowledge, and reflections from a life spent within Sashiko, I hope to offer readers a deeper understanding of what exists beyond the stitches.
Whether you are completely new to Sashiko or have been stitching for years, I wrote this book as an invitation to pause and ask deeper questions.
You can learn more about the book here:
Sashiko: The Untold Story
https://sashikostory.com/products/sashiko-the-untold-story
Who Am I?
My name is Atsushi Futatsuya.
I was born and raised in Takayama, Japan, and I am a third-generation descendant of a Sashiko family. My grandmother, Reiko Futatsuya, played an important role in preserving and reviving Hida Sashiko. My mother, Keiko Futatsuya, has dedicated much of her life to practicing, teaching, and sharing the tradition.
Unlike many people who discover Sashiko later in life, I grew up surrounded by it. Fabric, thread, needles, and the rhythm of stitching were simply part of everyday life.
For many years, I did not realize that the Sashiko I inherited was different from how it was being introduced internationally.
As Sashiko became increasingly popular around the world, I noticed that discussions often focused on patterns, aesthetics, and finished results. While those aspects are important, I felt that the cultural context—the stories, values, and lived experiences behind the stitches—was often missing.
That realization inspired me to begin teaching and writing in English.
Why This Website Exists
OurSashiko.com exists to organize and preserve years of writing about Japanese Sashiko.
Over the last decade, I have published thousands of articles, essays, and reflections discussing Sashiko, Boro, Japanese aesthetics, cultural appreciation, tools, materials, and the philosophy behind the practice.
This website serves as a searchable archive of those writings.
Rather than repeating the same answers repeatedly across social media, I wanted to create a place where readers could explore these topics more deeply and at their own pace.
The goal is education.
Not to define a single correct way to enjoy Sashiko, but to provide context that helps people understand where Sashiko comes from and why it matters.
Teaching Sashiko
Today, I teach Sashiko through online courses, lectures, workshops, museums, guilds, and textile organizations around the world.
My educational approach focuses on both technique and context.
Learning how to stitch is important. Understanding why people stitched may be equally important.
Many students first join me to learn a skill. Often, they stay because they discover stories they did not know existed.
Looking Forward
The more I teach, write, and stitch, the more I believe that Sashiko is not only about fabric.
It is about relationships.
Relationships between people and cloth.
Between generations.
Between memory and practice.
Between the past and the future.
My hope is that this website, my teaching, and my book help create opportunities for those relationships to continue.
Thank you for visiting OurSashiko.com.
I hope the stories you find here encourage you to look beyond the surface and discover something deeper within the world of Sashiko.