This month’s Niigata Komachi magazine (February 2019 issue) just came out.
I wrote something about surprises I experienced when I visited India. In a few more times, it will be 3 years since I started to write the column for Komachi magazine. It goes past so fast, but I am still bothered about how to put sentences together every time
By the way, I went to experience making Shimekazari (TN: Sacred Shinto rope with festoons).
I hold down the straw with my feet and knit it. It is like a whole body exercise with power, and I really enjoyed it very much. It is quite difficult to make a beautiful Shimekazari.
Speaking of Shimekazari, a friend of mine, at the same age back in my hometown, recently decided to succeed the family business of making Shimekazari. I thought this decision was truly amazing.
And, from that friend, I learned the original meaning of Shimekazari, which is supposed to be made by domestic produced straw, and only using things from the land.
I lamented for Shimekazari becoming a cheap product of foreign production. Now, there are even Shimekazari made by vinyl!!!
At the venue where I had Shimekazari making experience, there are unique Shimekazari from various regions arranged side by side as samples. Each one had a beautiful shape.
As time goes on, a lot of things can be done with a single switch, or you can get it easily by simply putting out money from a wallet.
It is very helpful, and I can better use my time doing other things I want to do. However, when you try to make it yourself, it is surprisingly fun.
Dealing with things that I am not good at, I will hold my head and think out a plan to manage it, and not be bothered on the way.
By knowing the process how things can be made, I get to know difficulties of makers and various discoveries that I could not see until now. In addition to my inner part, it is also an opportunity to learn the social problems that Japan and the world face.
I long for living a handmade and self-sufficient life one day and start to move forward little by little, though I am still far beyond that. While on my way there, I would like to get closer slowly step by step.
Let’s conclude the year 2018 with gratitude for good things or things not went well. Nah, I wonder if it is better to bind both together? Anyway, thank you for your support for another year.
anage both tasks slowly.
I wish you all a happy new year.
内山隼人
Hayato Uchiyama
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Kindly Translated by: Flo C (Thanks a lot!)
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