Artists Keep Ancient Japanese Craft Alive
2024-09-23
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1Eiko Araki is an expert of the Sanuki Kagari Temari, a Japanese traditional craft.
2The craft has been passed down for more than 1,000 years on the island of Shikoku.
3Araki is at the center of a small circle of women who are working hard to make "temari."
4These balls are small artistic objects that have colorful designs.
5They can take weeks or months to finish.
6Some cost hundreds of dollars although others are less costly.
7The balls are not for sports.
8They are created as special objects, carrying prayers for health and goodness.
9They might be treasured like a painting in a Western home.
10"Out of nothing, something this beautiful is born, bringing joy," said Araki about the temari.
11"I want it to be remembered there are beautiful things in this world that can only be made by hand."
12The area where temari began was good for growing cotton.
13The round creations continue to be made out of that material.
14At Araki's studio, which also serves as head office for temari's preservation society, there are 140 colors of cotton thread.
15The women dye them by hand, using plants, flowers and other natural ingredients.
16Outside the studio, cotton thread, in different colors, hangs outside in the shade to dry.
17The lengthy process starts with making the basic ball.
18The careful work with thread called stitching is done on the ball.
19The outer covering of rice grains, called husks, are cooked and then dried and placed in a piece of cotton.
20Then the materials are wound with thread, over and over, until, almost magically, a ball appears.
21Then the stitching begins.
22The balls are surprisingly hard, so each stitch requires a careful, almost painful, push.
23These days, temari is getting new recognition among Japanese and foreigners as well.
24Caroline Kennedy, for example, took lessons in the ball-making when she was United States ambassador to Japan 10 years ago.
25Yoshie Nakamura promotes Japanese handcrafted art in her shop at Tokyo's Haneda airport.
26Nakamura says she features temari there because of its complex designs.
27"Temari that might have been everyday in a faraway era is now being used for interior decoration," she said.
28"I really feel each Sanuki Kagari Temari speaks of a special, one-and-only existence in the world."
29Araki has come up with some newer designs that feel both modern and historical.
30She is trying to make the balls more available for everyday life.
31For example, some of the balls can be used to beautify Christmas trees.
32Araki often travels to Tokyo to teach.
33But mostly she works and gives lessons in her studio.
34She started out as a metalwork artist.
35Her husband's parents were temari masters who worked hard to bring back the artform when it was at risk of dying out.
36They were not emotional people.
37They rarely gave praise and instead always scolded her, she remembers.
38It is a "tough love" teaching method that is common in many Japanese traditional arts, from Kabuki acting to hogaku music.
39These art forms demand a lifetime of selfless devotion.
40Today, only a small number of people, all women, can make the temari balls to traditional standards.
41Araki said that the most difficult issue is training the next generation.
42She added that it usually "takes over 10 years to train them, so you need people who are willing to continue the craft for a very long time."
43But, she explained, "When people start to feel joy along with the hardship that comes with making temari, they tend to keep going."
44I'm John Russell.
1Eiko Araki is an expert of the Sanuki Kagari Temari, a Japanese traditional craft. The craft has been passed down for more than 1,000 years on the island of Shikoku. 2Araki is at the center of a small circle of women who are working hard to make "temari." These balls are small artistic objects that have colorful designs. They can take weeks or months to finish. Some cost hundreds of dollars although others are less costly. 3The balls are not for sports. They are created as special objects, carrying prayers for health and goodness. They might be treasured like a painting in a Western home. 4"Out of nothing, something this beautiful is born, bringing joy," said Araki about the temari. "I want it to be remembered there are beautiful things in this world that can only be made by hand." 5Creating the balls 6The area where temari began was good for growing cotton. The round creations continue to be made out of that material. 7At Araki's studio, which also serves as head office for temari's preservation society, there are 140 colors of cotton thread. 8The women dye them by hand, using plants, flowers and other natural ingredients. Outside the studio, cotton thread, in different colors, hangs outside in the shade to dry. 9The lengthy process starts with making the basic ball. The careful work with thread called stitching is done on the ball. The outer covering of rice grains, called husks, are cooked and then dried and placed in a piece of cotton. Then the materials are wound with thread, over and over, until, almost magically, a ball appears. 10Then the stitching begins. 11The balls are surprisingly hard, so each stitch requires a careful, almost painful, push. 12New generation 13These days, temari is getting new recognition among Japanese and foreigners as well. Caroline Kennedy, for example, took lessons in the ball-making when she was United States ambassador to Japan 10 years ago. 14Yoshie Nakamura promotes Japanese handcrafted art in her shop at Tokyo's Haneda airport. Nakamura says she features temari there because of its complex designs. 15"Temari that might have been everyday in a faraway era is now being used for interior decoration," she said. 16"I really feel each Sanuki Kagari Temari speaks of a special, one-and-only existence in the world." 17Araki has come up with some newer designs that feel both modern and historical. She is trying to make the balls more available for everyday life. For example, some of the balls can be used to beautify Christmas trees. 18Araki often travels to Tokyo to teach. But mostly she works and gives lessons in her studio. 19She started out as a metalwork artist. Her husband's parents were temari masters who worked hard to bring back the artform when it was at risk of dying out. 20They were not emotional people. They rarely gave praise and instead always scolded her, she remembers. It is a "tough love" teaching method that is common in many Japanese traditional arts, from Kabuki acting to hogaku music. These art forms demand a lifetime of selfless devotion. 21Today, only a small number of people, all women, can make the temari balls to traditional standards. 22Araki said that the most difficult issue is training the next generation. She added that it usually "takes over 10 years to train them, so you need people who are willing to continue the craft for a very long time." 23But, she explained, "When people start to feel joy along with the hardship that comes with making temari, they tend to keep going." 24I'm John Russell. 25Yuri Kageyama reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. 26_______________________________________ 27Words in This Story 28studio -n. a building or room where artists work 29preservation -- n. the activity or process of keeping something alive 30thread - n. a continuous strand formed by spinning and twisting short textile fibers 31dye -v. to put on or apply a substance that colors cloth 32era -n. a period of time in the past 33interior decoration - n. the job of adding objects and furnishings to a room or home that do not involve its structure or utilities 34scold - v. to criticize sharply 35devotion - n. the act of dedicating something to a cause or activity 36standard - n. something set up and established by authority as a rule for the measure of quality 37tend - v. to continue development or movement in a particular direction