Here is my Sashi.Co story.
Introducing what Sashi.Co is (PR) is my responsibility. I decided to call myself “Sashiko enthusiast.” Let me explain what I mean by”Sashiko enthusiast”.
I used to be a practitioner, a lecturer, a teacher, and sometime a designer in Sashiko. However, the more I had to work in administrative tasks in previous company, the less time I could spend on “doing” Sashiko.
I didn’t spend much time to be the Sashiko artisan on my career regardless of my opportunity of being a thread of Sashiko culture (Hida Sashiko)
Did I really want to be an artisan?
Was I sincerely passionate about actual Sashiko?
The answer is sadly, “No.”
I didn’t like Sashiko when I was a little boy. Well… in fact I even hated it.
Everyone around me (inside or outside of Hida Sashiko) thought that I would lead the company of Hida Sashiko in the future, 20XX . However, as other adolescent kids, I didn’t want anyone to decide my future.
The rebelliousness for my fate was simple.
As a reckless ambitious young man, I decided to study in the United States of America, the farthest and the most exciting place I could think of back in 2002.
In 2008, when I was working in Tokyo after graduating the university, the CEO of Hida Sashiko (Yuichi, my father) asked me if I could help the company. They needed someone who could improve their business strategy and operations. The company had been facing challenging period, and he desperately needed some help to avoid the bankruptcy.
So, I decided to go back, after deep consideration. It was the life changing moment for me. I wasn’t adolescent kid any more. I cared where I was from, my origin.
When I get back to family business, I focused on business aspect first. I didn’t care about Sashiko much back then. Although the Sashiko pieces were beautiful, they were merely commodities. I didn’t have a concept of understanding Sashiko as arts or culture.
I believe I exceed the standard in my job. We didn’t bankrupt. The company still exist. It means that my father and I could restructure the basic business foundation.
While working hard to save the company and my family, I had kept questioning myself.
“What kind of value can Hida Sashiko offer to the society? If the revenue decrease every financial periods, doesn’t it mean that the society doesn’t need us anymore?”
The question started influencing my personal life.
“What is my identity? How would my life become if I do not respect what I sell sincerely? What if I end up with disliking the art I am dealing with?”
The answer was given in 2011.
After the horrible earthquake in north east Japan happened, I had met some great people, and start supporting the project in damage stricken area. It is called Otsuchi Sashiko Project.
Since the time I spent in North East Japan in 2011 and 2012, Sashiko became my identity. To protect, to develop, and to introduce Sashiko and Hida Sashiko became my destiny I simply realized that Sashiko was in fact my fate.
Sashiko was my destiny since I was born, and it was the moment when I just realized my commitment.
… There are more stories I would like to share. However, it is too long already, so I will conclude this story.
In 2013, when I lost my father and job title, the reality made me extremely sad.
I was emotionally empty that I couldn’t enjoy anything in my life.
I tried to hate Sashiko. I couldn’t stop thinking “what if” or “what I could have done” for our loss. The sudden loss was too hard to accept, that he decided to leave this life by his will.
After I went through some agonizing pain, I started the completely new life in the new environment. I just wanted to start over. I thought the fresh start with different career would be better for my life. No more Sashiko. No more agonizing.
One day in 2014, my mother Keiko asked me if I could help her if she would hypothetically start something completely new. Something new with Sashiko. She couldn’t hate Sashiko, as I couldn’t
My answer to my mother was “Yes.”
As a conclusion, I am the PR manager in Sashi.Co.
I wish I could be a business manager to make her dream come true faster. I cannot do that because I decided to have the completely different life already in the new environment.
There are, however, I can help her, support her, and introduce her to the world. I am back to Sashiko after all
I am not the best Sashiko practitioner, designer, or artist. Managing an organization administratively was my job for last 8 years. In addition to that, in order to be an artist, I simply need more time. In my definition of Sashiko artist, it requires much more time than what I have spend already.
I am (was) taking a time off from doing Sashiko. I don’t know when I resume it. As of the end of 2014, I am not ready yet.
(* I am ready now in 2015 !! We are expecting a baby girl, so practicing Sashiko will be after this wonderful challenge, though.)
Regardless of my situation, I have not lost my passion to Sashiko.
I believe my time in Hida Sashiko for 7 years was not the waste of time. I was in the office, with facing, touching, evaluating Sashiko and its related work, every day every minutes, 24/7.
(*If you have e-mailed me even once, you know that I would reply to the customers within 12 hours no matter where the e-mails are from. Sashiko was everything to me.)
In previous job, there were some restriction. An organization requires employees to follow its culture. Some restrictions were because of traditions, and others were from me being more efficient and productive in business mindset.
Now, Sashi.Co with two of us (my mother and I), there won’t be much restrictions.
I have a tons of stuff I would like to share, and to introduce to the world.
My mother will manifest what Sashiko is in her works, Jackets and accessories.
This is a story of Sashi.Co. A story of mother and son who love Sashiko.
And I am Atsushi, the Sashi.Co enthusiast.
Introducing what Sashi.Co is (PR) is my responsibility. I decided to call myself “Sashiko enthusiast.” Let me explain what I mean by”Sashiko enthusiast”.
I used to be a practitioner, a lecturer, a teacher, and sometime a designer in Sashiko. However, the more I had to work in administrative tasks in previous company, the less time I could spend on “doing” Sashiko.
I didn’t spend much time to be the Sashiko artisan on my career regardless of my opportunity of being a thread of Sashiko culture (Hida Sashiko)
Did I really want to be an artisan?
Was I sincerely passionate about actual Sashiko?
The answer is sadly, “No.”
I didn’t like Sashiko when I was a little boy. Well… in fact I even hated it.
Everyone around me (inside or outside of Hida Sashiko) thought that I would lead the company of Hida Sashiko in the future, 20XX . However, as other adolescent kids, I didn’t want anyone to decide my future.
The rebelliousness for my fate was simple.
As a reckless ambitious young man, I decided to study in the United States of America, the farthest and the most exciting place I could think of back in 2002.
In 2008, when I was working in Tokyo after graduating the university, the CEO of Hida Sashiko (Yuichi, my father) asked me if I could help the company. They needed someone who could improve their business strategy and operations. The company had been facing challenging period, and he desperately needed some help to avoid the bankruptcy.
So, I decided to go back, after deep consideration. It was the life changing moment for me. I wasn’t adolescent kid any more. I cared where I was from, my origin.
When I get back to family business, I focused on business aspect first. I didn’t care about Sashiko much back then. Although the Sashiko pieces were beautiful, they were merely commodities. I didn’t have a concept of understanding Sashiko as arts or culture.
I believe I exceed the standard in my job. We didn’t bankrupt. The company still exist. It means that my father and I could restructure the basic business foundation.
While working hard to save the company and my family, I had kept questioning myself.
“What kind of value can Hida Sashiko offer to the society? If the revenue decrease every financial periods, doesn’t it mean that the society doesn’t need us anymore?”
The question started influencing my personal life.
“What is my identity? How would my life become if I do not respect what I sell sincerely? What if I end up with disliking the art I am dealing with?”
The answer was given in 2011.
After the horrible earthquake in north east Japan happened, I had met some great people, and start supporting the project in damage stricken area. It is called Otsuchi Sashiko Project.
Since the time I spent in North East Japan in 2011 and 2012, Sashiko became my identity. To protect, to develop, and to introduce Sashiko and Hida Sashiko became my destiny I simply realized that Sashiko was in fact my fate.
Sashiko was my destiny since I was born, and it was the moment when I just realized my commitment.
… There are more stories I would like to share. However, it is too long already, so I will conclude this story.
In 2013, when I lost my father and job title, the reality made me extremely sad.
I was emotionally empty that I couldn’t enjoy anything in my life.
I tried to hate Sashiko. I couldn’t stop thinking “what if” or “what I could have done” for our loss. The sudden loss was too hard to accept, that he decided to leave this life by his will.
After I went through some agonizing pain, I started the completely new life in the new environment. I just wanted to start over. I thought the fresh start with different career would be better for my life. No more Sashiko. No more agonizing.
One day in 2014, my mother Keiko asked me if I could help her if she would hypothetically start something completely new. Something new with Sashiko. She couldn’t hate Sashiko, as I couldn’t
My answer to my mother was “Yes.”
As a conclusion, I am the PR manager in Sashi.Co.
I wish I could be a business manager to make her dream come true faster. I cannot do that because I decided to have the completely different life already in the new environment.
There are, however, I can help her, support her, and introduce her to the world. I am back to Sashiko after all
I am not the best Sashiko practitioner, designer, or artist. Managing an organization administratively was my job for last 8 years. In addition to that, in order to be an artist, I simply need more time. In my definition of Sashiko artist, it requires much more time than what I have spend already.
I am (was) taking a time off from doing Sashiko. I don’t know when I resume it. As of the end of 2014, I am not ready yet.
(* I am ready now in 2015 !! We are expecting a baby girl, so practicing Sashiko will be after this wonderful challenge, though.)
Regardless of my situation, I have not lost my passion to Sashiko.
I believe my time in Hida Sashiko for 7 years was not the waste of time. I was in the office, with facing, touching, evaluating Sashiko and its related work, every day every minutes, 24/7.
(*If you have e-mailed me even once, you know that I would reply to the customers within 12 hours no matter where the e-mails are from. Sashiko was everything to me.)
In previous job, there were some restriction. An organization requires employees to follow its culture. Some restrictions were because of traditions, and others were from me being more efficient and productive in business mindset.
Now, Sashi.Co with two of us (my mother and I), there won’t be much restrictions.
I have a tons of stuff I would like to share, and to introduce to the world.
My mother will manifest what Sashiko is in her works, Jackets and accessories.
This is a story of Sashi.Co. A story of mother and son who love Sashiko.
And I am Atsushi, the Sashi.Co enthusiast.
