Yoshihiro Kimura, a 65-year old man in Shimane Prefecture, is collaborating with his 41-year old daughter Chizuru to recreate the 11th century classic Makura no Soshi, or The Pillow Book, in embroidery on silk screen rolls. It's symbolic of their desire to keep embroidery alive in Japan, which has been losing sewing jobs to China and Southeast Asia. They expect it will take years. The Pillow Book is a famous piece of literature written by Lady Sei Shonagon, a court lady in the Heian period. It was made into a Hollywood film starring Ewan McGregor in 1996.
« TokyoMango on the Wall Street Journal | Main | Colorful self-standing ladels for artsy kitchens »
June 02, 2009
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c5d3253ef01156fc3f1d5970c
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Father-daughter team recreate The Pillow Book on silk scrolls to save the embroidery industry:
Comments
Verify your Comment
Previewing your Comment
This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been posted. Post another comment
As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
About
Lisa Katayama's personal blog.
My Bio
- I write articles about culture, technology, and human rights for Wired, Popular Science, Fast Company, and the New York Times Magazine. I also produce radio segments for PRI's Studio360 and am a Correspondent for Boing Boing, one of Time Magazine's five most essential blogs of 2010.
In 2008, Chronicle published my book: Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan.
I am also the founder of The Tofu Project, a boutique program that helps Japanese entrepreneurs and creators think deeper, tell better stories, and go out into the world in a much bigger way. We work with companies like Mixi, Japan Airlines, and Salesforce.com.
Sometimes I try to explain Japanese culture on CNN, BBC, CBC, WSJ, ABC (so many acronyms!) or in person at places like the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, ETech, and Ignite!
Follow me on Twitter
Become a Facebook Fan
Read some of my published magazine stories
Send tips to mango [at] tokyomango [dot] com
MY BOOK
- My book, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan, was published in April 2008. Get it now!
TokyoMango on Twitter
Recent Posts
- New app lets you choose what you dream about
- A plastic banana case for your real banana
- The transformation of a gyaru
- Table for Two, a cool non-profit that aims to solve hunger and obesity at the same time
- Artist Riusuke Fukahori's amazing goldfish art
- Gokiburi hoi hoi, a wonderful home for annoying cockroaches
- Strange man plays a flute made from a cabbage
- Yayoi Kusama's latest: obliteration room
- Happy New Year from TokyoMango!
- Super sexy Mai Shoji's weather forecast on NHK World
Cool, I just read that in english. I hope to one day see the completed embroidered version.
Also, if you read the description, you'll notice the movie isn't remotely an adaption of Shonagon's pillow book.
Posted by: Daemon | June 02, 2009 at 02:10 PM