Japanese Artists Keep Ancient Craft of Temari Alive
Women sit in a small circle, quietly stitching patterns on balls the size of an orange.
At the center of the circle is Eiko Araki, a master of the Sanuki Kagari Temari, a Japanese traditional craft passed down for more than 1,000 years on the southwestern island of Shikoku.
Each ball, or temari, is a work of art, with colorful geometric patterns. A temari takes weeks or months to finish. Some cost hundreds of dollars, although others are much cheaper.
These balls aren't toys. They will be heirlooms, carrying prayers for health and happiness, and treasured as pieces of art.
The process starts with making the basic ball mold on which the stitching is done. Rice husks that are cooked and then dried are placed in a piece of cotton, then wound with thread, over and over, until a ball appears in your hands.
Then the stitching begins.
The balls are surprisingly hard, so each stitch requires a concentrated push.
These days, the art of temari is getting new interest among Japanese and foreigners as well. Caroline Kennedy took temari-making lessons when she was United States ambassador to Japan a decade ago.
Araki has come up with newer designs that feel both modern and historical. She is trying to make the balls more accessible — as Christmas tree ornaments for instance. A strap with a hanging miniature ball, though quite hard to make because of its size, is affordable at about 1,500 yen ($10).
Araki started out as a metalwork artist. Her husband's parents were temari masters who worked hard to preserve the art when it was declining in the modern age.
Today, only several dozen people, all women, can make temari balls to traditional standards.
"The most challenging aspect is nurturing successors. It typically takes over 10 years to train them, so you need people who are willing to continue ... for a very long time," Araki said.
"When people start to feel joy along with the hardship that comes with making temari, they tend to keep going."
