Ep. 6 — Sashiko: stitching cloth to make it last

It's All Japanese to Me · Oct 12, 2026 · 3m · transcript

Today’s word is “sashiko.” It is known today as a stitching technique, but it began as a way to mend worn clothing, make it stronger, and keep people warm. I look at what a Japanese dictionary and two encyclopedias say about it, and how it looks different from place to place, from kogin in Tsugaru to chirimen-zashi in Akita and Yamagata.

Sources:

* Kotobank, “Sashiko” (Digital Daijisen, Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, Nipponica; Japanese)

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