I’m giving myself a little room to get back on schedule. Between art study classes and work, my time is limited. So, I drew another crest. It’s the theme thing in action.

This is the third (and last) crest for the next while (maybe). I’ve been writing out themes I’d like to pursue in the coming weeks. It gives me focus and allows me to complete a series while staying within a set subject matter.

It’s funny, sometimes you have the most freedom when you give yourself some boundaries. I’ll see how this new “bright idea” works out.

In case you’re wondering what I’ve been up to, I’m working on two studies. One is acrylic. The other oil. I want to make sure that I’ve got a good handle on the mediums before I post what I’ve done. I would rather my still lifes and self portraits not look like a melted Loch Ness monster being eating by a unicorn. So please bear with me.

I’ve still been obsessing about many things that are Japanese. Don’t get me started on anime or J-Pop, J-Rock or Hip Hop. So here’s another crest for your viewing pleasure.

The kanji (a japanese form of writing), are the symbols in the center meaning 30 and 7 [San Juu - Nana]. The shape around it is another crest.

It’s been really informative and interesting. But my personal art journey without anything to show for it doesn’t make for an interesting blog, right?

So here’s something to look at. I love Japanese symbology and kamon. Kamon are family crests. They were a way of identifying what group or family you were a part of or retained by. It was especially helpful on the battlefield. It wouldn’t do to kill one of your own with friendly fire sword.

Me, whenever one of these shows comes on

I generally tend to write reviews of thing that I like. I mostly do this because I’d really like to avoid both trolling and being trolled. Trolling, as I understand it, is looking for a fight without a reasonable cause, and while it can sometimes be fun (gasp!) if it gets too heated it just turns into a pointless battle.

But this time, I want to write about things that I don’t like. Yes, it says ‘hate’ in the title, but that’s just to make it sound sexy and intriguing. The honest truth is that there are a few animes that I just avoid because I really do. not. like. them. Now I do have my reasons, but they may not seem totally legit. And that’s where ‘semi-irrational’ comes in.

Now, there are several things that can turn me off to an anime – an uninteresting first episode, strange and off-putting artwork, a storyline or subject that just does not interest me, and characters I can’t relate to or be invested in. As a brief example, I tried to watch the anime series Casshern Sins, and stopped less than 5 minutes into the show because I couldn’t get on board with the artwork. It was just weird to me. So I lost interest. But I didn’t hate it.

So what makes me ‘hate’ an anime show? It’s usually a combination of all these things, mixed with some ineffable quality that just makes me want to smash the television if it comes on.

I’m hesitating on even finishing this post. Seriously, that’s how much I don’t want to invite trolling here. Open and respectful debate? Yes. Outright and unnecessary belligerence? No thank you. I am happy to listen to and respect other’s opinions, as long as they respect mine too.

So, here are some animes that I truly do not like, and why I don’t like them.

1. Fooly Cooly/FLCL – I’ve only seen one episode of this series, and I hated it. Apparently, the episode that I was ‘lucky’ enough to catch was their most controversial one: Full Swing (Episode 4). Why was it controversial? The main character, a boy named Naota, encounters the crazy alien chick Hakuro and his father (named Kamon) having sex, which is traumatizing enough for a young boy without his father sleeping with (what seemed to be) the older woman that he was interested in. But that wasn’t the most controversial part of it. Naota is so angry at his father that he takes his baseball bat and beats his father to death. Only it wasn’t his father – it was a robot copy of his father. That was, apparently, the controversial part. But it wasn’t the part that made me hate all of Fooly Cooly. After he discovers that his father was actually a robot (and apparently he’s calmed down after his extreme violent outburst which would surely have killed his real father), he ends up finding the dehydrated corpse of his father in a closet. AND IT WHISPERS HIS NAME WHILE COCKROACHES CRAWL OVER HIM. Oh, and Naota is somehow able to bring his father back to life by hosing him down with hot water. What….?! They never explain how the father became a dehydrated corpse. On top of that, with the premise of the show being a ‘psychedelic joy ride,’ the crazy alien Hakuro chick can pull objects out of some inter-dimensional portal located within Naota’s forehead. Now, when I voiced my displeasure to one of my friends, he claimed that Fooly Cooly is supposed to make you laugh. Well, I wasn’t laughing. I was replaying the dehydrated corpse whispering Naota as cockroaches crawled over it in my head. No. No, thank you.
2. One Piece – Open disclaimer: I have never watched a single episode of One Piece. I’ve never wanted to watch it. I can see nothing in the future that will make me want to watch it. I know it’s crazy popular pretty much everywhere, but I just can. not. stand. it. Why? THEY ARE NOT PIRATES! I mentioned this in my review of Fairy Tail, but that is really only one side of the die. They aren’t pirates because pirates are supposed to steal and pillage and fight, and the main group of characters are all about friendship and togetherness which basically means ‘anti-pirateness’ in my book. The characters also really just put me off – I have very little interest in young male protagonists, and none of the side characters seem appealing enough to make me watch an episode. Plus, the art just doesn’t sit well with me. It’s too basic and clownish, it feels like the art alone would insult my intelligence. Then again, I can’t really say much because I have also been known to watch such shows as Spongebob Squarepants, Chowder, and Adventure Time. But, like I said, there is some ineffable quality to One Piece that makes me LOATHE it.
3. Gankutsuo: The Count of Monte Cristo – I saw a bit of the first episode and had to stop. I didn’t mind the fact that it was set in space. I didn’t mind the fact that within the first ten minutes I really had no clue what was going on. I did mind the style of the animation. Have you ever seen the Nickelodeon show Chowder? Have you ever noticed that the pattern on their clothing is often unanimated? The characters will move around, but the pattern remains constant and is not animated, almost as if the clothing was completely clear and a patterned piece of paper was dragged along underneath the animation. Well, that’s how Gankutsuo is….ON ACID. Everything is animated like that. Oh, wait. Everything except their skin is animated like that. Their hair, their clothing, the background, silhouette people, objects, etc. It made my brain hurt. On top of that I don’t like the look of the title picture for the series on Netflix: it looks like the Count wants to seduce and/or eat Albert de Morcerf, which I don’t think happens in the original novel. I have to admit that I have not actually read Alexander Dumas‘ novel, and am basing my assumptions on the 2002 movie adaptation (with Jim Caviezel as Edmond Dantes) which I know has many deviations and simplifications compared with the novel proper. Still. Seeing that poster put me off of the series.
   

   Not convinced? Look closer: The Count is shoving his hand down Albert’s shirt. And he’s looking straight at you as he does it. Creepy…

So what does this list say about me? (Because, as you know, it’s all about me)

First, it says that marketing works on me. If I see a product, and it appeals to me either in aesthetics, content, or both, then I will be attracted to it. And therefore, the opposite is true: if a product repels me through aesthetics/content, then I will irrationally hate it. Because that’s what we’ve been taught to do with marketing, as proved by the whole Coke v. Pepsi debate: the difference is in the marketing.

Second, I can blindly hate something with the best of them. Is my dislike of these shows rational? No. Am I interested in changing my opinion? Nope. Sorry. Luckily, this isn’t an incredibly influential and controversial issue in the grand scheme of things.

How about you? Do you have any shows that you irrationally hate? You know you want to talk about it! :)

FLCL, or Fooly Cooly, is a 6 episode Original Video Animation (OVA) anime series created by the Gainax studio in 2000.  It is well known for its insane characters and comedic sequences, as well as being one of the earlier anime series shown on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block.  FLCL is regarded as a classic, and solidified Gainax’s reputation as one of modern innovators of anime.  Not to mention I’ve watched it a ton myself.  Let’s get into it.

First Impressions

I’ve watched this series so many times that it may be hard for me to give an unbiased first impression, but I’ll attempt to anyway.  FLCL quickly introduces us to the main protagonist, 12-year old Naota Nandaba.  The story is mainly told through his eyes: setting a surreal mood for the series as his bored-sounding monologues clash with the strange reality of the happenings in the Japanese town of Mabase.  Naota already has an awkward relationship with his brother’s ex-girlfriend Mamimi and his own family, but his life takes a turn for the bizarre when Haruko Haruharu arrives on the scene.  This pink-haired beauty proceeds to smash Naota’s head in with a guitar, creating a huge mark on his forehead that ends up making an even bigger mess of Naota’s life.  And by bigger mess I mean HIS HEAD BECOMES A PORTAL FOR CRAZY SPACE ROBOTS TO COME OUT OF.  They don’t explain exactly why this happens until later episodes, so don’t expect to understand it right away.

Not shown: crazy space robots

Until then, the focus is put on Naota’s awkward adolescent problems and his attempts to act indifferent and “mature” in the face of increasingly crazy situations, mostly involving Haruko and her obsession with him.  This is interspersed with moments of insane screwball comedy and countless pop culture references, which oddly seem to fit among the surrealist nature of the series and the occasional giant robot fights.  FLCL is certainly not a plot-centric series – it works because of the insane situations and the comparatively low-key character development.  It’s mostly due to the first part, though, that keeps viewers watching.

Characters and Development

Naota Nandaba is the main protagonist of the series.  He is obsessed with being mature, and often acts cynical and indifferent.  His monologues, which occur on a frequent basis, lack emotion and describe insane happenings as if they were mundane.  He insists that “nothing exciting ever happens here (Mabase)”, despite crazy things ALWAYS happening in Mabase.  Naota hates anything that he sees as immature, from school plays to most of the adults in his life.  The behavior of his own family (consisting of his widowed father and grandfather) doesn’t help matters.  Naota tries very hard to be mature, but he usually fails when upset, not to mention how picky of an eater he is.  He idolizes his older brother, who moved to the U.S. to play professional baseball.  This seems to be the primary reason he hangs out with Mamimi, at least at first.  He develops over the course of the series, gaining confidence and figuring what maturity truly means thanks to Haruko and the chaos that follows her arrival.

Mamimi Samejima is a presumably homeless 17-year old and high school truant, Mamimi is the ex-girlfriend of Naota’s brother.  She doesn’t exactly handle his absence well:  the especially clingy girl latches onto Naota, and even calls him “Takkun”, her nickname for his brother.  Mamimi has an air of depression about her, and is prone to self-destructive activities like smoking.  She also has trouble separating reality from fiction at times, leading her further down a dangerous path.  Mamimi has an interest in photography as well: she carries around a camera and is prone to catching pictures of Naota in embarrassing situations.  The ever-changing and always-awkward relationship between her and Naota is the key thing to watch as the series progresses: it’s a good indicator of Naota’s character development.

Haruko Haruharu is a mysterious character that is usually the catalyst of the series’ insanity, and provides plenty of comedy as she teases and obsesses over Naota, much to his chagrin.  She has a secret agenda that somehow has to do with the portal on Naota’s head and the Medical Mechanica company, which has a large factory near Mabase.  She claims to be both an alien and a “Space Patrol Officer”, both of which Naota refuses to believe.  Naota, Mamimi and Haruko are the 3 most prominent characters in FLCL, with Haruko being the driving force behind most of the strange happenings in the city.

Haruko is the number one cause of guitar-related injuries

Kamon Nandaba is Naota’s perverted father: a bakery owner and writer of a self-published trashy tabloid that he sells at the store.  He is essentric and acts far more childish than Naota, to the point where Naota is the one that has to keep him in line.  Kamon is the source of a large number of pop culture references and the series’ trademark “Fooly Cooly” jokes (in Japanese the term is used to describe a fondling motion).  These are only made more effective by his motor mouth delivery.

Kanti is a Medical Mechanica robot with abilities ranging from flight to transformation and taking x-rays with its television-like head.  He ends up living with Naota’s family as a servant of sorts, and to no one’s surprise, only Naota seems to be at all concerned about the situation.  Despite being incapable of speech, Canti expresses plenty of emotion and often wanders around town aimlessly.  The people of the city pay him no mind; either they’re familiar with Medical Mechanica robots, or it is simply a case of the show’s surreal nature winning out over common sense.  Haruko passes him off as useless, but he ends up playing a big role in the plot of the series.

Did I mention he kicks ass on other robots? Because he does that.

Eri Ninamori is one of Naota’s classmates and the daughter of Mabase’s mayor.  Eri acts even more mature than Naota, and is very intelligent for her age.  She is rarely phased by anything ever, and finds rather indirect ways of channeling her frustrations with her family, keeping her feelings restrained to an unhealthy degree.  One of her emotional outlets happens to be a school play, which leads to her clashing with Naota, who views them as childish and stupid.  Despite this, she shows hints of having a crush on him.

Amarao initially appears as a mysterious foil to Haruko: he warns Naota not to get close to her in his first appearance.  His dignified way of speaking and aura of wisdom is only a mask – he is actually quite immature and engages in less than respectable behavior at times.  This makes him more comparable to Naota or Eri than any adult in the series.  Nonetheless, Amarao is a commander with the Department of Interstellar Immigration who seeks to put an end to Haruko’s plans.  Amarao’s most distinctive feature are his giant fake eyebrows, which he wears to appear more manly (he has a bit of a complex about manliness).  In sharp contrast is Amarao’s Lieutenant Kitsurubami, an attractive young woman who is the only “mature” adult in the series.

Plot Development

It is difficult to determine exactly what the “main” plot of FLCL is: Haruko’s true identity and goals, and the role that the robots coming out of Naota’s head play in them, form the biggest mysteries in the series.  At the beginning of the series, the mysterious Medical Mechanica company is introduced as a presumed antagonist.  They build a huge iron-shaped plant in Mabase, which regularly releases huge amounts of steam (this also helps the setting seem more surreal).  Their true goals and role in the series plot however, aren’t shown until practically the final episode.

There’s probably a giant ironing board somewhere too. . .

But the majority of the series is focused on character development, specifically the development of Naota, Mamimi and Eri, while the other characters and the situation with Naota’s head add in some comic relief.  Actual “plot” moments tend to be quick, only giving subtle hints as to what’s really going on.  The mysteries surrounding Haruko, the robots and Medical Mechanica are rapidly revealed later on when Amarao and the Department of Interstellar Immigration appear to combat Haruko and Kanti.

The ending is truly epic: the title of the final episode, “FLCLimax”, is very much an appropriate way to describe it.  All the hanging plot ends are brought to a close: Medical Mechanica remains as mysterious as ever despite their major part in the plot, though.  Again, it is the characters that this series cares about, not the antagonistic faceless company that advances the plot.

Art Style and Animation

FLCL’s art style beautifully fuses high-quality visuals and a more super-deformed style, often using both in the same scenes to exaggerate characters’ expressions during tense moments.  While the series in general leans towards realistic, the super-deformed style is used a lot during fast-paced comedic scenes, turning them into over-the-top chaotic action sequences.  That said, the usage of mostly subdued colors and the (possibly intentional) lack of background or facial details at dramatic turns play a large role in establishing the surreal mood of the series in general.

The most detailed animation is reserved for fight scenes, which are very well choreographed and feature some really good-looking scenes of Kanti transforming and beating the crap out of much bigger robots.  On the other hand, Haruko’s weapon of choice gives her a unique fighting style (bashing in heads with a guitar), and she’s more prone to go beyond the impossible with her evasive maneuvers, inserting a bit of comedy into many fights.

The art style is occasionally changed completely in order to parody various things, something that Gainax is fond of doing in their more comedic series.  Two scenes feature a fast-paced and very amusing “manga” art style, while another scene has Naota drawn like a South Park character in a direct parody of the show.

Music and Voice Acting

All the music in FLCL was written and performed by the Japanese rock band The Pillows, who provide a good mix of low-key tunes and loud guitar and vocal songs for fight scenes.  Their “Little Busters” song, which usually plays at the climax of each episode, could be considered the main theme of the series, along with the awesome ending theme “Ride on Shooting Star”.  Aside from fight themes, the more restrained tunes do a great job of setting a surreal mood for most of the series, and matches up with the cynical indifference displayed by Naota in most of his monologues.  Although, the fact that the music isn’t used that much and often played softly may have more to do with that.

As for the voice acting, I admit that I have a lot of bias in favor of English dub, as I’ve watched dubbed episodes of this show many, many times.  I did watch the subtitled version to give it a fair chance though.  The Japanese voices are quite good, but I would still strongly recommend the dub over it.  Haruko’s Japanese actor in-particular sounds a bit too silly for my tastes – it’s fine for comedic scenes but lacks the depth to make the more dramatic scenes believable.  On the other hand, Haruko is voiced by one of my personal favorite voice actresses, Keri Wahlgreen, in English.  She really has a nack for portraying both serious and more comedic characters like Haruko with a surprising amount of depth: she does a terrific job with Haruko.   Also, the episodes tend to move quickly, especially during comedic moments, so I find it easier to watch in English as opposed to having to read subtitles.

Overall

If you’re looking for a series with a deep plot that’ll make you think about the meaning of life and all that, you won’t find it in FLCL.  What you will find is a short, charming anime about finding the confidence to overcome adolescent difficulties and mature, mixed in with chaotic comedy and an insane, over-the-top plot involving giant robot fights and cosmic entities.  FLCL is one of the most surreal series out there, switching between super-deformed action comedy, low-key character development scenes and (mostly) realistic fights between robots tearing each other’s insides out.  It’ll make you laugh, think and possibly cry: FLCL is an infinitely entertaining series that is short enough for me to recommend MULTIPLE viewings of.  If you even slightly enjoy comedic anime, giant robots or surreal drama, FLCL is the perfect way to spend 3 hours.

The eyebrows demand it!

This belonged to a new bride named Yayoi. On her wedding day, this would have been given to her to take to her new home.

It is a yutan; a cover for a chest of drawers. The image on the right shows her name in a cursive hiragana.

A resist dye technique (tsutsugaki*) was used to decorate this with the kamon (family crest) and the brides name on the corner.

*A rice and water paste (nori) is squeezed from a cone shaped bag similar to that used when icing a cake.

It is hand sewn with eight panels of indigo cotton. The fabric is hand loomed, home-spun.

There are many boro patches on all over this wonderful piece. The majority are hand sewn, some are more recent. Most patches are cotton, a few are silk.

Judging by the position of the repairs, it appears it may have also been used as a furoshiki (wrapping/carrying cloth) at some point.

Available to buy in FurugiStar shop.

This is the kind of katazome that you don’t find everyday. The age, design and colour make it unique among most.

Mid to late 1800s, Edo / Meiji era.

Kata is a stencil used to apply resist paste to the fabric before dipping in the dye. In this case, a number of small kata have been used, rather than just one repeated. There are five different designs here, none of which are typical floral or kamon motifs usually found. If the pictures are in fact kamon / family crests, they are unusual.

It is natural/botanical indigo dye. A small boro patch suggests it was once blue. Now it appears more of a black / brown. It remains unclear if the design was originally white (more than likely), or if a second dye was used.

The rough selvedge edge shows the cotton was hand loomed, more than likely hand spun. It has a slightly rough texture and is light-medium weight.

For more information or to buy, click photo

For the very first time in almost two years, I actually didn’t post for about ten days as this past Saturday was my elder daughter’s Bat Mitzvah. With 18 guests from the US, plus other friends who came in from Hong Kong and Singapore, all the last-minute party planning details and everything else going on, there simply wasn’t time. Since this event has been occupying so much of my attention for months, I thought it would be fun to share the party design details!

The theme of the party came quite easily. As springtime suggested sakura (cherry blossoms), my daughter’s favorite color is blue, she loves Japanese kamon (family crests) and the party would be held in the evening, we decided sakura at night would have just the right feel and that we would use a kamon in the party logo.

Lovely invitations from Karissa at Kiss and Tell Cards on Etsy were custom colored to navy and pink.

I had noticed that kids seem to love these cinch saks, using them for everything from their gym clothes to everyday bags. I also thought they would be perfect for carrying home any loot from the party. Using a classic Japanese sakura kamon (that also might masquerade as a soccer ball if the boys didn’t look too closely), the lovely Kristen Hager helped me create a logo for the party. Jeff Ward over at Rach Inc. supplied the bags and the printing and made the whole process easy, including shipping directly to me here in Tokyo.

We used the logo again on the cover of the program. Thanks to blogger Aimee Weinstein of Tokyo Writer for her help with that!

I had long had the idea of using traditional Japanese fabric for the yarmulkes, the traditional head covering worn by men in the synagogue. I had thought about sending them out to be made in Hong Kong by my seamstress, but we all know how long she took to make my quilt and obi throw pillows. In the end I found a company back in good old Brooklyn called Zion Judaica, bought and shipped the fabric to them and they shipped the finished product to my parents who then carried them over. I chose a simple indigo with scattered cherry blossoms, not wanting to worry about large-scale repeats and pattern matching.  It is also reminiscent of…

…petals floating by on the water or the wind.

As the things I ordered started to arrive, I loved the way they coordinated!

I ordered pink and blue M & Ms and bought small organza bags in the same colors for the candy toss. For the other old fogeys out there, this is a new tradition that didn’t exist when we were kids.

The amazingly talented George of PaperGlueBamboo painted dozens of paper lanterns for the table centerpieces. These tiny ones with battery operated votive candles we put inside were for the kids tables…

…while these larger andon shaped lanterns had real candles in them on the adult tables.

Lanterns lining the banks of the Meguro river are a staple of sakura season. We also had garlands of sakura draped on the two interior trees at the restaurant, but as it was raining, all the beautiful lanterns we had planned to hang in the trees on the outside terrace did not get used.

For the kids (and plenty of the adults who could not resist) there was very hard to get American candy favorites on the candy bar, all served in my vintage senbei canisters! You can see the rest of the pink and blue M & Ms made it there too, but the Swedish fish were the most popular!

My daughter loves the fabulous photo booths, called puri kura, that they have here in Japan, but we were not able to get one brought in to the restaurant. Luckily, the crafty Tai Dirkse of Darksea Studios created his own DIY photo booth. I spent weeks trying to figure out how to get a cherry blossom backdrop as custom ordering one was prohibitively expensive. I had started contemplating tearing down some giant advertising posters with sakura on them when I found these great cloth photo banners in Asakusa-bashi, the paper district. We strung two of them on a pole and voila, a perfect backdrop…

…for these adorable photo strips.

We are all still on a high from the party and I want to thank everyone who helped me make it possible!!

More details on a Yoko Ono inspired wish tree to come in a following post.

Special thanks to the talented writer and photographer Kit Namagura for the use of her sakura season photos!

Escutcheon
In heraldry, an escutcheon is a shield which forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms.

The word escutcheon is derived from Middle English escochon, from Anglo-Norman escuchon, from Vulgar Latin scūtiōn-, from Latin scūtum, “shield”.From its use in heraldry, escutcheon can be a metaphor for a family’s honour. The idiom “a blot on the escutcheon” is used to mean a stain on somebody’s reputation.
(wiki)

Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement which consists of shield, supporters, crest and motto. The design is a symbol unique to an individual person, and to his family, corporation, or state.

Historically, armorial bearings were first used by feudal lords and knights in the mid-12th century on battlefields as a way to identify allied from enemy soldiers.

Despite no widespread regulation, and even with a lack in many cases of national-level regulation, heraldry has remained rather consistent across Europe, where traditions alone have governed the design and use of arms. Unlike seals and other general emblems, heraldic achievements have a formal description called a blazon, expressed in a jargon that allows for consistency in heraldic depictions.
(wiki)

Coat of arms in Japan

The Japanese equivalents, called kamon (often abbreviated “mon”), are family badges which often date back to the 7th century, and are still actively used in Japan today. The Japanese tradition is independent of the European, and thus very different in style; but as in Europe many abstract and floral elements are used.

Mon (紋), also monshō (紋章), mondokoro (紋所), and kamon (家紋), are Japanese emblems used to decorate and identify an individual or family. While mon is an encompassing term that may refer to any such device, kamon and mondokoro refer specifically to emblems used to identify a family.
(wiki)

Battle of Sekigahara, Gifu Museum of History

Antique Japanese tsutsugaki cotton. Dates back to early Showa or Taisho era, early 1900s.

Tsutsugaki is a resist dye technique in which the resist paste ‘nori’ is applied using a cone shaped applicator similar to that used decorating a cake.

Natural indigo dye.

The symbol is a kamon, family crest, featuring wisteria. Maru ni sagari-fuji is a kamon with hanging wisteria. I believe this one is related to it, but the leaves are above rather than hanging below.

This was a yutan, a textile used to cover a chest of drawers. These were often given as wedding presents. A woman would take a chest of draws with her to her marital home.

This is available to buy / more info, click here.

This one is antique, pre-WWII. The condition is excellent, in fact perfect. It seems it has never been worn.

The cotton is hand spun. It is aizome which means natural Japanese indigo has been used. The dye is still deep, dark blue. A resist dye technique known as tsutsugaki* was used to create the kamon (family crest) and the writing on the front reads ‘Kanai’ (family name).

*Tsutsugaki is a method of resist dyeing which involves applying rice flour and water paste to a fabric using a conical tube.

This item is for sale. For more information click here.

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