Washi Bar Necklace

Hello.

Today, I'm going to continue with my previous blog and write about washi accessory bar necklaces.

It comes in two colors, black and red and pearl and black, and is only available as a necklace. The design features a round washi ball with a slightly edgy washi bar that catches the eye.

It may be a little unique, but it is a unisex necklace that can be worn as an accent to a simple outfit, as a subtle point to a full-body patterned coordinate, or even for dress-up occasions.

I've also been told that it's fun to spin it around and wear it. I'm very happy to hear that. The sensibility of the wearer amplifies the enjoyment and gives the wearer a sense of freedom... As a creator, I am extremely happy about this.

Freedom is good.

I still tend to be at the mercy of various ties, and I'm practicing, but I'm still at the first level of freedom.

I think it's natural for every individual to have different ways of thinking and values, and with a certain level of morality, a society can be formed simply by respecting each other. If we only think about other people's eyes, profits, and gains and losses, I wonder if we won't just be filled with suffocation.

Now, what I'm going to talk about in today's blog is about the background of the product.

There are so many people who give up so much of their precious time to serve me, and when we get to talking and I tell them the story behind the product or what I'm thinking, they often say, "I want to hear that story! or "You should tell everyone about it!

While I was wondering if that's how it is, I've been letting it slide for a while because talking about it and writing about it are completely different.

There is a story, or a theme, or a concept behind this bar necklace. It is "Contradiction? is a contradiction.

What I mean is that the washi balls are still washi balls, but the bar part is the result of a bit of a challenge.

The base of the bar part is the wooden core of kozo, the raw material of washi.

This wooden core is the part of the paper that does not become washi, and is used to fire the kettle in the papermaking process.

Nowadays, people are talking about sustainable and ethical, but handmade washi has been sustainable since ancient times, and it is a natural material that is friendly to the earth and people.

It is not that handmade washi is ahead of its time, but that it was always there. So, when I see people making a fuss about it, I think, why are they making a fuss about it now? And I admire the wisdom of the people of the past about their lives.

Incidentally, handmade washi and machine-made, mass-produced washi are two completely different things. The latter is neither sustainable nor unsustainable paper produced by capitalist society, which is mostly made of pulp.

Now that that's out of the way (but a fact I really want everyone to know), let's get back to the bar necklace.

I mentioned earlier that the base is the wood core of Kozo. The process of making washi is as follows: cultivation of kozo (paper mulberry) → harvesting → stripping of outer bark → drying of stripped black bark → shaving off black bark = making only white bark → washing in water → boiling → dusting → tapping → stirring → papermaking → inspection.

If it is explained simply, it will be said that Washi is made from the white part of the Kozo bark = white bark. And, other than that, it is not used, but becomes fuel for firing a kiln, or becomes fertilizer for a field. There is no part that becomes garbage.

In order to use the white part of the Kozo bark, which is only a small amount of the total, a great deal of time and effort is required.

But I pasted the washi that the craftsmen had spent so much time and effort to make onto the wood core of the unused kozo.

In short, I went back to the "stripping of the skin" stage of the previous process. It's not like Doraemon's tool, the time furoshiki, but despite the dozens of steps involved, I've brought it back to a certain stage.

When I thought about this and actually made it, I honestly asked myself, "Does what I did make sense? Would I have been able to make the same thing if I had stripped the epidermis cleanly? I thought. In reality, though, it's not practical to remove the epidermis cleanly at the peeling stage, because it's too much work.

Nevertheless, I was shocked or almost shocked to think, "Does what I did have any meaning? It was more like a shock to me.

What I'm trying to say is that in a society full of things and information, it's not easy to determine what you really need. How many things are there in the world, including things that I have created, that can really enrich people's hearts?

It has been about seven years since I started my own business, and I still feel the same sense of gratitude as I did when I made my first sale, that people care about and buy our washi accessories in a world filled with so many things.

I really feel that it is a miracle that people buy the products that I have created. Because when I buy something other than consumable goods, I am serious about it. If your heart is not excited, you won't be able to turn on the switch to want.

So, the story of the necklace was a good opportunity for me to stop, look back (self-discipline), and move forward again in order to look at the world and myself in a new light.

Now, I can say with confidence that my actions are meaningful. The reason is that it has given me a good opportunity and there are people who sympathize with me and buy my products. I believe that is the answer.

I would like to see a society that is not only rich in material things, but also rich in spirit.

postscript

Let's talk a little about the design aspect.
It would have been easy to connect the washi balls to the bar with metal fittings, but I didn't want the extra fittings to show, so I hollowed out the wooden core of the kozo by hand and threaded the wire through. This is a very simple and intricate way to eliminate waste in the design. The metal fittings are also made of titanium, so it is recommended for people with metal allergies.