It is hard to believe that the Sashiko Japan Retreat 2025 is only four weeks away – from November 17 to November 27. This ten-day journey between Tokyo Area and Takayama in Japan is a retreat I offer to share not only the Sashiko we practice but also the many forms of Sashiko practiced in Japan.
Even within a single word – “Sashiko” – there are countless paths and expressions.
To define Sashiko by showing just one style would be to simplify it violently.
Through this retreat, participants will encounter Sashiko in its many voices – from traditional to contemporary, from quiet to playful, from cool to kawaii.
An Announcement from My Heart
Today, I must share something difficult, though.
The 2025 retreat will likely be the final year that I can offer the Sashiko Japan Retreat in its current form.
At this moment, I have no plan for the same retreats in 2026 or beyond. It pains me deeply to write this as it was my sincere hope to keep offering it, yet I wish for this message to mark not only an ending but also a beginning – something new that will grow from what we have built together.
Why I Started the Sashiko Japan Retreat
When I began teaching Sashiko in English in 2017, many students learned our [Core & Essence] and Unshin – the fundamental form of Sashiko stitching.
As their rhythm and understanding deepened, they often asked:
“Atsushi, what else can you teach us?”
I am aware of the boundary of what I can and should teach. The Sashiko I share can be taught even in a single day if I focus on its most essential elements. Yet, as requests grew, that one-day class evolved into a three-day intensive workshop ([Core & Essence] and [Application & Practice]) – and beginning 2025, I will also offer a five-day retreat-style workshop in the U.S., where I can teach nearly everything I can articulate.
Still, I know clearly that there are many forms of Sashiko that I cannot – and should not – teach.
I wanted my students – my friends – to experience those other forms: Sashiko that I deeply respect but am not trained to transmit. This includes learning from my mother, Keiko Futatsuya, an extraordinary artist who rarely teaches outside Japan.
Thus, the Sashiko Japan Retreat was born – a journey to meet artists and artisans who usually never teach publicly, let alone in English. My role became that of a bridge – a translator, a companion, a witness – so that their voices could reach those who truly wish to listen.
Why 2025 Will Be the Last One (for Now)
This retreat has carried immense meaning – and I still believe its value is undeniable.
However, I also recognize a truth: I started too late. If I could go back ten years, perhaps the story would unfold differently.
Planning a retreat like this takes nearly a full year – countless messages, delicate coordination, and the quiet trust of teachers who are humble yet sincere to what they do. Every instructor I invite holds deep responsibility for their work; each year, they hesitate because they wonder if their Sashiko is “good enough.”
That humility is precisely what makes their Sashiko so authentic – but it also means it becomes harder to ask them again and again. It isn't only about the humility itself. Some are getting old... and some want to focus on their creation. I understand their concerns & preferences. Out of respect for their sincerity, I will make this the Sashiko Japan Retreat after 2025 as the final chapter of Sashiko Japan Retreat.
Perhaps someday, I may organize something similar – but it will not be the same.
Carrying Sashiko as My Fate
Even without concrete plans for 2026 and beyond, I am not giving up. I carry Sashiko as if it were my fate – not just my profession or passion.
It may sound arrogant to speak of “responsibility,” but I do feel a duty to pass on the Sashiko we practice – with honesty, context, and care.
Be Part of the Final Retreat – and Beyond
To celebrate and document this final retreat, I have created a Supporter Page (via Givebutter). There, I will share photos and stories from the 2025 retreat – and continue to post reflections on the Sashiko we practice. Those who support us on Patreon will also have access to this ongoing circle.
If I treated the retreat purely as entertainment, I could probably host it every season.
But this is not entertainment to me (Of course, I will try to make it entertaining to everyone who participate - and I have received many reviews saying it was such a great series of entertainment). It is a way to introduce the living Sashiko of Japan – to connect the people who care about it, both in Japan and abroad.
My deepest wish is that this bridge – between Sashiko in Japan and Sashiko introduced in English – will remain a symbol of respect and appreciation, not appropriation.
*Supporters on GiveButter and Patreon will receive priority invitations when I reintroduce the Sashiko Japan Retreat — regardless of its future form or style. I will also share updates on the development of the next retreat. Although it may not be the same as this year’s, I sincerely hope to offer another opportunity to pass down the Sashiko we practice.
Thank you – to everyone who has walked this path with me.
I hope we stitch this final retreat together, and perhaps, with time, weave a new beginning from the same threads.
Thnak you very much for your support.
Atsushi & Keiko Futatsuya
