Meet Atsushi Futatsuya as Sashiko Artisan and StoryTeller

Sharing Sashiko Through Stories, Practice, and Life

Hello. My name is Atsushi Futatsuya. In the United States, I often introduce myself by my nickname, “Azu.” It is an honor to share what Sashiko is based on my lifelong experience.

Sashiko is not something I simply learned as a technique. It has always been around me — in my family, in my childhood, in the hands of artisans, and in the many choices I have made throughout my life. I now share Sashiko through workshops, online classes, stories, supplies, and the work I continue with my mother, Keiko Futatsuya.

*This is an updated version of my self-introduction.

For those who would like to quickly learn who Atsushi is, please check the links below.

 

Meet Atsushi Futatsuya on YouTube

It is often easier to understand who I am by hearing me speak. On my YouTube channel, I share what I would like to pass down about Sashiko — not only the techniques, but also the stories, mindset, and cultural context behind the stitches.

Please visit the YouTube channel to learn more about the Sashiko I practice and share.

 

What Atsushi Offers to Share Sashiko

Atsushi Futatsuya offers Sashiko Workshops in various locations across the United States, sharing the Core & Essence of the Sashiko he has practiced throughout his life. Atsushi is based in Central Pennsylvania, and while his in-person teaching opportunities are limited, attending a workshop or retreat in person remains the best way to learn Sashiko directly from him.

In addition to in-person workshops, the Online Sashiko Class is available for those who wish to learn the Core & Essence of Sashiko without traveling. As of 2026, both in-person workshops and the Online Sashiko Class are available. Please check the current workshop schedule for available in-person opportunities, or consider the Online Sashiko Class as an alternative way to begin learning the Core & Essence of Sashiko.

In-Person Workshop / Retreat:
https://sashikostory.com/pages/in-person-sashiko-class

Learn Sashiko with Atsushi Online:
https://sashikostory.com/pages/OnlineSashikoClass

 

Born into Sashiko, Finding My Own Story

Did you have a “planned future” in your childhood — something your family, relatives, or people around you kept mentioning as if it had already been decided?

I was born into a surviving Sashiko family in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. In my childhood, many of my friends were the Sashiko artisans who worked in our family business. Around me, there were piles of fabric, a frightening number of needles and thimbles, and many colors of thread.

I strongly remember being told, many times, that I would take over the family business when I grew up. It was considered a Japanese tradition for the first-born child to take over the family business, especially in a family rooted in traditional craft.

And, of course, I hated that fate.

Regardless of the Sashiko techniques I had naturally learned, I simply did not want to be in the Sashiko business during my adolescence. It was not easy to step away from the path so many people had prepared for me. So I decided to leave the country. I chose to go to university in the United States.

 

From Sashiko as a Business to Sashiko as a Life

After graduating from university, I started working in Tokyo. I still did not want to take over the Sashiko business. My parents were still in their 50s, and I thought I could avoid the serious conversation about who would be responsible for the family business until much later.

However, in 2008, my father called and asked if I could help him run the business. The company had fallen into serious debt, and they needed help from the financial side. After deep consideration, I decided to return to the family business — but I made it clear that I was going back only to “help,” not to “take over.”

 

The Difficulty of Running Sashiko as a Business

After spending several weeks looking through the financial records, I realized how difficult it was to operate Sashiko as a business.

In Sashiko, almost everything is made by hand. The keywords often used in ordinary manufacturing — productivity, cost reduction, production planning, just-in-time systems, and many others — did not really apply. I tried to understand why the business had fallen into debt. By recalculating every possible cost, including the time and labor of handwork, we began to understand what the “right” price should be.

After two years of looking at Sashiko through numbers, the company was able to avoid bankruptcy. However, I still could not see a clear future. I could not find the possibility of growth.

 

Sharing What We Are Proud Of

In 2010, my mindset began to change. Instead of focusing on growth, I started thinking about how to make a “soft landing” for the business. I knew it was almost impossible to make a large profit from Sashiko. However, I thought it might be possible to help the business land safely, so that everyone could avoid the pain of bankruptcy.

At that point, my mind shifted from numbers to what Sashiko actually was.

I began to realize the beauty of Sashiko. Around this time, I started trying to repair my own denim jeans. I also began introducing Sashiko in English, and later had opportunities to offer workshops overseas.

 

Why Am I Doing This?

As much as I enjoyed introducing Sashiko — the beautiful culture we were proud of — I began to wonder why I was doing it, beyond the simple fact that I had been born into this family.

I could not find a clear purpose for sharing Sashiko, especially after realizing that the Sashiko business might not continue once the elderly artisans stopped working with us. I could not justify sacrificing my days in my 20s only to keep the business going.

Then, the Tohoku Earthquake occurred in 2011.

Through supporting Tohoku with Sashiko, I began to understand the meaning of continuing this culture. I began to realize the importance of passing Sashiko down to the next generation.

 

After My Father Passed Away

In October 2013, my father passed away unexpectedly.

Although I was not mentally ready to take over the business without him, I had a strong determination that I was the one who needed to carry on his will within the company. I no longer hated the fate I had once rejected as the Sashiko business manager.

Long story short, life is full of drama.

My mother and I were fired by the new stakeholders, who had discovered that the company had some cash. We understood the reason behind this inhuman decision. My mother and I were difficult for them to deal with. We did not care only about short-term profit. We cared about how to continue the culture in the form of a business.

In 2013, I lost my identity as Atsushi Futatsuya, the Sashiko business manager.

 

Upcycle and Sashiko Culture as Atsushi Futatsuya

After that unbelievable moment changed our lives, I decided to move to the United States. It was simply too painful for me to stay in Japan.

I told my mother that she could come with me, but she decided to stay in Japan. She had many friends, her precious dog, and my younger brother, who had just begun his life in society. She could not simply leave everything behind. As much as I worried about her, we decided to begin our new lives without Sashiko.

 

Sashi.Co & Keiko Futatsuya Started in 2015

Around June 2014, my mother called me with a serious voice.

She said, “I would like to do Sashiko.”

She loves Sashiko. She cannot live without it. She could simply enjoy stitching for herself, but she also wanted to make large pieces and share them with people who love Sashiko. She asked if I could help her make her Sashiko into a business again.

Although I was expecting to become a stay-at-home dad in the coming year, I agreed to help her become a Sashiko business owner. Then she started the project called Sashi.Co & Keiko Futatsuya — Designing a Life with Sashiko, with the help of many people around her.

 

What Can I Do as Atsushi Futatsuya?

Sashi.Co & Keiko Futatsuya has continued to grow, and my mother enjoys her projects more and more. She provides beautiful Sashiko fabric to fashion brands. She repairs precious vintage fabrics for fashion designers as “To-Be-Boro.” She creates great Sashiko pieces with her friends.

Her income itself is not yet enough to fully support her daily life, but her joy in continuing Sashiko is what I value the most.

In 2017, I established Upcycle Stitches LLC. Through Upcycle Stitches, I host Sashiko workshops, provide Sashiko supplies and materials, and share the techniques, skills, stories, and cultural context behind the Sashiko we practice.

Based on all of my experiences, I am now thinking about what I can do as Atsushi Futatsuya — not only as the third generation of a Sashiko business family.

This is our new journey to embrace Sashiko.

My mission is to share what Sashiko is with the world.


Support Atsushi & Keiko’s Activities

I learned about a platform called Patreon, where people can support artisans and storytellers directly. We created a Patreon mainly to support Keiko’s ongoing Sashiko activities, and I also share many Sashiko stories there.

These stories are not mainly about “how to do Sashiko.” They are more about what Sashiko means within Japanese culture, and what kind of stories exist behind the stitches. I have many more stories I would like to share with the world.

Your support helps us continue our activities and keep sharing Sashiko with care, honesty, and respect.

Become a Patreon Supporter for Sashiko