on maxing out resources

one of the things that i admire most of the japanese culture is their using resources to their fullest potential.

rice for example. besides being totemic in the culture, is eaten,  turned into liquor, made into flour; from liquor they also make vinegar,  the flour made into wagashi, also a paste to be used as glue, and as  reserve for stencil printing. the list could go on this is just the edible part branching out. the remnants, rice straw, is used for making tatamis, ropes, fertiliser for the fields and much more. the same goes for bamboo. 

boro  which has become the craze of the western world  comes out of necessity and using everything to its fullest.

i try in my own modest way to find other uses for my tools and equipment because other than being gratifying and challenging storage space needs are kept under control.

during my trip to japan almost 13 years ago i hauled an assortment of shinshi. those where the happy days when a traveler was just a traveler not a suspect of some potential debacle therefore you could bring inside the plane things that would get you a holiday in guantanamo now.

my shinshi have served multi purposes , this one being the latest. instead of buying a blocking board they are used as one. they also create great fabric sculptures  ^_^




neki desu