Work In Progress Wednesday

Sneek Sampler (small) progress

The Great Wave progress - I finished the upper right quarter and have been working on the upper left quarter.

Mechanical Pencil Museum

I love this story.  This university student has turned his passion since childhood into a museum so he can share this interest with others.

Since he was a young elementary school student, Kengo Hirose asked his father to take him to stationery stores. Kengo was fascinated by mechanical pencils. He is now 20 years old and a university student, majoring in architecture.  And, he still loves mechanical pencils. 

In June, he opened the Museum of Mechanical Pencils in Kyoto’s Nakagyo Ward. He has thousands mechanical pencils from Japan and abroad, many of them from the 1980’s, and no longer being made. Visitors are allowed to try out many of the pencils and he also has some pencils for sale. The museum is open from 1 pm to 7 pm on Sundays, with reservations in advance. Visit https://hiroseteppitudo.stores.jp/reserve/kyoto-512 

(Text in Japanese only) for reservations.

National Parks Quilt-a-Long - Block 1 Nine Patch

I read about this interesting quilt-a-long on this Piecework magazine website. This article directs participants to the Park’s website for instructions for blocks 1-6. The first block is the nine patch. There are step by step instructions, as well as diagrams, photographs, and stories. I plan to use small scrappy pieces of fabric I have to hand sew the blocks. Will you join me with this Quilt-a-Long? 

Nine Patch 12 inch block, plus quarter inch seams.

Disposing of Family Homes - Jikka-Jimai

Internet photo, not actual Jikka-jimai photo

Jikka-jimai is the process of disposing of the family home. This is a topic I read and hear about more and more often. Japan has an aging population, with elderly home owners moving to care homes or dying. Middle aged children of elderly parents are anxious about what to do about their parents’ home when the time comes.

In recent times, it is more common for children to move away and establish homes in other places. There are fewer young people in Japan, and most of those looking for a place to establish themselves, want new, energy efficient homes.

Managing an empty house from afar is difficult, but neglecting an empty home causes problems with neighbors and can become a fire hazard. Demolition is expensive. If there are several children or relatives, it can be difficult for all to agree on what to do and how to cover costs.  

Experts agree that planning ahead is the ideal situation. It would be best for the elderly parents to be involved in the decision, but many do not want to talk about death. This is a difficult problem.

The Great Wave

I went to this exhibit at the Atami Museum of Art - “Hokusai Manga, The Great Wave and the Digital”. The museum building is built into the side of the mountain, so you have to go up multiple escalators. Midway up is a ceiling with constantly changing colors and a hexagon floor.

The exhibit was very large. Here are some of my favorites.

This is one of my current cross stitch projects - The Great Wave.

One room had two walls with changing projection pictures. It was really well done.

The next area had huge wall size pictures.

This was a fantastic exhibition. I’m so glad I was able to see it!

I am really fortunate to have so many great museums nearby.

Friday Small Finishes

 

This beaded edge is very easy. I posted a tutorial here.

Japan’s Oldest Person Dies

Sad News - The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced 115 year Shigeko Kagawa died late last week. She was an amazing woman who graduated from medical school in 1934 and practiced medicine into her 80’s, and was the oldest torch bearer in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She attributed her long life to her habit of walking so much for so many years.    

Fuyo Kishimoto, 114 year old woman living in Kyoto is now Japan’s oldest person.

Work In Progress Wednesday

The Great Wave progress - upper right quarter of the total picture

The Sneek Sampler progress

Museum Exhibits for Visually Impaired

I have been impressed by accommodations for visually impaired people in Japan. The yellow tactile blocks, or Tenji Blocks, make it more easy to safely move around.

I see Braille signage at many places in Japan.

Now, museums in Japan starting to cater to the needs of visually impaired visitors.

The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo has started offering tours that allow visually impaired visitors to touch scale models and replicas of the original exhibits. A “Science Communicator” takes the tour participants around the museum for about two hours. 

According to the Japanese Association of Museums, exhibits at museums that cater to the visually impaired have increased in the last two or three decades, but experts say museums abroad do more. Today, more and more people are thinking of creative ways for museums to be more inclusive. Good news, in my opinion!

Monday Morning Star Count

I continued making more hexagons (in the box lid on the right). Making random hexagons, with no idea what they will become, is relaxing.  Maybe I will have more next week.