World Embroidery Day

Today is World Embroidery Day. 

I’m fortunate to be able to stitch every day, without other obligations. I do like the idea of a special day, with people all over the world stitching. I haven’t worked on this one in quite a while. I think today is a good day to pick it up again.

How will you observe this day?

Manifesto for World Embroidery Day 30th of July

Textile reflects our world; embroideries can show the expressions of our time. Embroidery and textiles can focus on the social injustices between countries.

By the means of embroidery we can draw attention to the necessity of engaging in the force of textile in global trade and with it in world peace. Textiles is a power and let us use embroidery as an inspiration for people to engage in creativity that leads to a better understanding between countries and between people.

To embroider is a peaceful occupation. It can be traditional made from a common remembrance, drawn designs, from a pattern, or from your own imagination. You embroider for joy, beauty, decoration and for the creation of identity.

Stitches can be decorative, beautiful, comforting, repeating, healing, telling, plea- surable, rebellious, caressing and perfect.

People embroider out of joy, as a hobby, professionally, for the bare necessities of life and as an act of freedom. You embroider together with others or in meditative soli- tude.

We want to acknowledge embroidery as an act of free creativity, which can lead to free, creative thoughts and ideas. We want to tie our embroidery threads from the privi- leged northern hemisphere together with stiches that are sewn by embroidering sisters and brothers all over the world.

We want to be part of a joyfully creative peace movement.

The initiative came from Skåne Sy-d, a local group of Broderiakademin, the Swedish Embroiderer’s Guild. The rst World Embroidery Day took place in Vismarlöv, 30th July 2011. The importance of embroidery must be made known and World Embroidery Day will spread around the world. Make 30th July a day lled with creativity for the sake of Peace, Freedom and Equality.

www.broderiakademin.nu

Work In Progress Wednesday

Sashiko, three panels finished

Great Wave progress

Hardanger progress

Breaking Update News - The Lip Sew-er Case

 If you haven’t already, read this post first.

A few days ago, I wrote about the woman who escaped her shared home with sewn lips to tell the police her roommate had done it the day before, but she couldn’t escape when it first happened.  Ibaraki Police have now rearrested 50 year old Masae Sakurai on suspicion of coercion after she allegedly intimidated her female roommate into sewing her own lips together previously.

Yes, you read that right. Masae Sakurai, a self described part-time worker, is accused of threatening the 42 year old victim at their shared residence in Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture on the night of June 18. According to Koga Police, Sakurai is suspected of sewing a woman’s lips together on June 29 (causing injuries of undetermined severity) after having forced her to sew them herself ten days prior. Sakurai allegedly presented her roommate with a threaded needle and demanded she hurry up and do it. The terrified victim was forced to stitch her own lips together multiple times. When she was rearrested on July 24, Sakurai flatly denied the allegations. Police are continuing to investigate the living situation.

Record Cash Turned in to Police in 2025

If you lose something in Japan, chances are you will get it back. Studies have shown that Japan ranks among the highest in the world for civic honesty. 

A record 4.5 billion yen cash was turned in to Tokyo Police as lost property in 2025. This was up 0.5% from 2024, according to police statistics. More than 70% of the money came from public facilities, such as supermarkets with self check out registers. According to the Metropolitan Police Department’s lost and found, the largest single amount turned into police was 27 million yen. About 3.23 million yen was returned to the owners, while approximately 590 million yen was given to the honest finders who turned in the money. Roughly 680 million yen became metropolitan government revenue. 

The number of other items given to police was up 3 percent from 2024, for a record high of about 4.5 million items. The most common items were drivers licenses and other identification, while the number of small electronics handed in continues to increase.

Monday Morning Star Count

I don’t have a new project in the works yet, but I want to be ready when I do think of something. I have been pressing the small pieces of fabric I have, cutting them into two and a half inch squares and clipping them to the hexagon paper templates. My plan is to stitch them into hexagons in the nooks and crannies of time I find. Then, when I do think of a project, I will already have hexagons made to choose from. It’s win-win, I will use up the small pieces of fabric and I will have hexagons already made up.

Nara Prison Hotel

I first posted about this prison to hotel project here in 2022. At that time, it was anticipated that the hotel would open in 2024, but due to an earthquake-resistance assessment, it was delayed. The end of June 2026, it opened for business.

The prison was one of five built by the government during the Meiji Era (1868-1912), showcasing modern prison facilities in Japan. It later became a juvenile prison, closing in 2017 because the aging facilities.

Hoshino Resorts, Inc. now runs the property as a luxury hotel, with 48 suites, which were created by combining former cells. The property is turning the prison into a tourist attraction. The site is near Nara Park, known for landmarks such as the Todai-ji temple complex and its free-roaming deer. 

A one night stay starts at 147,000 yen per suite room, which includes visiting the Nara Prison Museum. The hotel aims for an 80 per cent occupancy rate within three years. 

I would like to stay at this hotel, but it is a little out of my price range. Maybe I could just visit the museum.

Hello Kitty Travel Manners

Thank you to Queeniepatch for forwarding this to me. If you forget your manners, Hello Kitty will remind you.

K

Disney to Raise Ticket Prices

Beginning October 11th, the cost of one day adult tickets at Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea will increase to 12,400 yen, with tickets for ages 12-17 increasing to 10,200 yen, and children ages 4-11 increasing to 5900 yen. 

An official with Oriental Land Co., which operates the Disney parks, said the price hikes were due to the increased value of the parks, with the 2024 opening of the Fantasy Springs port in DisneySea as well as the higher outlays for construction and personal expenses. The official hopes Disney guests will understand that this was necessary to make sure everyone enjoys the parks.

Disney Parks are incredibly popular with Japanese children AND adults. I think people will pay the increased price and continue to visit the parks.  

People are always surprised that I’ve never been and don’t care to go (at any price). My only Disney park experience was once when I was in high school when my high school’s marching band went to Florida by bus and marched in several locations in Florida, including Disney. (I was a flag carrier and our uniform was a short skirt and white boots). I don’t remember a lot about the Disney experience. 

Back to the ticket price increase - do you think this is reasonable for you and or your family?  I’m sometimes called cheap (I prefer to say I am frugal), but I can think of better ways to spend that much money.

Kawanarijimasengen Shrine

This tiny shrine is located on the edge of a shopping center parking lot in Fuji City, Shizuoka, not far from Shin-Fuji Station.

Work In Progress Wednesday

Sashiko progress - I finished two panels and started the third.

Hardanger progress

Pineapple Zipper Pouch progress 

Assisi Rose - this is a free chart and took just an afternoon to stitch

Maid School Japan

Maid School Japan is accepting applications for its very first term.

It was created under the supervision of the Butler Association Japan, and it will provide training in household services to wealthy clientele. (It has nothing to do with working in a Japanese Maid Cafe). The curriculum will cover 12 topics.

1. The foundational character and professional mindset of a maid

2. Manners, demeanor and grooming

3. Communication techniques and mindful choices of words

4. Fundamentals and applied techniques of luxury home cleaning

5. Practical applications of table settings and meal service

6. Confidentiality obligations and handling of personal information

7. Understanding the way of life and needs of wealthy society

8. Fundamentals of household management

9. Care and management of clothing and valuables

10. Practical guest relations and VIP hospitality

11. International etiquette and global service

12. Comprehensive exercises and concluding examination

The training is said to be useful in a variety of fields, not only household management. The Japan Maid School points out its usefulness to those working in travel and hospitality, salespeople, consultants, and executive assistants. 

Classes are conducted online through Zoom, by currently working maids and butlers. Applicants be at least 20 years old, and no prior experience is required. Applications can be submitted online, and both male and female students are accepted. Tuition for the complete course is 290,000 yen. Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00 - 10:30 pm, with a limit of 20 students per course. The first term will be conducted July 28 - September 3.

When I first heard of this, I thought of  Upstairs, Downstairs and something very British. Then when I read three hours a week over Zoom, that idea was gone. I never aspired to be a maid, but if I did, I think I’d want some kind of on the job training situation. What do you think of this program?