Comments on: Whiplash - Zakka http://whipup.net/2007/08/27/whiplash-zakka/ handcraft in a hectic world Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:36:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: a. http://whipup.net/2007/08/27/whiplash-zakka/#comment-189587 a. Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:02:08 +0000 http://whipup.net/2007/08/27/whiplash-zakka/#comment-189587 I agree, this is definitely a phenomenon that people in the West don't fully understand and probably never will, because our cultures are really very different. I notice that many confuse "handmade" and "craft" with "zakka", sometimes "kawai'i" with both of the former, and so on. One isn't necessarily the other. I believe that language barriers play strongly into this (e.g., too few Japanese bloggers explaining, too few Westerners being able to read Japanese and having a good understanding of Japanese culture), and I doubt that there will ever be serious efforts to translate Japanese craft and hobby books at least into English. The interesting thing about this is how people in the West now sort of "reclaim" Western things from Japanese trends, when it has already been very interesting to see what Japanese do with items we in the West hardly notice anymore, because they have become such an unsensational part of our daily lives. There is a very interesting and informative article over at the Herald Tribune, written by Kaori Shoji, and it nails the phenomenon pretty precisely on its head: http://www.iht.com/articles/2001/05/15/kaori_ed2_.php I agree, this is definitely a phenomenon that people in the West don’t fully understand and probably never will, because our cultures are really very different. I notice that many confuse “handmade” and “craft” with “zakka”, sometimes “kawai’i” with both of the former, and so on. One isn’t necessarily the other. I believe that language barriers play strongly into this (e.g., too few Japanese bloggers explaining, too few Westerners being able to read Japanese and having a good understanding of Japanese culture), and I doubt that there will ever be serious efforts to translate Japanese craft and hobby books at least into English.

The interesting thing about this is how people in the West now sort of “reclaim” Western things from Japanese trends, when it has already been very interesting to see what Japanese do with items we in the West hardly notice anymore, because they have become such an unsensational part of our daily lives.

There is a very interesting and informative article over at the Herald Tribune, written by Kaori Shoji, and it nails the phenomenon pretty precisely on its head:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2001/05/15/kaori_ed2_.php

]]> By: filambulle http://whipup.net/2007/08/27/whiplash-zakka/#comment-184446 filambulle Mon, 27 Aug 2007 07:20:26 +0000 http://whipup.net/2007/08/27/whiplash-zakka/#comment-184446 I must confess I have missed this theme. And there is no way I will be able to make something for it in the nest 4 days. Which is a pity, because I love zakkas! (not too offensive expletive to be included here) I must confess I have missed this theme. And there is no way I will be able to make something for it in the nest 4 days. Which is a pity, because I love zakkas!
(not too offensive expletive to be included here)

]]> By: littlesnoring http://whipup.net/2007/08/27/whiplash-zakka/#comment-184442 littlesnoring Mon, 27 Aug 2007 06:53:24 +0000 http://whipup.net/2007/08/27/whiplash-zakka/#comment-184442 Thanks for the update, you gave me the push along to actually post some zakka inspired projects. I was quite excited when you announced the theme, because it does seem to a phrase or description used a lot in the blogosphere and I guess there are a lot of interpretations of what it actually means. Maybe there will be a flurry of last minute posts as the month ends. Thanks for the update, you gave me the push along to actually post some zakka inspired projects. I was quite excited when you announced the theme, because it does seem to a phrase or description used a lot in the blogosphere and I guess there are a lot of interpretations of what it actually means. Maybe there will be a flurry of last minute posts as the month ends.

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