Ashigara embroidery Kikuaki Ueda 4
- ━ You made presentations in a variety of places from the 1980s and won big prizes too. Which is the most memorable prize left in your memory?
- I won many prizes but not at prefecture exhibitions.
I got a prize from the silk industry, from the ‘national silk industry society’.
I was very proud to get the prize because it’s given by others in the industry.
- ━ When did the fame of the Ashigara embroidery rise?
- It was a long process.
After about 10 years, it was mentioned in newspapers several times.
I was also presented on a TV program called " the small travel "
It was not a nationwide broadcast only in Kanto and Koshinetu-districts.
But it started to spread the word which was stunning.
I was very surprised because after the broadcast, I got hundreds of questions.
For example, how to learn, where to buy it or where can I see it? etc
- ━ Did your fame rise because of ‘’the toast of Tsurube’s family’’a NHK TV program?
- Before that around 1994, with the support of Kanagawa Prefecture, I opened an exhibition in the Silk Museum in Yokohama.
NHK staff came to my exhibition and they said that they wanted to present the exhibition on a TV program called “The Sunday Museum”.
So I went to Tokyo and my work was presented for 3or4 minutes during the program. In the program, the Sakurai announcer had a hand bag and picture frame, which was stunning in a nationwide broadcast.
One day a person influenced by the program came from Okinawa, and another person came from Wajima in Noto-hanto too. I hosted an exhibition for about a month and many people came from all over Japan.
In that way, the word was spread.
Mr.Tsurube with TV staff came to my place suddenly and they broadcast the work nationwide.
It also helped to spread the word. After that I got and still get enquiries from all over Japan, some times people ask Odawara city about the work too.
It is very fortunate.
- ━ About how many works have you created so far?
- I decided I wanted to become an artist and manufacture in about 1950 so it is still early days. Also I was doing a business as a workman until then too.
However, I think that all together I’ve made about 150.