:: September 2001 
Review
The Techniques of Japanese Embroidery
There is currently no better book for exploring the history, symbolism, and techniques of Japanese embroidery than The Techniques of Japanese Embroidery, by Shuji Tamura. It is written with great feeling and illustrated with wonderful color plates of examples of Japanese embroidery. The line drawings of specific stitches are clear and plentiful.
Proficiency in Japanese embroidery is a lengthy process. When you realize you are studying a sixteen hundred-year tradition, you will understand the dedication required for mastery of such a fibre art form. Mr. Tamura stresses the spiritual element of Japanese embroidery which ideally accompanies technical excellence in the process of creating beauty. There are ten phases or instructional levels, containing forty-six different stitching elements.
Beauty in Japanese embroidery is full of symbolism. Happiness, for instance, may be represented by the pine tree. Longevity may be represented by the crane or the tortoise. Mandarin ducks represent marital fidelity. The morning glory motif may be used to represent late summer.
Be forewarned! Reading this book will make you want to visit the Kurenai-Kai Community in Togane City, Japan or the Japanese Embroidery Center in Dunwoody, Georgia where Japanese embroidery techniques are being taught (see Advice