Hometown Temari (Furusato No Temari) by Tomokaza Arai
4-7739-90066. 100 pages, hardback. Published in 1990.
In the past we knew this book as “The Black Book.” It is a high quality, hardback reference book with maps to show the location of the towns in Japan. There are no instructions for the temari, but there is a huge number of them! If you find one on the market, bid high and grab it!
The book Furosato no Temari or Hometown Temari by Tomokazu Arai was published in Japanese in 1990. The author traveled across
the country and interviewed temari makers to document how they learned the craft as well as their techniques and designs. Furosato no
Temari is filled with photographs of temari and the stories behind them. Most interesting to a temari artist today are all the different
methods for making the core.
From its very beginning, temari has exemplified a mother’s love for her child. In many regions, temari are handed down from generation to generation. The one thing all temari have in common is that they were made by mothers to show love for their children. Mrs. Nori Furuta said, “Every time I hold these temari my mother left for me, I remember my mother. They make me happy but a little sad at the same time since I feel that my mother is still talking to me."