SAORI is a hand-weaving program through which everyone can express oneself freely regardless of age, gender, disability or intellectual aptitude. In Japan there are more than 30,000 of SAORI population. It is practiced worldwide at nearly one thousand institutions such as special schools, rehabilitation centers and day care centers. It is also introduced as an art program at schools and as a life long education program to adults.

Weaver-friendly design
User-friendliness let the weavers more freely demonstrate inherent sense of creativity through weaving.
click here for more about SAORI looms.

The main philosophy is freedom.
A true freedom of expression. A release of individuality. Salvage, loose threads, accidental skip of thread adds to the whole beauty and freedom of SAORI.

Misao calls SAORI weaving the creation of sensibility. The way people weave together is the best way to inspire each other by showing - revealing - their true inner creativity. A.
Misao has been involved with SAORI weaving groups of educational and therapeutic activities over 35 years.
Now SAORI weavers are spread worldwide and they do workshops and classes in their communities.
SAORI is also known as VSA Arts Japan. VSA Arts is an international non-profit organization that creates learning opportunities through the arts for people with disabilities. www.vsarts.org
It was founded by Jean Kennedy Smith as an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. As an affiliate of VSA Arts, VSA Arts Japan provides worldwide support for the artistic activities of people with disabilities.
All flowers are beautiful,
even though each individual flower is
different in form and color.
Because of this difference, “all are good”.
Because everything has the same life,
life cannot be measured by a yardstick.
It is this individuality that makes
everything meaningful
and the uniqueness of each thread
that creates the tapestry of life.

Misao Jo
above: Misao sensei and SAORI-no-MORI in Osaka, Japan. March 7, 2006

right: Misao sensei recently bought this sculpture which created by an artist with mental disability. It looks like a elf of SAORI no MORI (mori means forest).




Go to our another website, www.saoriny.com
The SA of SAORI is the first syllable of the word SAI. SAI is found in ZEN vocabulary.
It means everything has its own individual dignity. And the ORI of SAORI means weaving.


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Misao Jo
Born in 1913, Japan

She is the founder of SAORI, the free-style weaving association. She started weaving when she was 57 years old and created her own loom and style free from the traditional concept and rules of weaving.

It became such a unique loom, light, foldable and simple to manage.  She believes no matter who you are (young or old, a man or a woman, experienced or inexperienced, and people who need some help to handle the loom), everyone can express themselves on the canvas of their very own tapestry of weaving.