Sanuki Kagari Temari Preservation Society
Temari is said to have originated in the court as a toy for princesses during the Heian period. It is one of the crafts that were once made all over Japan, but its development has been diverse. While there are luxurious and gorgeous temari made with silk and gold threads, Sanuki Kagari Temari is characterized by the use of cotton threads in gentle colors dyed with plants and trees.
The core is made of rice husks wrapped in thin paper, and thin cotton threads are wound around the core to make a sphere (base ball). Cotton thread is regularly interspersed with geometric patterns to express chrysanthemums, cherry blossoms, and other traditional Japanese patterns.
Natural incense is also placed inside the base mari to bring fragrance and color to the space.
Temari in the Sanuki region was actively made during the Edo period, but by the Meiji period, its existence was gradually forgotten due to mechanization and the spread of rubber balls.
After World War II, Mr. and Mrs. Araki started researching and studying the art with almost no makers, and breathed life into a technique that had almost disappeared. 1977 they named it "Sanuki Kagari Temari," and in 1986 they established the "Sanuki Kagari Temari Preservation Society". In 1987, Sanuki Kagari Temari was designated as a traditional craft by Kagawa Prefecture, and the Sanuki Kagari Temari Preservation Society was certified as the designated manufacturer.
Today, the preservation society is led by his daughter-in-law, Eiko Araki, who has succeeded to their wishes, and together with more than 100 other makers, produces works that incorporate new sensibilities and expressions, while respecting traditional materials and techniques.
Kagawa Prefecture is located in the northeastern part of Shikoku, facing the Seto Inland Sea. 
In the past, it was called Sanuki Province, and during the Edo Period, it was famous for the "Sanuki Sanpaku" (three whites of Sanuki). Sanpaku refers to cotton, salt, and sugar, all of which were specialties of the region's mild climate and lack of rainfall. Sanuki Kagari Temari uses cotton threads, one of the three whites. The soft colors are dyed with plants and trees.
At the workshop of the preservation society, which occupies the site of an old wooden kindergarten, cotton threads are dyed with plants and trees to create a colorful assortment of kagari threads, and the makers are constantly refining their skills while devising color matching techniques.
The workshop also offers classes and sells temari and threads.
1987 Designated as a traditional craft of Kagawa Prefecture
2006 Eiko Araki certified as a traditional craftsman in Kagawa Prefecture February 2012
CCJ Craft Fair C Mark Certification; "Nihohi Temari Kiri Box" (paulownia box) February 2013
CCJ Craft Fair C-Mark Certification; "KOUTEMARI (scented temari)" November 2013
Winner of the Grand Prize at the Kagawa Prefecture Product Contest; "KOUTEMARI"