This letter is one of many that detail Mieko Shiomi’s efforts to help George Maciunas have a katana samurai sword repaired in Japan. Interestingly, Shiomi’s account of the difficulty of this task reveals details about geopolitical relationships between the United States and Japan, as well as Shiomi’s newfound limitations since becoming a wife and mother. She reports that it is forbidden to send money from Japan to the United States, while lamenting that “my situation is like a prisoner in house.” Developing artistic collaborations that could be realized by mail established a lifeline that sustained her artistic practice during this difficult period in her life.
Used by permission of Mieko Shiomi.
