niime 百科

Encyclopedia of niime

Mutsumi Tamaki, a member of the “Connection team” joined as an event staff first, but now she does all the office work. Mio Fujita of the “Operation team” has been working as the primary leader in all in-country events. Those two teams are called “stand-alone” units. They have been working for “tamaki niime” for a long time, and they know the company’s essence very well. Please enjoy their frank, in-depth talks.


I interviewed each team within “tamaki niime” and know their stories, leaving a few remaining people to question. They are Ms Mutsumi Tamaki and Ms Mio Fujita. Who has worked here longer?

M. Fujita

I am not sure. The first time I met Mucchan (the nickname of Mutsumi) was when I visited Hakata. I met her in front of Hakata station after finishing carrying things for the boss. She said, “Thanks for your work today,” and I replied, “Oh, you are Ms Tamaki’s sister. Nice to meet you!”.

Mutsumi

I don’t remember at all.

M. Fujita

I think that was in April or May in 2012. I was probably helping events from October in 2011, and 6 months later, I went on the first business trip and stayed at Hakata for a week. Mucchan left for Hiroshima and so did I …

Mutsumi

Oh, yeah, I remember.

M. Fujita

Yeah, yeah.

Mutsumi

I remember that. I may have started helping events earlier than you.

M. Fujita

I thought so.

Mutsumi

I visited Osaka, where Tamaki and Sakai made clothes, and they made me help with button sewing. ( laugh )

—— You found yourself helping them without even knowing. ( laugh )

Mutsumi

It started helping with little things, after that, when they asked me to come to the department stores where they held events. I was helping them when I noticed. ( laugh )

—— I see.

M. Fujita

At that time, we were living in Tokyo and Kyoto separately. So each of us gathered up people who could help us.

Mutsumi

( laugh )

M. Fujita

We had to find people to fill up the remaining shifts. ( laugh )

Mutsumi

We asked our friends or their friends to make up the event group.

—— Did you ask them if they could help events?

M. Fujita

Yes. We didn’t want to ask people who were professional in selling at department stores.

—— Why didn’t you want to ask them?

M. Fujita

It was vital that we create a mood or atmosphere, not just appear good at selling.

Mutsumi

We instead wanted to have exciting or unique personalities than professional salesmanship.

—— I see.

Mutsumi

I wanted to have charming people who were like “tamaki niime” and introduce our products to the customers, not just to sell them.

M. Fujita

That’s right. That’s why we asked people whom we thought had exciting personalities. We scouted people that we liked at the events. ( laugh )

Mutsumi

We still have such people on the team to work with us.

—— Oh, really?

Mutsumi

Some are the people we already knew, and others started working through interviews. I feel they enjoy working.

—— Since the beginning of “tamaki niime” and presently they keep their stance that the staff go over the wall between clerks and customers, you are expanding your fans, which I think is excellent.

M. Fujita

Yeah, yeah.

Mutsumi

There was no other way. ( laugh )

M. Fujita

That’s right. ( laugh )

Mutsumi

I would say that we probably couldn’t afford to ask professional clerks to work for us. Or we just tried to enjoy working at the new places where we were not sure if we could be successful.

—— I think you asked people who interacted with “tamaki niime” products and wanted to tell them about their passion for them to the customers. Ms Fujita, did you ever work in the sales before?

M. Fujita

Not at all. I worked in the service industry, but not in sales. Mucchan didn’t either, right?

Mutsumi

No, me either. I have worked in service jobs, but not in sales.

M. Fujita

It’s kind of …

Mutsumi

What we are doing is not really like selling things.

M. Fujita

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Mutsumi

It may sound strange to hear that we are not selling with a “sales” attitude.

M. Fujita

I started doing this job because they needed someone at the events. If I worked selling other products, I wouldn’t continue working as I do now. I feel like connecting with people through our products.

—— I see.

M. Fujita

This job is fun because it’s more than selling. Instead, I feel closer to the service jobs, connecting people to people more than I did before. The customers also seem to enjoy the ambience of “tamaki niime” not only for shopping.

Mutsumi

Don’t you feel they come to see their friends? ( laugh )

M. Fujita

Yeah, yeah, yeah ( laugh )

—— Did have that feeling from the beginning?

M. Fujita

Yes, I did. We have the staff we asked for initially, and she has kept working for us. She never had a sales job but likes to work with us. There are many like that who want to keep working for us.

—— I see.

M. Fujita

Many staff haven’t had careers in sales, but they enjoy working. I think it would be good for customers to feel different from professional clerks.

—— Do they feel comfortable around them?

M. Fujita

Yes, they may.

—— It sounds like the essence of “tamaki niime”.

M. Fujita & Mutsumi

( laugh )

—— I understand Ms Fujita is basically in charge of events, is this correct?

M. Fujita

Yes, I am.

—— Did you have events all over the country from Hokkaido to Kyushu and Okinawa? Currently, it must be challenging to have them because of the Coronavirus.

M. Fujita

Before the Pandemic, I was not in Nishiwaki for half the year. But our events were reduced to one third this Fall. We may want to have about the same amount as now even after the Pandemic.

—— You reduced the events to go outside to sell.

M. Fujita

Before, we wanted to expand our business realistically by having events in many places. We accepted events as possible and put them on our schedule. Therefore, we ended up not staying here for half the year.

Mutsumi

We often were not here for 2 whole months, right?

M. Fujita

Yeah, yeah.

Mutsumi

And we came back, but soon we had to leave again.

M. Fujita

It was usual that we had to be away from home for a month.

—— I see.

M. Fujita

However, we’ve got online shopping since February this year because of the Pandemic, and refrained from going outside. Thankfully, many people have looked for our products online from all over the country and bought them.

Mutsumi

Many customers have purchased our products from all over the country.

M. Fujita

It is a fact that many people are watching our products online. Now that they have stronger online shopping store image, which I feel we have a responsibility to people coming to the events to feel the same level of excitement as they would by looking online.

—— I see.

M. Fujita

Considering that, we have been making efforts to have many events in the past, we may have to put more effort into creating rich contents at each event. I am trying hard on that now. ( laugh ).

—— Are you replanning how the events should be staged?

M. Fujita

Yes. If we are lucky to be given a large space, we try to make outstanding displays with the boss’s help. We focus on how to create a “unique space” displays.

—— I think you have many display performance strategies, but the first of all, products’ choices are essential?

M. Fujita

The products are chosen by matching with the space, or considering customers preferences in different places.

—— You have known from past experiences at many events countrywide, correct?

M. Fujita

Well, we consider the opinions of “tamaki niime” staff and event staff who work to sell the products there.

Mutsumi

I think the event staff’s opinions are critical.

—— Do you respect the event staff’s ideas on the products?

M. Fujita

That’s right. I pick up the final display products, but I need to match them with staff’s preferences because I want them to be excited to sell them.

—— I understand.

M. Fujita

That’s because event staff recommend their favourite products to customers and the customers are impressed with the coordination of staff’s outfits. We consider it for the displays.

—— What is the event theme?

M. Fujita

This year’s theme is “Mass production of the-only-items”, which means how we can display as many items as possible. ( laugh )

—— I see. ( laugh ).

M. Fujita

I think it is easier for other brands to create a sense of unity, but it is difficult in “tamaki niime” because we have the-only-items. What our customers want is not unity. After all, we are all trying, what we can do is “quantity.”

Mutsumi

With it, and is also essential for the various colours we have.

—— I see.

M. Fujita

After all, it is much easier to coordinate to look beautiful, but such coordination doesn’t differ from other brands. Our challenge is to make it unique in colour and style.

—— You could create a different atmosphere.

M. Fujita

That’s right. We are challenged to create a different feeling in the selling space.

—— You want to make people feel “something’s different”. ( laugh ).

Mutsumi

We make sensations explode suddenly! ( laugh )

M. Fujita

We want to shock them.

Mutsumi

If they feel “wow, it’s colourful!”; “there are many”, or “something’s different,” we are excited for them.

—— You want them to know that you are not playing the eccentric artist, that is just how your brand is. ( laugh )

M. Fujita

Exactly!

—— I think this is the way of hitting the target.

M. Fujita

I was awakened. Trying to make it beautifully is not right.

—— I see, I see.

M. Fujita

The point is how to fill up the spaces.

Mutsumi

It’s easier to sell if we display randomly. It’s easy to explain to the people that there are many items on display so they can freely view them.

—— Ummm. I see.

Mutsumi

We don’t have to cling to the idea of serving customers one by one. We are more likely if they are free to observe.

M. Fujita

It is like “treasure hunting”.

—— Yes, customers can hunt on their own because they are the ones to find them. In hunting, you discover the innate nature of “tamaki niime”. Understanding that and making sure of the events’ paths, you’ve been moving forward to reach the point you are at now.

M. Fujita

We still have many assignments that we need to do.

—— Listening to your discussion, I found that through creating and even selling, “tamaki niime” has been moving forward on their own path.

Mutsumi

I understand you have a deep understanding of us. ( laugh )

—— Ms Mutsumi Tamaki, when did you come to Nishiwaki?

Mutsumi

When the Shop & Lab was previously at Ueno, Nishiwaki. I lived in Tokyo while working and attending events. I came to Ueno and stayed there for a week every month. They wanted me to understand what they do. Every time I came, I washed, weaved, and sewed, except dyeing, which they weren’t doing yet.

—— Were you here at the opening party 4 years ago?

Mutsumi

Yes, I was. I was an MC. I think I started working here around that time.

—— What are you in charge of now?

Mutsumi

I do office work and go on business trips with the boss. She used to do all the office work like accounting, paperwork, and Human Resources. I watched her while helping her enter it into the computer or writing it out. I didn’t think at first that I would end up in charge of all of this.

—— Is that the natural end result?

Mutsumi

You may say that…it looks like she couldn’t sit at a computer desk, because she needed to work on creation.

—— It looks like? ( laugh )

Mutsumi

Yes, we really had such a time. ( laugh ) She asked me to do all the office work and accounting. I started learning by imitating her and have been doing the best that I can.

—— The company “tamaki niime” welcomes non-experienced individuals, rather than professional people.

Mutsumi

Yes, they do.

—— People who have never done the related jobs or were in different industries start weaving, which most current “tamaki niime” staff now are. You can say that for the store or office staff here, too. They are all consistent in this category.

M. Fujita

I think they want people with a unique imagination who never experienced this before.

Mutsumi

I think so, too. We would have a tendency to repeat past experiences or habits.

—— Just like doing a routine task.

Mutsumi

Challenging the unknown would give us opportunities to try to learn and do, or find something interesting to do.

—— I think we have a way to teach and grow people. But you put more weight on their motivations and intentions. Mutsumi, you are also getting serious with this job because of that, right?

Mutsumi

Yeah, I think so. ( laugh )

M. Fujita

Basically, when I find tasks I have to do, I try to enjoy myself and dig deeper into the work. In other companies, experienced colleagues would teach me well, but I had to think on my feet much faster than any other company. I would have had a difficult time if I couldn’t decide and work on my own.

—— If you ask for guidance for everything…

M. Fujita

You don’t really belong here.

—— I see. That’s for sure.

Mutsumi

For example, if you request to do something we haven’t tried before, Ms Tamaki would say, “Go ahead”. It is essential to do the tasks that you are asked for, additionally …if you want to do something you or any teams haven’t done, but you want to try it, they would ask you to challenge it anyway.

—— That sounds like “tamaki niime”, doesn’t it?

Mutsumi

Each team has been improving. Each one can think and go forward, doing better little by little. This is just my opinion, though.

—— I guess the last evaluation must be severe, but they wouldn’t say much about that during the working processes, right?

M. Fujita

We are allowed to enjoy working, so we want to be responsible for the results.

Mutsumi

We should keep our word.

M. Fujita

I started working part-time at a department store stand at first, and then when I worked full time, they asked me about sales. Generally, any company would ask for daily sales.

—— Yes.

M. Fujita

They don’t much care about daily sales. As long as the total sales are right in the end, they think it is okay. I don’t ask about it time and time again to the event staff. We have no problem because they are responsible and work hard.

—— I see.

M. Fujita

With each of our efforts and experience, I hope we can get good results.

—— You don’t ask for how you could reach that result.

Mutsumi

It is not how you make your way as long as you aim for the same direction, as long as you keep going.

—— Any method is all right with good intentions. Thank you very much for sharing your comments on talking beside your boss.

Tamaki

( looking off to the side ) I was not listening at all.

M. Fujita & Mutsumi

It’s done!

—— I appreciate that you shared your profound thoughts with me.

Original Japanese text by Seiji Koshikawa.
English translation by Adam & Michiko Whipple.