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Encyclopedia of niime

niime: The Years End and a New Beginning

〈a new beginning version〉

2021 . 01 . 01

Happy New Year!

Thank you in advance for reading this years ‘Encyclopedia of niime’.

Ordinarily, we are delighted by the new year; however, many people feel insecure about the current state of the world and the Pandemic.

What are Ms Tamaki and Mr Sakai thinking about and trying to put into action?

And what is the direction ‘tamaki niime’?

Following our ‘Year End’ interview, we were able to see the excitement in the comments. Please, take a look at the upcoming interview at the beginning of this year!


Tamaki
I had said we went out into the world in 2020. After checking on the internet, we actively went out to see people.


—— I see.


Tamaki
One such person was Mr Koyama, of ‘es Koyama’. I was able to observe the principles.


—— You mean to say you met with people in other industries, not just fashion or weaving?


Tamaki
Yes. There was Mr Sato of Sato Fabric, who is also in the same industry. They are famous and have great products. The company heads that we visited were men, but all of them were energetic from what I could see.


—— So the leadership is spirited.


Tamaki
Much like young boys.


Sakai
They are picky, in a good way.


Tamaki
They are passionate.


—— They are energetic and passionate.


Tamaki
They are in their fifties, just a little older than I. I felt they are a bit different from my generation, but they are all enthusiastic. ( laugh )


Sakai
They are passionate, which is why they are picky.


Tamaki
The ideas they brought up made a lot of sense to me.


—— Oh, I see.


Tamaki
A bit extreme, but I thought: ‘Is that all?’


—— It was simple.


Tamaki
That’s right. So all I need to do is enjoy working.


Sakai
Yeah.


—— That feeling of enjoyment can be shared with everyone.


Tamaki
Yeah.


—— That feeling helps create more energy.


Tamaki
That’s right. You don’t like to think logically or strategically, and I think you would do better following your instincts and decide case by case instead of making some plan. That would be an exciting start because no one else tries it that way.


—— I see.


Tamaki
It isn’t just about me, and I hope to teach people to think that way as well. I’ve learned from the visits that they don’t force their workers to follow their way, but lead by example, like ‘Watch what I’m doing!’. I like how they work.


—— They put up good examples.


Tamaki
I like that.


—— I hope they would be doing that by the time I retire.


Tamaki
I think that’s the best way to teach people. I believe all I need to do is be an example.


—— You don’t have to put a lot of attention into the details.


Tamaki
I have learned more mistakes and experience. I know we can’t grow without making some mistakes. I shouldn’t have to stand by, holding their hand to give the answers.


—— Oh, I see.


Tamaki
They won’t learn if I just give them the answers. That doesn’t help. At work, I try not to bother the workers, to let them do what they need to do.


Sakai
However, recently, the business has required more accuracy.


Tamaki
I think so.


Sakai
In marketing, they collect and analyze data, and for specific scenarios, they plan out detailed strategies. They do in-depth research, then take their shot.


—— I see.


Sakai
On the contrary, I like the New year’s game of ‘Fukuwarai’ (a game like pin the tail on the donkey.) People enjoy placing face parts while wearing the blindfold, which are all different, and there are no right or wrong choices.


—— I see.


Sakai
In our company, each person can create a different face.


Tamaki
It is the product of an accident.


Sakai
That’s right. I know that’s what our company is like.


—— It’s like feeling it with your heart while blindfolded.


Sakai
That’s it.


Tamaki
It’s instinct.


Sakai
You can’t succeed by analyzing or making strategies about such feelings.


—— This AI era is just the beginning, our senses are our one of the last weapons we have.


Sakai
That’s right. That’s what I want to achieve in this era.


—— That makes sense.


Sakai
As I’ve been telling people in the meetings, most people don’t get excited unless something big happening, such as…


Tamaki
Like going on a trip abroad?


Sakai
We don’t make big shopping trips or go abroad to get excited about the true meaning because that is always there with you. If you go outside, you could become aware, and I think it’s vital to allow those deep feelings and appreciate them.


—— The core is your sensibility.


Sakai
That’s right. So, it’s essential to develop; otherwise, you can’t achieve anything significant without it.


—— I see. That makes sense.


Sakai
The bottom line is appreciation. We are all human, and we get angry, fight, or have difficulties. We need to think back to where we should be and be thankful for the small things. That reminder includes me.


—— We should be aware even of the freshness of fish.


Sakai
I think so.


—— We need to move our hearts with the little things.


Sakai
That’s it! It is essential.


—— If you lack sensibility, input and output won’t work.


Sakai
Therefore, how we reduce the gap between input and output using online shopping, if we don’t improve our sensibility, nothing would basically change.


—— Ummm.


Sakai
I think we should try to improve as we make use of IT. I believe that’s the basic principle.


—— What do you think of the mixed-team-production, blending the staff as Ms Ishizuka spoke about previously?


Tamaki
A long time has passed since Sakai, and I started the company. We are here now based on that history. Ms Ishizuka and the others who have been with us for the last seven years know my spirit and desires. Ms Ishizuka’s next step is to lead the next generation in creating the products that we used to make.


—— I see.


Tamaki
That means she has to do the job that I have been doing. What would I think about it if I were her? What would I want to do? It is not easy to make products with the younger generation’s ideas and personalities in mind. We need to take their abilities and experiences into consideration. They also need to consider their own. However, she is looking forward to it. We hope she has great success.


—— I see.


Tamaki
Of course, she may make mistakes or fail, but she could try it again. I think we are in a much better state to help her now. Younger groups are joining, just individuals, are joining us, right?


—— Yeah.


Tamaki
It must be more difficult for Ms Ishizuka to teach more people than when I taught her. She had a hard time dealing with work because of maternity leave, but now she works together with her husband, Ryuuta Fujimoto. They discuss things at work and even off-hours. Of course, they are not working alone. The leaders of other teams members work hard with them. I feel I’m like watching my children cheer up. ( laugh )


—— I see.


Tamaki
I want to advise them, but I am trying to be bullish about it. Because I like watching them and attempt to join, but I shouldn’t because if I join, I’ll end up making all the decisions. I just keep my distance from them and leave them alone while I enjoy overseeing them. ( laugh )


—— You keep busy with other things.


Tamaki
Challenging new things, I can find something interesting in new situations or areas. I would rather live for the future, not live for the present.


—— As you mentioned ‘future’, I want to ask you about the upcoming 2021.


Sakai
Yeah.


Tamaki
We will finally open the shop at Machida in Tokyo.


—— Oh!


Tamaki
We are not sure about the date yet. Previously we planned to open it around the Olympics, but we couldn’t do it because of COVID. We want to open it this year and to connect Nishiwaki and Tokyo. We are currently preparing.


Sakai
Yeah.


—— You haven’t decided on management yet?


Tamaki
The one in Tokyo may probably become a ‘tamaki niime’ owned store as a result.


—— It will be part of a chain?


Tamaki
We haven’t decided if we will make reservations or if we will operate only a few days at a time. Since we have many customers’ request to open, we feel bad if we don’t respond to their requests.


—— You want to have your products for the people in Kanto, Tokyo.


Tamaki
They don’t have a place to see our products in person. I have been considering opening a place for that very reason.


Sakai
We still don’t know if we could have the Olympics this year.


Tamaki
Besides, we have a very cute Silkie, who turned one year old. He is so cute, huh? ( to Sakai )


Sakai
He is adorable.


—— Are one-year-old chickens are still chicks?


Tamaki
No, they are adults. Six months old is considered to be grownup, and they have individual personalities.


Sakai
Yeah.


Tamaki
They regard Sakai as their father and come to sit on his lap to take a nap. We have learned a lot about chicken’s way of life, how they live and what they think, which we can’t get out of books. We appreciate such information by observing them daily.


—— I see.


Tamaki
Probably we wouldn’t know this if we kept them in the cages. Living together in the same room, we came to see that male chickens chase females, or mother chickens warm the eggs after they lay them. We didn’t know that, even though its considered common sense.


Sakai
That’s right. There are many things to amaze us about the chickens’ conduct.


—— Is that right? Those things are not in books, right?


Sakai
Yeah, they have unique habits.


Tamaki
If there are two males and one female, the one without a partner pecks my leg. It is fun to see the relationships between males and females and their actions. I think they are similar to humans. By the way, we will keep sheep this year.


—— Sheep?! How many are you going to keep?


Tamaki
Two sheep.


—— I wonder if they are black.


Sakai
Yeah, they are.


—— Keeping sheep would be one of Ms Tamaki’s ideas, which leads to ‘threads’. I need to study them.


Tamaki
They amuse me because they could connect with threads directly.


—— Keeping sheep is not shocking in that Ms Tamaki took action to take care of them, not just depending on what she got from books.


Tamaki
I want to feel them by touching them.


—— You know by touching and feeling.


Tamaki
Yeah, I knew the quality of their wool that way. I think it’s rude to use their wool or lives without understanding them.


—— Ummm, I see.


Tamaki
I want to touch and feel the sheep and would like to know how they think and live, right?


Sakai
I think you do.


Tamaki
Yeah.


—— Ms Tamaki, you want to make sure of them, one by one.


Tamaki
Yes, I do.


—— Generally, people don’t care that much.


Tamaki
Why don’t they? I am curious.


—— We are generally persuaded by what we read and hear. We take them as fact.


Tamaki
Why do you believe so easily? I don’t trust them at all.


—— ( laugh )


Tamaki
There is so much misinformation. For example, they say chickens lay eggs every day, but they don’t.


Sakai
Yeah.


Tamaki
If they are warming the eggs, they won’t lay eggs for a month. You never know that unless you observe them.


—— You never see the truth unless you look for yourself. Ms Tamaki, that’s what you believe.


Tamaki
Absolutely, correct. In other words, there is some information you haven’t found yet. If you look for that in your creation, you might make something that doesn’t exist anywhere.


—— You are absolutely right. That’s ‘tamaki niime’s’ path.


Tamaki
I’m letting everyone know; I will open my office to everyone because I want them to see my sheep.


—— Are they in your room?


Tamaki
Yes. I want them to see my sheep, Silkie, Limo (our dog), and Japanese fish.


—— Wow!


Sakai
( laugh )


Tamaki
I want to show them off. You can look forward to seeing them.


—— That’s it! Did you start off with the power looms?


Tamaki
Yeah.


—— You tried to be with the Silkie. ( laugh )


Tamaki
I am obsessed with him after getting to know him.


Sakai
I am not obsessed with him, but he is really cute.


Tamaki
You think he is cute; that means you are obsessed with him.


—— When you think like that, there are inspirations everywhere.


Tamaki
Yeah, there are tons! Everywhere!


—— Communication with the Silkie is one.


Tamaki
Anything can be connected to creation.


Sakai
Yeah.


—— Recognizing that would make a difference; anything can be connected with creation. I think Mr Sakai talked about that before.


Sakai
Yeah.


Tamaki
I agree with you. People asked me, “Where is ‘tamaki niime’ going?” or “Do you have a hard time as president of the company or running the company?” but I think making things, developing people, and raising animals, are basically all part of creation.


Sakai
Running a company as well.


Tamaki
Yeah, that’s right. The how is simply different. Specialized fields, such as designs or management, are different, but I think they are the same.


—— The essential thing is if you are excited to do it or not.


Tamaki
That’s right.


—— I see.


Tamaki
In 2021, we declare that we won’t do what we aren’t excited to do.


Sakai
Are you sure?


Tamaki
“Excitement Declaration!”


Sakai
Okay.


Tamaki
We will decide to do either if we can be excited or not.


—— That would be our decision criteria.


Tamaki
That’s right.


—— Let that thought sink in with your staff.


Tamaki
They could say, ‘I can’t take it because I’m not excited.’ ( laugh )


—— They can answer with only one shot.


Tamaki
The other day, I made a staff ‘self-evaluation sheet’, but I didn’t like the name, which sounded uninteresting. So I renamed it ‘Self-excitement report ‘.


—— That sounds good.


Tamaki
It has been difficult for the staff to evaluate themselves. So it helps to see themselves better.


—— Listening to what you said, could you sum up your goals. Your decision criteria is…’ are you excited or not.’


Tamaki
It’s very simple and clear, right.


Sakai
Wait a minute! For ‘a new beginning’, we shouldn’t forget that one. In ‘The Years End, and a New Beginning’, we should always stick to ‘Thankfulness’.


Tamaki
Oh, yeah! That’s it!


Sakai
Excitement and Thankfulness. If you can keep them, you can enjoy most everything in the world.


They surprise us; their actions, which seemed illogically and unprecedented, are consistent with their true inspirations and philosophies.

Based on Tamaki and Sakai’s assurance with their staff’s personalities, ‘tamaki niime’ in 2021 has begun creating using all aspects. They can’t wait to find even more excitement even amidst the Pandemic.

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