niime 百科

Encyclopedia of niime

Mio Fujita, the ‘Deru team’ (fieldwork team), on planning events for ‘tamaki niime’.


Even though she had no experience in sales, she worked at department stores’ events since the beginning when they began selling shawls and made ‘tamaki niime’s’ products known all over the country. She is contemplating events as a trigger of the Pandemic and the significant development of online shopping.


How does she express ‘tamaki niime’ to the world outside the sales floor? She talked a lot about her future directions and possibilities for events after trial and error experiences.

Fujita

At first, working in department stores, most people didn’t know about ‘tamaki niime’. But their facial expressions changed so much after they touched the shawls and put them on. I was so excited knowing that customers were so enthusiastic about shopping.

Having events at the department stores every spring-summer and fall-winter, the word ‘Banshu-ori’ got attention in the selling sections of Kansai Japan area. However, outside those regions, most people didn’t know them. Even though being in such situations, she enjoyed telling people about the loveliness of ‘tamaki niime’.

Fujita

This work was so much fun for me, and it became addictive to search more areas where I had never been before. They were not accessible at first, but twice a year, every spring-summer and fall-winter I went there, I had positive responses from customers, which opened my eyes, like ‘wow! Here they come’! (laugh)

—— That was the breakthrough moment.

Fujita

The new customers were attracted to the colours and designs when they saw our products for the first time. On my first visit, I had an impression that they had a tendency to buy dark- coloured products. But the more often I visited; they began to choose brighter colours. So I have learned that the districts or places are not related to what they want.

—— That sounds interesting.

Fujita

As people get to know our products and start wearing them, they want to wear brighter colours. They challenged them further, just like being under a spell. (laugh)

—— They make them want more adventures or to get out of the box.

Fujita

You know, colours make us happy.

—— I think so.

Fujita

People can be happy only by wearing them. So why don’t we wear the clothes that make us happy if we have to choose something to put on?

—— I see.

Fujita

I think that’s interesting, and I am so happy if we provide them with the opportunity to feel that way. The different colours don’t have any relation to certain districts at all. Our outfits would be magically loved by everyone everywhere.

—— I see. That’s the core strength that the products of ‘tamaki niime’ have.


Since the Pandemic started, they have reduced the number of events, but developed online shopping with many products and one-item sales using various strategies. What have they explicitly changed about the plans this year?

Fujita

We used to have three or four events at department or other stores a week around the same time. We were working hard to focus on having more opportunities to show our products to new customers. But now, we have reduced that. Instead, we are focusing on showing each products attractiveness and trying to have meaningful events, keeping the numbers of sales workers and sharing the same values with them.

One event is ‘tamaki niime’ x Syuca ‘TenTen’ (Exhibition, spring-summer 2021), held from March 27 to April 4th at a speciality store in Osaka. Syuca has a long friendship with ‘tamaki niime’.

Fujita

We had been sending our products to the retail shop’s exhibitions and asked them to display our products. But, for the first time, we held our exhibition titled ‘TenTen’.

This is their new merchandising style, where they cross the country via van, loaded with the products and spirits of our Nishiwaki store. It’s there that they have a good time and create bonds with local retail.

Fujita

The Japanese character, Ten(展)’ means Exhibition. Another meaning of ‘Ten (転)’ is to drive, which when combined as ‘TenTen’ becomes meaningful because we move around the country. This exhibition for Syuca is where they selected the products that will be displayed.

—— Wow, all those products! That’s great. It sounds like you jacked the store.

Fujita

Yes, we did. Thankfully new customers not only for us but also for ‘Syuca’ came over, and they enjoyed it. I was so happy that we had so much fun, and the best of all is that we both want to do it again in Fall. (laugh)

—— Would you tell me how you enjoyed it?

Fujita

Our lab staff rotated working at the shop. So they could spend time with the team at ‘Syuca’. What was most lacking before was how well we communicate with our partners. Indeed, when they came to talk to us, our staff in charge spoke to them and gave them our lab tour, but each team couldn’t have the chance to converse with them.

—— I see.

Fujita

This time, as our staff had a chance to go there separately on different days, they could talk with them and had an opportunity to serve with their customers. They came back excited.

—— Wow.

Fujita

Even ‘Syuca’s’ staff said they had an excellent chance to talk to our creators, which was very interesting. As we were at ‘Syuca’ in spirit, we created our world there. So I really think we had a good event. I hope we would continually have such events in getting customers involved with us.

—— You successfully introduced your various products at the stores that are not your direct outlet, right?

Fujita

Yes. We don’t think it’s necessary to introduce all of our products, but we could display our most popular ones.

—— The best part is making this extraordinary world in collaboration with your partners.

Fujita

Yes, that’s right.

—— That must be so much fun.


With the strong partnership, following the collaborative Exhibition in March, they had an event at ‘Showcase’ next to the first-floor entrance at SPIRAL, Tokyo, Aoyama’s multi-cultural hall. It was the 4th event since last August.

Fujita

That’s the spot where we can do as we please. Many young people visit there because it’s a place that students also have exhibitions to display graduation projects. We may not get customers’ attention to purchase our products instantly, but they are interested and observe them. They may become interested in our brand and check us out, or they may remember our name later. I hope this event leaves good impressions for the people who visit.

This time, Ms Fujita stayed with Mr Yamashita at the event hall. They spread stickers about that looked like colourful 3D pictures of our products on the gallery windows.

Fujita

Those pictures were taken for our new leaflets. Mr Kubo suggested they would be interesting to use at the event of SPIRAL. I also asked Mr Yamashita about what kind of displays he wanted. After discussions with them, we created this space. We also streamed movies that we have on our company LINE.

—— How were the responses?

Fujita

During the event, I stayed inside the event shop. Reducing the number of events in Tokyo, many old customers came after a long absence. Through SNS and video, we informed them of a brightly coloured event that created a lot of anticipation. It is my impression that they enjoyed ‘the space of colours’. Other than that, the residents of Omotesando also stopped by while they were taking a walk, and some people in their 20s and 30s stopped by the shop because the colours caught their attention. I felt confident that new customers were attracted to shawls and bought them.

—— You placed more colourful items than just chic colours?

Fujita

We indeed placed many chic items, and they sold well. Many customers ultimately may choose to buy stylish colours, though. I think what’s great about our company is we have many colours, which attracts customers and creates excitement.

—— I see. You have many colours and various items. Are you going to continue the SPIRAL events?

Fujita

Yes, we will have it in this fall-winter season. The entrance of the building is a popular spot for meeting up. We target to display colours there, too. So people can observe colours while they are waiting for people to come. (laugh)

—— That’s the plan. (laugh)

Fujita

Having the event plans to suit us, our future goal is to get new customers interested in our products.

—— Showing the core of ‘tamaki niime’, you will get new customers.

Fujita

This is our new way of expressing ourselves to the people. We want to have events for people who are not interested become interested in us.

Besides, they have more new event ideas. For example, they are planning to have events at the local non-commercial spots.

Fujita

We will go to any exciting places which are not necessary for stores. We would search the spots at non-commercial local facilities, different from traditional shopping places in the future.

—— That could be a space, for example, to rent a gallery.

Fujita

That’s right. Vacant houses would be fine. If the customers request us to come over to their town because they have interesting buildings, it would be fun to go there if our plans match up.

—— You respond to customers’ requests and match events with their building. That sounds interesting. Packing with excitement, you go to places like having a circus.

Fujita

That’s right. We got our special van for it. We are ready to go anytime.

—— You are standing by. You are having more designated directions now.

Fujita

The rest of what we need are places. We are glad to have the messages of suggested sites from the people reading this blog if they know any good places.

—— We should post those requests in bold font. (laugh)

Fujita

During the Pandemic, it is hard to have events. If they could come for our events, we want them to see our products in person and have places to talk with them.

—— Using a large empty building such as storage, they must be suitable to avoid being crowded. I think ‘tamaki niime’ could have fun there.

Fujita

We definitely must benefit from making products, but we want to have events to attract people, letting them amuse themselves with exciting things.

—— Considering that, the event spots look like an essential element for achieving that purpose.

Fujita

That’s right.

—— Old family houses in the remote countryside or modern culture halls in urban cities, they both are attractive, but they would give different impressions to the products. Derelict buildings look interesting, too.

Fujita

We can send messages to young people through events to suggest one of ‘lifestyle’ rather than ‘fashion’. Our products would give different impressions by how we present them. It would be interesting to do with various ways.

The unique round house has been renovated as the direct shop in Tokyo, Machida, which is getting ready to open this year.


Packing all the charms of ‘tamaki niime’, ‘TenTen’ drives across the country to send the special exhibitions for expressing ‘tamaki niime’ directly and vividly, carrying enough products with good customer service by explaining about their creations, and amusing spots to bring out new charms.


You may encounter various colours of ‘tamaki niime’ in your town. With such excitement, please look forward to going to the events.

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