JP/EN

Encyclopedia of niime

Are we ending the 'niime encyclopedia'?

2019 . 09 . 01

“The ‘niime encyclopedia’ has been too long. Don’t you think so? “, Tamaki said. “Only our hardcore fans love to read this, but many people must be bored with it.” How can we spread ‘tamaki niime’ brand, which never stays in one place, trying to evolve to make progress? Tamaki and Sakai, join me to discuss their thoughts openly. What should we do with this web project, ‘niime encyclopedia’? What can it be?

Tamaki
We need to consider how to explain and disseminate our creative concepts, transparently.


– I think so.

Tamaki
We used to place our priority on our creations and ignore how to share information. Even if we focused on marketing and advertising, the customers wouldn’t keep buying our creations unless we kept creating better products. We thought that we would like to focus on the products that people want to continue using, that’s why we choose to come to Nishiwaki for our creation. Even though this rural area is not excellent when considering advertising and selling products.


– Yeah, it is quite rural.

Tamaki
Instead of just creating, when we have more vision that we want to tell the information correctly, there are many ways to spread the news during this age even in Nishiwaki. One of the methods is this ‘niime encyclopedia’, or we could utilize YouTube.


– You would like to stick to the ‘niime’ style in sharing information.

Tamaki
What do you think? Don’t you have any thoughts?
Sakai
“Hmm…


– It has to be short and easy to understand. And prickly.

Tamaki
I am exaggerating a bit; however, there is a small introduction before going to the actual page, before you click it.


– Yeah. The readers can figure out approximate ideas there, right?

Tamaki
Like, that’s it. If you are interested in, go ahead. That’s we are aiming at.


– I’ll focus on that impression.

Tamaki
If they are not interested in the details, they don’t click to the next page anyway. In the introduction, they need to make clear what we want to say as the first step.


– I agree.

Tamaki
Oh, is that so? I want to know more about what kind of ideas she has? Or what is ‘tamaki niime’? Some people may wonder and would click to read more. We want to go with two-step strategies.


– At the opening page, we tell them what we say as compact as possible. We need to think out a creative way to make people want to click to the next page.

Tamaki
People who now discovering ‘tamaki niime’ would take a lot of time to read the whole’ niime encyclopedia’, it would take a lot of time; however, they can read the main points on the title page, and the readers could know our ideas and passion for our creations.


– At the first page, we put Tamaki’s comment, which is very important to get readers to click to the next page.

Tamaki
Yeah.


– Of course, the titles have to be catchy.

Tamaki
For example, we can have a title such as “Are we ending the ‘niime encyclopedia’?


– (big laugh)

Tamaki
Is this worth doing? I like that kind of way to start with.
Sakai
Yeah.


– …I think that’s a good idea.

Tamaki
Yeah, let’s do it!


– Indeed. The most important thing is showing the readers our lively documentary — each time.

Sakai
What do you think about an encyclopedia?
Tamaki
It is the book you can learn many things about ‘tamaki niime’.
Sakai
How about the ‘niime quotes’? It sounds like a short message.
Tamaki
“Do you want me to write Haiku instead?


– (laugh)

Sakai
It suggests how we are supposed to be.
Tamaki
Tell me your reaction, please.
Sakai
Is once a month issue good enough? Don’t you think?
Tamaki
We have been writing our particular things in this so far. It depends on the contents that we talk about, and I think issuing once a month is good enough. If we want to share more information, we had better issue it twice a month, that would spread the news more effectively.
Sakai
In Horiemon YouTube Channel, they invite guests and talk about them and some topics deeply, therefore they never have the trouble of lacking new issues. In our case, we tried to spread information about ourselves, and we have already talked about all ourselves. We are running out of what we talk about.


– I agree with you.

Sakai
Yeah, if we try to expand our content more, we may have a hard time to fill the topics in our project. To avoid that, we could end the ‘niime encyclopedia’ and change it to the ‘niime quotes’ instead. It sounds casual, and I think that easiness looks good for us.


– I think it’s a good idea; however, if you want to give it a casual impression, we should update more often.

Sakai
How about this? We are getting bored of this, so we’d like to change the style.


– I like it because it is sincere. (laugh) How about asking the readers for their ideas?

Sakai
I like it. Just send us your ideas.


– You ask people to turn in their honest opinions, right?

Sakai
How about the title for this time? “We quit the ‘niime encyclopedia’ because we are tired of it!”


– (big laugh)

Sakai
We can announce that we may quit the ‘niime encyclopedia’, but after that, with three of us, we could reconsider and restart it!
Tamaki
Now or Never! If we want to reconsider it, now is the time to do it. It doesn’t make any sense to pull us anymore.
Sakai
Yes. I think the ‘quotes’ is good. Like the ‘niime’s quotes’.
Tamaki
If you name it “quotes”, that means I can write whatever I want to write all by myself.


– It is not appealing unless both of you participate. I need Sakai’s uniqueness. You have to do it together. By so far, we have written about the philosophy of ‘tamaki niime’ and ways of reasoning, and another thing is introducing what ‘tamaki niime’ has started doing, Tamaki and Sakai’s efforts working as rotation.

Sakai
Yeah.
Tamaki
What I want to do is not something meaningless. When we started this web encyclopedia, it had meaning, but it got into a rut. Then how can we get out and keep doing better? If we change it to a whole different thing, it will ruin our previous efforts. Our ‘niime encyclopedia’ would have died. It only remains in the archive file.


– It would cut off all our efforts.

Tamaki
On the present extended line, if the ‘niime encyclopedia’ keeps surviving, even if messages get shorter or styles get changed, we will be able to see the meanings of keeping this as a result. It would become like an annual ring having all the stories from the first one. If you keep old articles or stories in the same file, people who find it interesting become fans, and they would also read other articles.
Sakai
Shall we limit the numbers of characters like Twitter?
Tamaki
We can do it if it is good for us.
Sakai
For example, within 140 characters (in Japanese), and Mr. Koshikawa summarize it.


– Is it just like Twitter that arranges short sentences?

Tamaki
If we do the same thing just like what people do on Twitter today, you could murmur there every day. There is no difference?”


– It doesn’t mean that way. We should add short sentences.

Sakai
Ok.
Tamaki
It is better, not too long and make it short and precise.


– We don’t use the same form as Twitter. The point is making it short.

Tamaki
I think rhythm is essential. It tends to repeat the same contents of conversations. That makes readers get frustrated.


– We work on having good rhythm and putting only the essential parts.

Tamaki
At the “YouTube University of Atsuhiko Nakata”, they invited Horiemon, and they had a discussion. Its good points were they limited the talk time within 20 minutes and finished whatever conversation they were having there.


– Will we cut off the talks in the middle of the discussion?

Tamaki
They declared at the beginning that they finish within 20 minutes.


– That must be good.

Tamaki
They have to wrap up their talks within 20 minutes.


– Let’s do it!

Tamaki
I like it.


– If we knew it was limited in 20 minutes, we would be so excited.

Tamaki
You could focus on the topics.


– The problem is, if we speak fast, the numbers of letters will increase.

Tamaki
We should omit the talk parts that have no problem to leave out. The talk contents should be not only short and rhythmical but also they have to be interesting. We should pick up attractive materials for talks. It is not enjoyable without Sakai’s reactions and harsh comments.

Sakai
Hmmm.
Tamaki
If we are not excited about the topics, we cannot make our customers get excited either.
Sakai
Yeah.


– That is true.

Sakai
Change is good as well.


– Changing locations for discussions. That’s a good idea.

Tamaki
There are three chairs in front of the warehouse outside. I like that place.
Sakai
Okay.


For bringing new refreshing air in the ‘niime encyclopedia’, Tamaki, Sakai and I left ‘tabe room’ and went outside being under the summer sunshine. Our new discussion style is limited in 20 minutes a time. What subject shall we choose?

That’s all about happening with feelings only for now. We won’t end the ‘niime encyclopedia’ and continue on to the next episode.

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

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