niime 百科

Encyclopedia of niime

Happy new year! The last part of the crossing into a new year talk 2020 was held with Tamaki and Sakai who set their sights on returning to their roots! At the end of the discussion, they’ll introduce the new year event “Medetama” which will be held from the 3rd to the 5th of January. Please enjoy their passionate discussion for this new year.

Sakai

Money doesn’t matter at all. Now we earn more than ten times compared to our first income, which doesn’t make any difference to us. Back then, whether we made 85,000 yen or 24,000 yen, it didn’t matter at all. We just loved doing anything. Recently, however, we have felt the critical difference, haven’t we?

Tamaki

We have been talking about only money, huh?

Sakai

Ummmm… we focused on our duties, such as we must develop our company.

Tamaki

Or … how to make our sales ten times more.

Sakai

Yeah, we worried about how to do it.

Tamaki

All we talked about was the “result” and “money”, didn’t we?

Sakai

Money was not all that we wanted though; the reality was that we needed to so.

——Ummm.

Sakai

Strictly speaking, what we want is not money; all we want is to keep enjoying our work. That’s all that we want.

——I see.

Sakai

I thought we need to go back to what we originally were.

Tamaki

(Deeply appreciated) Thanks for reminding me on how we should be.

Sakai

The other day, we had the last meeting of this year. I haven’t expressed my opinions lately, but I was not like that at the meeting.

Tamaki

We had a meeting in our old style for the first time in a long while, which was led by Mr Sakai and made him finish up with his comments. I spoke whatever I wanted to say, too.

Sakai

I’m not trying to brag, but I could make the meetings warm up.

Tamaki

He has an excellent knack for communicating.

——We greatly admired Mr Sakai’s talent when he starts speaking seriously.

Tamaki

Absolutely, he is excellent!

Sakai

But I’m not good at talking one on one.

Tamaki

It is easier for you to speak in front of many people.

Sakai

I like getting crowds excited.

——You must be good at grabbing people’s hearts?

Sakai

My tone isn’t big at first, but I gradually escalate my way of speaking.

Tamaki

You can’t stop speaking, can you?

Sakai

No, I can’t. I build up to my big point, something I can’t quantify with cash. I am not interested in anything you can buy with cash. Passions are not equal in value to money.

——Ummm. That’s right.

Sakai

The things you can’t buy with money are very important. Recently, I reignited my passion.

——The passion or energy you produce cannot be something in terms of money.

Sakai

When individual passions have to emerge from the energetic crowd, we have to control them, as Tamaki mentioned. There come many situations we need to cope with when an organization gets bigger in good or bad senses. Is that right?

Tamaki

It makes things complicated.

——You are conflicted with yourself, correct?

Sakai

I can’t rage or be angry (at them).

——You have been struggling?

Sakai

Yes, I have.

Tamaki

Like someone who had to put on heavy armour.

——Ummm…I see.

Tamaki

If I were alone and wanted to keep chickens, I would keep them right away. But for me being in an organization, I have to consider many things. I have to ask other people and need approval. That reminded me that I am one in a big company.

Sakai

In comparing sizes, individuals are smaller, and organizations are larger. However, comparing them with that mentality, individuals have more freedom.

——The level of individual freedom is immense.

Sakai

You can say that again. As we become an organization, you feel trapped in a tiny space. Don’t you agree?

Tamaki

Yeah, we felt like that mentally.

——You want to shout out, “Please help me! I can’t get out of this tiny space!”

Sakai

Indeed.

Tamaki

Can’t I get out of here? Why not? Absolutely not? I felt like being bound tight. I was completely tied up. I couldn’t think up any new ideas, if I was not allowed to do it.

Sakai

That’s right.

Tamaki

However, we finally came to a realization. We realized we shouldn’t feel the pressure. We just wanted to have fun and didn’t care about making money. I am sorry if we fail our business and have to close it. All we need to do is to dismiss us! That’s all! We have come out to feel at ease with that way of thinking.

——You have finally allowed yourselves to alleviate this burden.

Tamaki

I had the same experience when I had to buy a power loom for the first time. It cost so much money, which we didn’t have. However, we had decided to buy one by getting into debt, because we wouldn’t be killed if we fail our business. I made up my mind, for all or nothing. Having had such a similar experience, we have 100 workers now. They enjoy working with us, which means we don’t have to tie them up working here for the long term, nor do they have any obligations to be here. We have come to think positively and enjoy now, instead of worrying about tomorrow. We have become more positive and freer with a neutral attitude, huh?

Sakai

Exactly!

Tamaki

That’s how I started eating eggs. Once I became a vegan, I felt that I couldn’t quit it as I was representing my company, tamaki niime. I will persuade myself when I choose to quit veganism. I believed I needed a reason to stop.

Sakai

Yeah, you had been thinking.

——Originally, you started being a vegan as an experiment?

Tamaki

Yeah, eggs were fine, though. The meals I had after the eggs were making my body very tired. I understand my body has been cleansed.

——You didn’t have energy but your body became clean?

Tamaki

That’s right. I can’t say any food you eat is all right. I would die if I ate anything that I had three years ago. (laugh)

——You could say food choices are equal to living options.

Tamaki

Yes! Wild game meat is rich. Either animal meat or plants which were both grown well are valuable to us, in the meaning of having their living energy.

——For example, if you want to live like a hermit, you could say, being a vegan might be the best choice.

Tamaki

If you want to reach your enlightenment, making yourself closer to God, I think becoming a vegan is the best.

——I see.

Tamaki

But I’m not trying to be a hermit. I’d like to run a business, which is my reason for living and my pleasure. I’d like people to be happy with my business. That’s why I have to eat whatever I need to eat to make myself energetic. If I lose my strength, nobody would be with me.

——You are absolutely right.

Sakai

I believed that I had to transfer this burning fire of mine to others, however, I have noticed that it is totally wrong.

——What do you mean?

Sakai

If I, myself, am burning, the people around me start burning by themselves.

——They ignite spontaneously? (laugh)

Tamaki

It spreads suddenly. (laugh) We realized we hadn’t had enough power, huh?

——That makes sense.

Tamaki

So I won’t care for unnecessary worries any more.

——You mean, you don’t have to think of transferring your fire to others?

Tamaki

We don’t have to have unnecessary strategies or tricks. We let them be as they are. Leaving them be is the best, isn’t it?

Sakai

Yeah, it’s the best.

Tamaki

We should enjoy ourselves. Then when we are offered interesting jobs, share with the staff. We should let them think how to modify the jobs.

——Without your suggestions, they naturally try to create something.

Tamaki

I think they do. The staff who want to follow us will be with us, or some of them may leave us, which we don’t have to control at all. It comes along by themselves.

Sakai

In conclusion, although we say there are individuals and organization units, the bottom line is, each is an individual (unto themselves).

Tamaki

You are right.

——It’s deep, isn’t it?

Tamaki

Being yourself is the best!

Sakai

That’s right.

——Individual x 100, right?

Sakai

Exactly. That’s the conclusion, after all.

Tamaki

Once it triggered the feeling, wow … we have been having amazing people coming in one after another.

Sakai

Yeah, we have.

Tamaki

We have been studying, along collecting different information for a year. Among those things, there are projects we want to make it happen, but we didn’t know how to do them. However, we have some people to make them come true one after another.

——After all, the time you took to ponder about it was meaningful for coming up with a way towards success.

Tamaki

In the end, everything went well. Until now it was the time for learning, and the year 2020 is the time for work.

——It is an inevitable flow.

Tamaki

Many years ago, I was invited to the Nishiwaki shopping district and made a speech. I happen to remember what I said then. I said, “People are wasting the treasure in Nishiwaki.“ It is wrong for people to say such negative comments that there are no valuable things, or Banshu-ori is useless.

——Your speech was impressive.

Tamaki

I said if you keep saying that Nishiwaki is a good place and Banshu-ori is excellent, this city would be better.

——Your comment must have been the thing that the local Nishiwaki people couldn’t say because they were too close to see.

Tamaki

At that time, I was the one coming from another place. That’s why I could say it proudly. Recently, however, I have begun to have more negative thoughts; this city and the Banshu-ori wouldn’t get better, even though I have decided to focus on the weaving machines and get it done. I wondered what the city representatives were thinking, or if the mayor would do something. My way of thinking was to have them do it for us. When I made my speech back then, I didn’t mean to have them do it. I was the one who wanted to try to change them.

——I see.

Tamaki

I believed the one who would make Nishiwaki energized was me, not the mayor.

——….

Tamaki

So I believed all I needed to do was just to devote all my energy to the things which make me happy and have fun.

——….

Tamaki

Since I believed that, many interesting people have appeared here.

Sakai

It is not applied only to Nishiwaki; the basic principle is universal. Positive power gathers in places where positive thinking exists. On the other hand, negative energy gathers in situations where negative thoughts live.

Tamaki

Indeed.

——I see.

Sakai

Anyway, I want everyone to be energetic. When making conversation or even greetings, we should say “Good morning! or “Hello!”. That’s only natural thing. If we could make ourselves happy, something would change, and things would go well. I think that things go in negative directions if you take things too logically and overthink things. When we make things simpler, it is easier to take things more positively.

Tamaki

Would you like to say that being simple is better?

Sakai

Absolutely!

Tamaki

Surely, do. I am a simple person initially.

Sakai

Being simple equals being positive and being negative equals being complicated. The thinking process makes us complicated.

Tamaki

Ok. then, let’s go with being simple!

Sakai

I like that idea. “Being simple is the best!” That is our answer today.

——I agree with you.

Tamaki

So, we, “tamaki niime” will change in 2020, right? I feel we have been changing.

Sakai

Well, we don’t have to change us. Just continue to be ourselves. We need to keep unchanging ourselves!

——I see.

Sakai

We almost forgot that.

Tamaki

We need to be reminded of our roots.

Sakai

Going back to your root. Simple is the best.

Tamaki

In that sense, our talk that we had at the coffee shop was necessary, though what happened after was incidental.

——Whatever will be will be.

Tamaki

That’s right!

——(laugh).

Tamaki

We have been returning to what we were supposed to be. Last year, it may have been a learning period. We have thought that our business may go well if we are more realistic and pondered this and that. However, we ended up making up our minds that practicing is better than thinking.

Sakai

Yeah.

——I’m looking forward to seeing your development in tamaki niime 2020.

Tamaki

Have we covered everything?

——I think we have…wait! We haven’t talked about “Medetama” yet.

Tamaki

We haven’t talked about “Medetama” at all! An incident happened at the…what was it?

Sakai

It was not “at the meeting room…”

Tamaki

‘Incidents’ are happening at the factory!” This idea came from our staff, not from us.

——That sounds nice.

Tamaki

It is really true.

——I see.

Tamaki

I am proud that “tamaki niime” has been doing amazing things, however, we haven’t sent our messages to the world because we, Japanese are too shy about speaking out. I think this event will be exciting as each department will let people know how unique our company is, and what kind of things we focus on. Now we’ll spread that to the world.

——You let customers in the factory…

Tamaki

Things are happening there…

——You would like to let them watch.

Tamaki

Yeah, “Come on! Watch!”

Sakai

Incidents happen in real times, not yesterday or tomorrow.

——You are right. Things are happening right now.

Sakai

They are real. I want people to feel actual feelings.

Tamaki

Exactly!

——Can’t you tell us what the events are yet?

Tamaki

We don’t know how they would go at all. (laugh)

——Wouldn’t it be interesting? Incidents are the unexpected.

Tamaki

Right. We don’t know what happens until that moment.

Sakai

Witnessing what is happening with your eyes is a big deal. Just knowing wouldn’t give you anything substantial.

Tamaki

You are absolutely right.

——You want to tell people you are amused, yourselves, because you don’t know what’s going to happen. (laugh)

Tamaki

Yeah. We enjoy it so much, so it should be so much fun.

——No one knows what will happen until it happens.

Tamaki

All we need to do is to have people come.

Sakai

Yeah.

Tamaki

Even us, we don’t know what will happen. We are so excited where we would have “incidents”. (laugh)

——Like… Sorry! We don’t know yet!

Tamaki

We have been excited, but still at the preparation stage. Isn’t it the first time? Our staff set up a title and took DM photos, however they were somewhat turned around because it was not interesting enough. (laugh)They said what?? And it made us confused, yet we made it after all. Our staff have changed and have become more thoughtful.

Sakai

Yeah.

Tamaki

That’s how we have become more interesting. The incidents are always happening.

——‘A rejection’ is an ‘incident’. It sounds interesting. I can’t wait to see your event.

Tamaki

Please look forward to seeing how “tamaki niime” will be in 2020.

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