JP/EN

Encyclopedia of niime

nime’s talk

About ‘job’ and ‘creation’
〈part 2〉

2020 . 02 . 01

Tamaki
I believe I have been using Sakai’s abilities to their best which makes plenty of benefits to our company. Whenever I need his advice, I ask him “inquiries” of requests.


——You believed you have drawn out Mr Sakai’s flexible imaginations from time to time, right?


Tamaki
I have even begged him to give me the right answers, which he has no problem to get it done well. It is a shame if we don’t use such an ability. But I don’t have much time to share it with our staff. So, I suggested they should go to ask Sakai to know what to do when they struggle with their ideas.


Sakai
Yeah.


——All you need to do is state your questions to Mr Sakai, correct?


Tamaki
They could see other views from different angles which would help them to achieve their creativity. He is not just a counsellor for solving their problems, but he should be the resource for our staff to get advice for their creation.


——I see.


Tamaki
However, he doesn’t like to be asked…it is a shame. He’d be better changing that attitude.


Sakai
I don’t have such an attitude at all.


Tamaki
What can I say? I could tell you don’t like to be asked. Do you understand?


——(laugh)


Tamaki
They all feel uncomfortable to ask you.


——You mean he has “Don’t talk to me (now)” written all over him? (laugh)


Sakai
I don’t mean that. (bitter smile)


Tamaki
He is not aware of that. He loves to talk a lot and will talk about everything when he gets excited, but since he has such different appearance, that makes scared away of our staff to speak with him.


Sakai
Is that true?


Tamaki
Yeah


Sakai


Tamaki
That’s why we need a counselling room or a nurse’s room just like at school.


——School nurse’s room! (Laugh)


Tamaki
We should have a sign saying “Mr.Sakai councils for you. Please stop by anytime between 9 am. to 5 pm.” I think many staff will come to talk to you. They would say, “Mr Sakai, I have been struggling with this design, will you help me?”


Sakai
Maybe.


Tamaki
Should we make a sign for that at the taberoom?


Sakai
Yeah…


Tamaki
This is my challenge for how the company makes the most use of his ability.


——I see.


Tamaki
He has abundant resources of exciting ideas and pieces of advice if they would ask him.


——I agree.


Tamaki
But there is a problem of communication between Sakai and the staff, which is not functioning well.


——Mr. Sakai would respond with very distinctive sense and opinions which would stimulate them.


Tamaki
That is right.


——That would give people be aware of something.


Tamaki
That’s why I would like to open the “Midnight Restaurant”.


Sakai
Yeah.


Tamaki
We don’t work overtime and finish up at 6 o’clock, so I would like to open the “Midnight Restaurant.“ Do you know the movie “Midnight Restaurant”?


——I don’t.


Tamaki
It’s the restaurant only open late at night in the bar district.


Sakai
The counter looks to be shaped like a U.


Tamaki
In the story, the owner is cooking inside the centre of the counter, and he listens to the customers and helps to solve their problems while he cooks with whatever ingredients he has at that time. When our staff don’t want to go straight home or feel bad after having a bad day, we could offer a cup of coffee before going home or give a chance to talk to Sakai where our staff could learn or be aware of something to encourage them for the next day. How about this idea?


Sakai
But I think most of them may want to go straight home right after work.


Tamaki
That is even better. Not everyone wants to stay.


Sakai
I see.


Tamaki
I just want a few people who stay and want to talk to you. If there are too many people, you can’t handle it.


Sakai
Ummm.


Tamaki
In an one on one talk, our staff may open up to talk to you. The place wouldn’t create a serious mood where they have to council with you. We could speak to the one who looks sad and ask them over a cup of coffee. It may bring some changes.


Sakai
I would rather have ordinary conversations with them, not about work.


Tamaki
Why don’t you try?


——That sounds good!


Sakai
You know, we don’t want to talk about work after work.


——I think so.


Sakai
I would be tired of talking about work. I just simply want to chat.


——Nothing important?


Sakai
Yeah, I just want silly talks.


——That sounds more like you, Mr Sakai. It fits more your role.


Sakai
It probably sounds like me.


Tamaki
I agree.


——If you cannot work freely, it gets boring.


Sakai
Generally considered, “work” is the jobs you are supposed to do between 8 to 5, which is certainly one definition of work. But there is no actual definition of “work”. Don’t you think?


——You are right. There is no definition.


Sakai
Even if we talk about nothing important, if we call it part of a job, it is a job.


——Ummm.


Sakai
Anything can be a business nowadays.


——You are right.


Sakai
So… (to Tamaki) isn’t it part of the job.


Tamaki
For me, it is a job. We don’t even have to dictate what is a job or what is not. If you talk about work, love affairs, or views on life at my “Night Restaurant “, everything includes “work”, or I should call it “living”.


——In the field of creation, it is vague to have a separate line between “work” and “play”.


Tamaki
Ending work at 6 o’clock is the basic guide. “Night Restaurant“ is outside of business hours.


Sakai
I hope our staff can include “work” and “play” together in a positive way.


——Nowadays, people often discuss separating work and non-work time. Like the value of working hours? What compensation is given for that time?


Tamaki
It has been discussed, however, I would say if your pursuits only benefit you at present, you couldn’t really develop your creativity.


Sakai
Today, most people just want the now.


Tamaki
That’s why our society hasn’t been better.


——I see.


Sakai
There is a saying of “Losing money for cheap goods”. If you try to get small things at present, you wouldn’t get large fruits in the future.


——“tamaki niime” is the enterprise organization, yet it is also the place for creation with everyone.


Sakai
In our case, our “play” has become a company as a result. That’s why our recognition that we are an organization is weak. As for me, I feel I have increased more play mates, but from outside, they consider us being a company.


——I see.


Sakai
I still don’t feel we own a company.


——Hmmm.


Sakai
I just feel we have more friends.


——You prefer the feeling like “Mr Sakai, let’s play!”, right? (laugh)


Sakai
Yeah, you know, I tease our staff whenever I have time.


Tamaki
And he makes himself a nuisance to the staff.


——(laugh)


Tamaki
He was told, “Mr Sakai, you are in the way. I am busy. Don’t disturb me.” He’s like a schoolboy, isn’t he?


——He tries to get closer to them when he teases them.


Tamaki
That’s when they avoid him.


——It is a shame. (laugh)


Tamaki
Yes, it is…


Sakai
Why is that? I just want to be like a little kid and keep up that youthful spirit. I don’t want to bother them. I just hope my existence to our team is kind of like that of air. I don’t want to talk to them with a swagger because of being their boss. I just want to tease and mess with them.


——I think I understand how you feel.


Sakai
I am 40 years old now, but I hope we could share the spirits of kids with our staff and could keep teasing them in my 50s and 60s at my company.


——Mr Sakai, you’d like to be a trickster as being yourself or playing your role?


Sakai
Yeah, I am not insincere or frivolous. I just can’t be too serious. I can’t help fooling around. People who want to talk seriously may think I am the one to cut in while discussing and interrupt others at the wrong time.


——Your teasing may have some meaning.


Sakai
I may be inspired to say or tease them about something.


——Probably. By the way, did you paint the art on the top of the new year first article of “niime encyclopedia”?


Sakai
No, a kid did it.


Tamaki
One of our staff, Mr Hashimoto’s genius son, did it. The one decorated in the taberoom is also his.


——Oh, I see.


Tamaki
He is so awesome. Oh! My goodness! We have to learn from kids. (laugh) Our staff got the idea of decorating with their paintings and have started hanging them there. But Mr Hashimoto found out his son’s pictures beat them. They are amazing!


——He was amazed at his son’s art talent, right?


Tamaki
His son exceeded his imagination. Some children unleash their imagination amazingly, but many who draw pictures just follow the rules.


——We have to treasure them and need to keep an eye on them so as not to lose their talent.


Tamaki
We need to develop such talents. We realized that. We shouldn’t forget what we originally had.


——I see.


Tamaki
We have lost original talents through our current environment.


——That’s what Mr Sakai has been talking about, right?


Tamaki
That’s right. (speaking to Sakai) Why didn’t you lose them? Maybe because you didn’t listen to others?


Sakai
No, I didn’t. It may be because of my personality. And nowadays I think we are addicted to too much information.


Tamaki
Everyone has their creative concepts which nobody can copy. You should show it to others


——People would be surprised when they are aware.


Tamaki
I hung a note at the Lab entrance the other day saying “Doubt what everyone knows!”


Sakai
Yeah.


Tamaki
The note captured the minds of many customers. If our staff could use such insight seven days a week 365 days a year, our company would change a lot in a year.


——Anyways…


Tamaki
Any method is good. If we could do that, after a year, we could expect everyone in our company to be greatly inspired by that.


——It would work little by little.


Tamaki
That’s right! It will work gradually. We don’t accept getting stuck in a rut or being thrown in at the deep end, but it may make it possible if we try one little change day by day. You look tired. (looking at Sakai’s face)


Sakai
I am not tired, but we have talked a lot.


How do we draw Mr Sakai’s immeasurable ability and use him as “a catalyst“ to initiate the acceleration of the creation of “tamaki niime”? Tamaki’s experiment will be continued. We look forwards to watching their movement in Sakai’s lively YouTube “tamaki niime’s daily life”, which has started just this year.

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