niime 百科

Encyclopedia of niime

At “tamaki niime”, Tamaki used an old model, the power loom, for making her original shawl, while paying respect to the traditional Banshu-ori style. She continued to produce numerous innovative, unique items. As well, from the outset, they used “WHOLEGARMENT”, which was the newest technology in flat knitting machines, able to knit whole outfits without seams. This allowed them to push the creative limits of Banshu-ori. I focused on “knitting” at the factory during the interview of Ms Yukari Miyamoto, Ms Saki Nakamura, Mr Tu Phan, and Mr Tadanao Yamashita. Utilizing a partition to help prevent Coronavirus spread, our conversations were held in a relaxed environment.


Ms Saki Nakamura


—— How long have you been working here?

Nakamura

This is my third year.

—— What brought you to work here?

Nakamura

I started working after graduating. My senpai at Kyoto Art University was already working here, and my professor talked about it. So “tamaki niime “was on my mind.

—— I see. What did you study at university?

Nakamura

I like making things through knitting without usual constraints. I studied weaving and thread dyes in college.

—— Then, you must love it here because of this positive environment.

Nakamura

You are right. Allow me to explain my main motive for working here. When I was in Kyoto for university, I had opportunities to see many dye factories. The works at weaving factories are broken down into small specialized tasks. But here, this company handles all processes by themselves. I could even see customers buying the products I made, which I couldn’t observe at other places. It motivates me to see actual customers purchasing the products I made. It is an excellent opportunity for me to work where I could hear customers’ positive or negative comments directly.

—— Why did you join the “Knit team”?

Nakamura

Each team was already sorted when I came, so I was at “knitting” from the beginning. Other people who just arrived after graduating were placed in different sections, though. “tamaki niime” conjures this image of “weaving”, right? In my job interview, I was asked what I wanted to do, and I told them I enjoy hand knitting as a hobby. That’s how I was placed in the “Knit team”.

—— What are you in charge of on the “Knit team”?

Nakamura

I am in charge of the production management and outfit designs woven by WHOLEGARMENT. We all know how to use the machines, including the Circular Knitting Machine, but Mr Yamashita is in charge of the designs woven by the Circular Knitting Machine and its maintenance.

—— What is the most difficult thing about production management?

Nakamura

The big difference compared with other companies is all products are unique, and there are so many colour variations. Usually, other apparel companies make variations of 3 regular colour combinations. They mass-produce those, but our company flexibly controls to adjust the colours according to the market sales of products. We aim to sell the products right after the production, which has an advantage in that we neither have to plan out too early nor need to take time in production. But it is hard because we have to keep an eye on how sales are going.

—— So, you have to work quickly, but act as flexibly as possible, right?

Nakamura

Right. You miss selling products if you don’t keep an eye on the stores, or you don’t talk with shop clerks about details. That is caused by a misunderstanding about what shops really have.

—— To avoid that problem, you try to clearly communicate with the store staff, correct?

Nakamura

Correct. The store staff come to talk to us about customer wants or which products they sold today. Those help me to create.

・・・・・


Ms Yukari Miyamoto


—— Ms Miyamoto, you have been working here for a long time. You are the leader of the “Knit team”, right?

Miyamoto

This is my eighth year. Mr Yamashita oversees a great many things. I am head of “knitting”.

—— It looks like a co-leader system?

Miyamoto

Mr Yamashita and I came to work here around the same time. I used to work in a manufacturing factory, and after retiring, I found this in the want ads and applied. That is how I started working here. At that time, everyone used to do many tasks, such as weaving, sewing, delivery and slip management.

—— You have started making things after you got this job, but first, you didn’t have a firm desire to do this, right?

Miyamoto

I probably didn’t, but I was hoping if I got in the creating section, I could make something. I don’t recall if they asked me which section I wanted to work in, or they needed more people at the “knitting” section.

—— What do you do in the “Knit team” now?

Miyamoto

We have large and small WHOLEGARMENT machines; large for making outfits and small for accessories. I was trained on how to use the smaller at Shima Seiki manufacturing company, which includes how to design small knitting accessories. The staff do use the machines to knit, and I make original designs. I also take care of its production management and create original designs of small accessories.

—— How do you divide up the roles of the knitting staff?

Miyamoto

Mr Nakamura was trained on how to use the large WHOLEGARMENT, so he is in charge of outfit designs. Mr Yamashita was trained on both machines, but he mainly makes more outfit designs and keeps track of data. He also knows how to make patterns, knit tops, designs and orders. He is also in charge of the materials for the Circular Knitting Machine.

—— Ms Miyamoto, what is your motivation, and do you enjoy this job?

Miyamoto

I have several viewpoints, as I feel a sense of worth in my daily work in creating jobs. The most luxury I have is I am not making given items. I could use my own ideas, including choosing colours and see my products sold, which is impossible in other companies. I really appreciate that. It is not easy because products have to be the Only One item, which means we have to change colours in making another, but I am so happy when I can make good colour combinations, which is fun.

—— What is the tricky part?

Miyamoto

We shouldn’t have too much stock. It is wasteful to make too many products. It is hard to make adjustments in keeping the right amount of products that we need, which may be giving us some motivation to try. In other companies, I used to do tasks which were given, and they didn’t give us many opportunities to work. That is challenging but rewarding.

・・・・・・


Mr Tu Phan


—— Mr Tu Phan, you came from Vietnam, right? How long have you been working here at tamaki niime?

Tu

It’s been a year and a half. I went to a Japanese language school and a fashion school in Japan. This is my first job after graduating from fashion school.

—— What brought you to work here?

Tu

I had a company tour while I was in a fashion school, and I had a chance to visit “tamaki niime”, and I liked a lot and wanted to work.

—— What interested you?

Tu

I found it interesting that it is in the Banshu-ori production area and tamaki niime has a wonderful environment to make products from their threads til clothes.

—— Did you start an internship here?

Tu

Yes. I did.

—— Did you try different things like weaving during that time?

Tu

Yes.

—— Why did you join the “Knit team” after you started working?

Tu

I requested to do outfit designs at the job interview and worked towards that on the “Sew team” for about a year.

—— After that, you joined the “Knit team”?

Tu

Yes.

—— What did you study in fashion school?

Tu

I studied outfit design and patterns. I was interested in knitting, too.

—— What made you transfer to the “Knit team”?

Yamashita

We have increased the production numbers and couldn’t handle it with just 3 people, so we asked her to join us.

—— The others have been managing production, so what is Mr Phan in charge of?

Tu

I know how to operate the machines now, and I do finishing touches and design knitting tops.

—— You also make designs for knitting?

Yamashita

Tu hasn’t taken CAD lectures yet.

—— I see. He needs to take them.

Yamashita

Yes, he does. Besides making knitting top designs, he is also making samples. He goes to the “Sew team” when they get busy.

Nakamura

Yeah. They take her. (laugh)

Everyone: (laugh)


—— Many hands are needed now for making tamasks.

Yamashita

Tu has to go help them for a long time when they are busy.

—— Because he is capable of doing many tasks. How do you like working for the “Knit team”?

Tu

(looking at everyone) … It’s fun. (laugh)

—— How do you find enjoyment there?

Tu

Working with machines, I watch each product changing colours because of having only one item. I am thrilled to look forward to watching how the next one makes different colours, that’s what I really enjoy.

—— Each one is the Only One item with different colours, which makes the experience unpredictable, right?

Tu

That is right.

—— All right. Thank you so much. I would ask everyone about your goals and desires later. Please hold on to that thought for a second. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・


Mr Tadanao Yamashita


—— Mr Yamashita, you have known Ms Tamaki and Mr Sakai even before you came here, to “tamaki niime”, right?

Yamashita

I met them in Osaka where I was working.

—— Would you tell me how you got your start here?

Yamashita

I was working hard at an apparel company for 4 years. I was taking care of knit tops production management because I was interested in knit products.

—— I see.

Yamashita

Only a small percentage of knit products are made in Japan. I was shocked to discover this fact because there are many skillful people at knitting in Japan, and I wanted to protect the Japanese knitting industry. The reason why I started working for apparel is…

—— Please explain.

Yamashita

Originally, I liked to study English when I was seriously going to school. (laugh) But I was not able to speak it, so what I thought I would do instead, was come up with a way to use the clothes to communicate to be like a tool to help connect the world. Even though I cannot speak the language, I could connect with people worldwide. I have actually experienced that.

—— Did you experience it when you were a student?

Yamashita

Let’s see. That was when I just started working at the apparel company where I was making casualwear, believing that could be the global item.

—— That’s what you believed?

Yamashita

Yes, I did. The Japanese companies with skills and technology may be able to win overseas designers and tailors, which have their own cultures, but I thought there’s no use of competing with them.

—— In overseas apparel companies, they have their own outfit cultures and histories but……..

Yamashita

That’s right. But, for casual wear, we may be able to compete.

—— That’s deep.

Yamashita

Do you think so?

—— That sounds right.

Yamashita

I want you to expound on that. (laugh)

—— I wish I could expound on it. (laugh)

Yamashita

So, I have worked with casual wear. Basically, I liked clothes, but I considered a lot for my job because I didn’t want to make it my living. At that point, when I made my decision, I firmly decided to work on clothes to make that my career for life.

—— Cool!

Yamashita

Is it cool?

—— It is cool.

Yamashita

I’d better not say that then.

—— Don’t say that. (laugh)

Yamashita

That’s why I haven’t studied in school.

—— Is that so?

Yamashita

Yes. First, I worked to be a shipping and inventory worker at one of the brand apparel companies I wished to join, which I applied for after finding their want ads. Then, there came a chance to work on production management. I was so lucky to be able to be taught everything by the factory workers.

—— Oh…

Yamashita

They taught me all about cotton, which is the original materials in thread, and everything all the way up to sewing.

—— So, you practically learned at the factory, not in the classroom.

Yamashita

You are correct. I learned at the factory. Luckily, we don’t need certificates in this industry.

—— No, you don’t need them.


—

Yamashita

Neither pattern makers nor dressmakers are required to have certificates. That means everyone can have an equal chance.

—— I see. Regardless of one’s educational background, the only thing you are asked for is your ability.

Yamashita

That’s right. After that, a friend of mine I met at the apparel company and I started up to form a brand and ran the company, making designs, patterns and all for 12 years. But our goals went in different directions, and he left. So I was doing it by myself for a year, but I felt what I was doing was different from my original desires. I knew Ms Tamaki and Mr Sakai were doing exciting things and wished to work together.

—— Then you began to work together. You were not in charge of knitting from the beginning?

Yamashita

I heard Ms Tamaki bought the WHOLEGARMENT but hadn’t used it, yet. I was interested in that machine, and I went to the training at Shima Seiki company. After a month of training, I started using the machines.

—— With the tradition power looms, “tamaki niime” also had the newest model of WHOLEGARMENT from the beginning.

Yamashita

Yes, they did.

—— To use the machines, you had training, and it works well being led by you, Mr Yamashita?

Yamashita

Well, it worked well in knitting. For final designs, we used to confirm with each other more often, which we haven’t done much recently. Still, in the earlier stage, we learned how to make thread combinations and made the products by listening to each other’s opinions on favourite knit styles.

—— That is the essential difference in creating tamaki niime original products.

Yamashita

That’s right. The machine, WHOLEGARMENT, has been used by many companies. The main issue we have is how we could create unique products, which is different from other companies. We cannot make the popular knit products if they are just woven by WHOLEGARMENT. We suffered a lot in that we couldn’t make tamaki niime’s unique products. We didn’t get approval from Ms Tamaki and worked until 2 or 3 am everyday…..

—— Wow…..


The young staff were excited to listen to Yamashita’s creation philosophy and his rich experiences from the early stages of knitting at tamaki niime. Everyone quietly burns with passions and ambitions for the future. We will continue to the last half of the “Knit team”.

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