niime 百科

Encyclopedia of niime

This time, we will cover the “Sew team” in the sewing room located in the very back of the upstairs lab. The sun was shining with a breeze blowing through the many windows around the sewing machines. Bright colored shawls, instead of curtains, provided a beautiful view. Here, each product of “tamaki niime” is created by nine essential staff, including part-timers. Here is the interview I had with the team and their lead, Asami Kawabata, Kokoro Magome, Yoko Katake, and Naomi Miyazaki. As the conversation continued, it was honest, peppered with jokes and direct musings as to their intentions.


—— First, Ms Kawabata, the team lead. How long have you been working here?

Kawabata

I have been here for about a year and 3 months.

—— Did you come here right after college graduation?

Kawabata

Yes, I did, but I was working before college. I worked for a while and then went to school.

—— Was your schooling related to fashion?

Kawabata

Yes. That’s right. I wanted to make clothes and went to a school in Kyoto. I found this in the want ads of the “Japan Jobs Department. ” A friend of mine had an internship here, and that made me want to work here. That’s what brought me here.

—— How was your internship?

Kawabata

I felt there was a sense of momentum here. I was here for a week, and I could go to various sections every day and experience making many things. In weaving, I arranged a display of colorful threads, and they showed me how to weave the shawl materials. At the knitting section, they let me knit with WHOLEGARMENT. In the sewing section, which I really hoped to visit, they asked me to make tetrapod-shaped pants.

Miyazaki

We used to make them.

Kawabata

I couldn’t make them in a few days any way though, they let me try from the beginning.

—— You didn’t just observe, but you actually gained hands-on experiences.

Kawabata

Yes, I did.

Miyazaki

They encouraged me to try because it is gratifying.

Kawabata

I like their sense of speed, friendliness, and more, which made me want to work here.

—— You love sewing; that’s why you wanted to focus on it?

Kawabata

I think so. I just wanted to work at the place to make clothes. Especially here, they prepare to complete garments from designs up to production. There aren’t many apparel companies out of tons of existing companies. This is the only place we can work through the whole process. That’s what finalized my decision to be here.

—— I understand you came here with firm goals and desires. Thank you very much. Well, then, Ms Magome, please.

Magome

I am Kokoro Magome. I am in cloth cutting, and sewing. I have been here for a little over 3 years. Before coming here, I studied fashion at a university in Kobe. My professor knew of Banshu-ori and took us to the previous tamaki niime shop.

—— About how many years ago was that?

Magome

About 4 or 5 years ago. I remembered that I was very impressed. I was looking for a job, and I thought I would like to work for the production company in the community rather than the leading apparel companies.

—— In the production area?

Magome

Yes. I was looking for a company where I could work with Japanese clothing in production area and found the ads here (laugh). I made a tour in the lab and found it very interesting to see the whole production process, which is very rare to see.

—— At that time, the Shop & Lab had been moved to here, right?

Magome

That’s right. As it happened, I was immediately hired that day.

—— That was quick. It went so fast. (laugh).

Magome

Yes, it did.

—— They move forward quickly just like their production.

Magome

About 2 weeks later, I moved here. I had already started working in early April after graduating.

—— You have been working in the sewing section ever since joining the company?

Magome

I was curious about what kind of customers were coming here, so I worked at the shop for the first 2 months.

—— Did you ask to work there?

Magome

Yes, I did. After that, I joined the sewing section and had a variety of experiences. I think I am the least experienced person in the section. I managed to work with everyone’s support.

Katake

First, Ms Magome came here with her bright orange hair.

—— I think I saw a person with the orange head.

Katake

She always wore strange outfits such as a dress made with a see-through mesh.

—— Oh, really?

Katake

She is not like that at all now.

Magome

(laugh)

—— Did something happen that caused you to change?

Magome

Yes, I had a bit…

—— Ok, I won’t ask you about that.

Magome

It’s ok, it’s ok. (laugh)

—— Well, thank you so much. Next, Ms Katake, please.

Katake

I’m Katake. This is my 5th year since I started working here. I joined this company in June just before we moved here, so it’s been four years.

—— You are the most senior member on the “Sew team”?

Katake

I think I may be the most senior of the current working staff now. They didn’t divide us into the task sections when I joined the company. Therefore each staff did both “weaving” and “knitting.” After moving in here, our sewing tasks increased. And since Ms Miyazaki joined, they had split us up into teams. We were only sewing shawls at that time, but they have added more items to their products and bought more sewing machines. We have increased the machines, jobs, and staff for our work.

—— Ms Katake, you have been on the “Sew team” ever since the beginning?

Katake

Yes, I have. They first told me to work with “weaving”, and I put a sewing machine in front of a weaving machine, I used to exchange the thread when the red light was on, which everyone was doing (laugh).

—— What was your motivation to join the company?

Katake

I lived in Kobe, which is not very close to here, but I was looking for a sewing job where I was still able to commute from home. I had a tamaki niime brand shawl that I bought when they just started selling and wished to visit Nishiwaki someday. I came to the shop and saw the factory by the store, but their laboratory tour hadn’t started yet. I looked at it from outside and was amazed to see weaving machines and sewing machines placed together.

—— That’s incredible, isn’t it?

Katake

I couldn’t believe it. Then, a year later, I had a chance to see their advertisement for a job opening. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been here.

—— hat was the fateful crossroad, right?

Katake

I happened to see the ads and went to the job interview, and they asked me when I could start working (laugh). That’s how I joined.

—— Fortunately. It was by luck.

Katake

I told them I wanted a sewing job from the beginning. I am happy that I got what I wanted. Since they made the sewing team and I’m doing my favorite job. We can make our own materials and touch them before sewing, which help produce unique and original products. I feel this is the ideal company.

—— You have a favorable environment that you could sew and weave products side by side.

Katake

Indeed, a favorable environment.

—— I see. Thank you so much. Lastly, Ms Miyazaki, please.

Miyazaki

I’m Naomi Miyazaki. My motive for joining this company is …… I may be the only one with a strange story in joining the company. My first encounter with the company is…

—— Please tell us.

Miyazaki

I was in charge of running a cafe before, but I had to leave. I was at a loss, then someone I knew encouraged me saying that the next stage of my life is on the page, it has already started, that’s how I found myself suddenly employed.

—— I see.

Miyazaki

I lamented, “Oh, really? What is waiting for me? I have nothing. What should I do?” and soon after that, I was told, “You know how to sew. Why don’t you meet Ms Tamaki?”

……

Miyazaki

I had been living in Nishiwaki, and my parents own a weaving factory. So I know Banshu-ori well and had heard about Ms Tamaki.

—— When was that?

Miyazaki

It was about 4 years ago when I met her for the first time. My friend helped me meet her, and I had an interview in October just after moving here. Well, we had a lively conversation from the beginning.

—— You got along with Ms Tamaki.

Miyazaki

Ms Tamaki told me that she was interested in other topics besides jobs like a coffee shop and Tasha Tudor. What I had an impact on what Ms Tamaki said was that my friend who came with me said that I never used the polite language with anyone else, and Ms Tamaki replied back to say, “Don’t worry about it. No one cares about it here, either”. I do remember that.

Katake

That’s not true! We hadn’t been like that.

Miyazaki

Huh? I don’t know.

Katake

Everyone used polite language. I think we have changed after Ms Miyazaki came here.

—— Is that so?

Katake

That is true. Because no one was chatting during work.

—— Was talking prohibited?

Katake

No, we didn’t have such a rule. We were just too busy to talk. We didn’t feel like talking.

—— I understand. Each staff was too busy covering multiple roles.

Katake

Yes. We were. We were in a mood like, “If you have time to talk, use your hands.” Everyone worked hard even though no one told us to do.

Miyazaki

I knew that. I felt strange when I visited here.

Katake

This place’s mood has changed since Ms Miyazaki joined us. The staff and even the boss changed.

—— ur whole attitude of working too seriously and silently began to change due to Ms Miyazaki’s personality.

Miyazaki

After I met the boss and talked to her for the first time…I haven’t told anyone…on my way home I knew I had a bizarre, special feeling towards her that she was not like my sister or daughter.

—— You felt so close to her?

Miyazaki

I felt I could help her whatever she wants.

—— Oh…

Miyazaki

Yeah, seriously.

Miyazaki

When I got home, my daughter told me that I looked different. And she said to me, “I could tell that you got along so well with Ms Tamaki. Do you like her?” and I replied back to her, “Yeah, I like her.”

—— It was a fateful meeting, right?

Miyazaki

That’s how I met my boss. She asked me to start working immediately, but I had to wait until next Spring, so I asked her if I could try sewing with their unique materials because I was not sure if I could sew them. I picked up the fluffy pink wool, which looked difficult to sew.

—— You picked the hardest one for your sample.

Miyazaki

I sewed it and turned in.

—— And you had passed it!

Miyazaki

I think Ms Katake probably checked for it.

Katake

I think I decided to work here, because I liked the company because of all staff being polite, organized, and keeping to the schedule, which made me feel secure in my work, but things changed after Ms Miyazaki joined.

Miyazaki

What? What changed because of me?

Katake

If we only had such things, we would miss something important.

—— She withdrew it?

Katake

I believe so. The boss always says we have to think outside the box…

Miyazaki

I think I am outside the box too much.

Katake

Well, I have to be more flexible. I have been told to be more open-minded as well as keeping myself organized and sharp, because my job is to create things, and while I was thinking with that, Ms Miyazaki appeared to work with us at the right time. (laugh)

—— The boss may have been wanting such a character. By the way, you have been with the sewing team since you came here?

Miyazaki

Yes, I have been. Because I know how to sew for all kinds of tasks.

Katake

Ms Miyazaki’s role on the “Sew team” is to help our ideas become realized as real products.

—— She puts everyone’s ideas together?

Katake

She mingles her and everyone’s ideas very well and completes the products.

Miyazaki

I have to make it up well.

—— She must be good at organizing and editing.

Katake

I think so.

—— What do you think about it?

Miyazaki

I guess so.

—— Is that all you want to say about it? (laugh)

Miyazaki

(laugh) We talked about our new product of “Tamafukuroo” the other day. With us doing a large number of productions now, I may be good at creating or inventing new items of samples when I am inspired, but not very patient with sewing a bunch of same things.

—— Even though they are all “the-only-creation,” the way of sewing and quality is still the same.

Miyazaki

I am all right when I start sewing them, but gradually impatient to keep stitching the same processes. I can get some inspirations here and there.

—— Can you come up with the ideas?

Miyazaki

I have my standards in creation, even though other people may think they are right. Because I am responsible for making them under the name of “tamaki niime.” I used to make clothes to sell under my name. I would be embarrassed if I made inferior quality products. I want the customers to think my products are right. I am sensitive to customers’ judgment, and that’s why I work cautiously, even though I think they are reasonable, customers may not feel so. I consider the general views about if these products are favored by customers. I want to make products that I could recommend confidently, saying,” it is absolutely feeling great to wear.” I don’t want to state falsehoods.

Katake

Really? I think you are laid-back, flexible.

Miyazaki

Huh? Laid-back? ……Yeah, maybe I am (laugh).

Katake

I mean, you can make it just right, suitable.

Miyazaki

That’s kind.

—— So I assume you are strict with yourself?

Miyazaki

I think I am.

—— Are you strict to others, too?

Miyazaki

Am I? (asking other staff)

Magome

I think you are. What do you think?

Miyazaki

I think I am strict with others because that’s my call. I have to be that way.

〈to be continued〉


There were teasings, honest talks, and secret stories. The conversations were frank and easy-going. Please look forward to the “Sew team’s” next straightforward discussion.

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