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Encyclopedia of niime

niime: A Year End and A New Beginning 2021-2022

〈 A New Beginning Version 〉

2022 . 01 . 01

Happy New Year, everyone! Thank you for continuing your support of ‘Encyclopedia of niime’ this year, 2022.

〈 continued from New Year’s Eve, A Year End Version 〉


Tamaki
Staring in 2022, ‘tamaki niime Shima’ will have its Grand Opening.


—— Yes, it will finally open in February. Is it all right to openly say so here?


Tamaki
Yeah, let’s just say it. We decided that it would open on February 23rd.


—— Wow! It’s on February 23rd!


Tamaki
The 23rd is supposed to be a full-fortune day on the Buddist calendar. But I am thinking of opening on the 22nd because 2-22-2022 arraigned with all of the 2s sounds good.


—— Wow, nice arranging all those 2s.


Tamaki
I definitely think ‘Shima’ is the key in 2022. I visualize connecting with unconnected points we had to work with ‘Shima’ in the centre.


—— The newborn ‘Shima’ can be the centre to connect many products, events, and people.


Tamaki
Yeah, it functions as the entrance of ‘niime village’. The shop used to be downtown in Nishiwaki, but the Shop & Lab has moved to this side of Kako river. I was thinking this side and that side were separated.


—— You though it was the other side…


Tamaki
Like… oh, that side is downtown area. (laugh) But it’s important to connect both points because things don’t work well in being so disconnected. After we had moved from the centre area of the city, the city government built a new office, and the shops around the Banshu-ori museums increased. It looks more exciting, so we want to connect and promote the growth of Nishiwaki.


—— The new shop ‘Shima’ is placed along National Route 175, where it more easily attracts people’s attention.


Tamaki
That’s right, that’s right. It’s a huge advantage that we could put the shop’s sign close to the city office, the main entrance for the city. I hope we can send our messages from there to the people who don’t know us yet.


—— I see. I understand what your aim for opening ‘tamaki niime Shima’ is.


Tamaki
To make the Machida store a better one, that’s one of our purposes we open ‘Shima’ store. It is the model shop that experts who know fabrics sell, and teach people about them. I want to apply it to the Machida store and make a system. I want to build up the system suggesting more exciting things. We need some more effort to sell fabrics online. As well, we will be working hard in 2022.


—— So you start off having experiments in Shima, right?


Tamaki
I think of changes at Shima more than Machida, getting a more extensive fabric section, and organizing an online selling system.


—— I am looking forward to it.


Tamaki
Talking about the company as a whole, since last June, we worked on internal branding, digging down into the meaning of the words: “mission” and “vision”, and we did well on discussing how each team should be. We still need to make some effort to take it to actual action in the future, though.


—— You discussed in teams, and each group had an ‘action plan’, right?


Tamaki
Until now, each individual plays their role without close relationships in the company, so we discussed more of ‘the philosophical core’ and how we should be. Having such discussions, I think the feeling of fellowships got stronger. Of course, we still need more time to get into matters, but we made a big difference with our efforts over the last six months.


—— I joined in your discussion on an action plan. You were sticking to the ‘tamaki niime’ mission of Adjusting Distortion of the Earth. Having a vision of ‘niime village creation’ and deciding your action guidelines under the theme of ‘Enjoy all of your day’, you made the foundation of practising ‘action plans’, which are detailed actions according to those words. I got the impression that each team’s efforts made sense.


Tamaki
Speaking out to verbalize our thoughts, we are activated and head for the directions we want.


—— Previously, you had a directional measure for activities as ‘tamaki niime’ or ‘the earth’. You made it more apparent to solve problems by discussing and thinking with each team.


Tamaki
I guess everyone was inspired, even though we still don’t know how to do it when it comes to doing it in reality.


—— You mean the exact details.


Tamaki
Everyone still wonders what ‘niime village’ is all about, which is the main idea. We don’t have to define it, but no one can verbalize it yet.


—— It’s ok for everyone to explain it differently. But I hope each one translates it with their explanation.


Tamaki
Yeah, exchanging ideas with each other to do this, such things or giving ideal visions of niime village…


—— They would have more discussions.


Tamaki
They would come to see different visions and talk more about projects. We may work towards more details in 2022 as a team or as individuals.


—— Such discussions would become very fun.


Tamaki
It would be the time to exchange ideas in front of a blank drawing. That would be so exciting. I heard the staff of *Asahikawa Zoo in Hokkaido gathered drawings.


*It is a zoo in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido, in northernmost Japan. About 30 years ago, in the Early Heisei Era, the number of visitors to the zoo decreased, so they recreated the zoo with unique ideas. Such exhibitions bring out the animals’ natural abilities, becoming a trendy tourist spot with rugged environments.


Tamaki
They had everyone write down their wishes, or it would be interesting if there were such a zoo and made each one come true, that’s why they are so popular now.


Sakai
Yeah.


—— It would motivate staff to work. It could be more personal to everyone.


Tamaki
It would be so fun if everyone brings ideas and do it actually. So, I want to have a lot of time to do it. It would be fun to decide what to do.


Sakai
Yeah.


—— Thinking of our ‘niime village’, we will discuss and draw pictures. We will be more excited in the year 2022. After this New Year interview, I will interview Mr Yamashita, a new project leader, and Ms Mio Fujita for the next Encyclopedia of ‘niime’.


Tamaki
I wonder if it’s time to have a younger generation take over.


—— I wonder if you want to depend on them in 2022.


Tamaki
…When was it? Since we’ve been here for five years. Before that when we opened Shop & Lab in Ueno? Which is about eight years ago…


—— When you started up your business in Ueno, so it was about 7 or 8 years ago?


Tamaki
We were hiring more workers then. At that time, I didn’t want to say that I made the products myself because ‘tamaki niime’ was not just about me. So in answering for the interviews, I asked them not to write that I wove myself.


—— Did you discuss it with Mr Sakai?


Tamaki
Yeah, I did. I told him that I was not a personal creator but promoted to create as a team member. However, it didn’t actually work.


—— What do you mean?


Tamaki
For example, when TV crews came for interviews, they wanted me to wave or answer with my opinions. They used to ask me like that.


—— They intended to focus on you, Ms Tamaki. It was a few years after you invented the shawls.


Tamaki
Yes. I also decided to do things with the staff because I absolutely couldn’t do it by myself.


—— It was the dawn of a new era for ‘tamaki niime’ when you started creating with your staff.


Tamaki
After moving here, I haven’t done it alone. Instead, we are doing it together. At that time, I dreamt of telling everyone that ‘tamaki niime’ is made by all of us working together as ourselves.


—— I see.


Tamaki
Of course, it didn’t work like that when we started Shop & Lab. Many things were still difficult. Our staff grew a little by little, day by day, and each team developed its own personality.


—— I see.


Tamaki
Although one day I felt everyone started standing on their own feet, and another time, they acted without thinking about other teams, which were unsuitable behaviours. We have come a long way with such problems and are now welcome in 2022. I finally feel that ‘tamaki niime’ became one.


Sakai
I feel so too.


—— Looking back at the history of Encyclopedia of ‘niime’, I could feel Ms Tamaki’s irritation from your words.


Tamaki
I wondered why we couldn’t make it right.


—— However, you changed after the pandemic.


Tamaki
After all, what changed? It was me.


—— You did? Not other people?


Tamaki
I changed.


—— …


Tamaki
I was paranoid, wondering why people were not doing. Without reflecting on myself, I was demanding others to do. Because of the pandemic, I realized that I was the one who couldn’t do it. (laugh)


Sakai
Yeah.


Tamaki
I am thankful for that.


—— Is that your reflection as your position as a leader?


Tamaki
Sakai explained that the leaders could handle everything.


Sakai
Yeah.


Tamaki
Everything from colours to the company’s scale can be handled by the leader’s quality and their desires for a company.


—— Hmmm.


Tamaki
So I have to grow up. Instead of forcing to bring up the younger staff, I have to climb up first and pull others up to go forward. Otherwise, we can’t go up together.


—— You climb up on the steps and make space for the people who come after you, right?


Tamaki
I am not supposed to teach them, but I need to climb up first. In that meaning, focusing on improving myself, I need no longer be upset watching over my staff. As a result, we are so busy that everyone works hard to accomplish their jobs. Team leaders can now dig deeper into the work that needs to be done…so the core matter was in me.


—— That would be related to the discussion: ‘depend on someone’, as Mr Ryuta Fujimoto talked about during our interview. So weaving will go from Ms Tamaki to the next, then the next, which is the cycle we create.


Tamaki
Without a link to the next generation, we can’t increase the work that we can do now. We want to add new things so that the work will increase.


—— Hmm.


Tamaki
Linking and adding new things, we need to increase new staff simultaneously. We can’t help but be so busy, but it means we are moving forward like rivers constantly streaming, which shouldn’t stop. Right?


—— If it stops, water stagnates.


Tamaki
Not to make it stagnate, we make current. So we challenge many things, hoping to continue to grow.


Sakai
Yeah.


—— At some point, you have changed your way, not urging staff into action.


Tamaki
That’s right. I am not urging them. They are doing it on their own.


In 2021, ‘tamaki niime’ won a Good Design Award evaluation for the group work effort for this district products cycling. These are one-item products reviewing the value of Banshu-ori, a traditional industry in this region, and cotton cultivation with manufacturing products. According to Ms Tamaki, it wasn’t her intention to apply for the award, but her staff’s suggestion.


Tamaki
I don’t care about what others think of me very much, though Mr Fujimoto told me he wanted to apply for this award. Mr Fujimoto and Mr Kubo prepared everything to get all the documents and presentation records.


—— I see.


Tamaki
I was so glad that their efforts worked out.


—— They are the ones, Mr Fujimoto in Public Relations and Mr Kubo in Visual Effects, who are in charge of sending information.


Tamaki
Yes. They are working hard through trial and error to make people understand ‘tamaki niime’. Even though they are inside the company, they observe from an objective point of view to explain our company’s charms and get into them. With their efforts, we could realize our values. I am so happy that they provided our message well, which has been more complicated than expected.


—— Your staff go forward making an effort to explain the true character of the ‘tamaki niime’ brand to the world, which is excellent…


Tamaki
That’s right. I felt such a movement had emerged this past year.


—— Your staff observed and realized what ‘tamaki niime’ is, which triggered these messages to the world.


Tamaki
I realized that helping people understand has accumulated through this effort.


—— I think you made efforts to tell society about your daily steps, which are linked to ‘niime village’.


Tamaki
In that sense, many people have various values, and I wanted to tell you that I am not the only person who makes products. Comparing the hard days where my wishes didn’t come true, the things keep going by themselves without me now.


—— That’s amazing.


Tamaki
I am so so happy…I can always play. (laugh)


—— You can focus on making your own fun. (laugh)


Tamaki
Initially, it looks like I forced my staff to work on what I wanted to do, but they were not willing to do it. However, after I had them go ahead with what they wanted to do, the company moved forward. So I think we are getting on an excellent current.


—— Your staff understood Ms Tamaki’s visions and thoughts and overlapped their ideas with each of her ideas, and they began to work forward.


Tamaki
We cannot reach the goal in a day, but more staff work independently without asking. I am looking forward to seeing more of their growth.


—— I see.


Tamaki
I tell them if I become inspired and would do the things I want to do, but most of all, I am so happy that my staff are getting like that, wishing them to become like that more.


—— Your individual staff’s initiatives will activate a whole activity of ‘tamaki niime’. It looks like the movement is on track.


Tamaki
We will have more business with Taka town next to Nishiwaki City in 2022. I went to a construction shop and heard that the Japanese Cypress in Taka town is incredible. And I am thinking to sell Cypress lumber in the Shima store. We may finally be able to handle ‘living’ items out of clothing, food, living things, starting with Cypress of Taka products.


—— Now, at Shima, just as Ms Miyazaki mentioned in the last Encyclopedia of ‘niime’, they have a wealth of so many exciting fabrics. I think customers or even people outside would love them.


Tamaki
Absolutely.


—— Some fabrics would inspire you to make something. For example, we have orders from foreign artists who can use ‘tamaki niime’ materials.


Tamaki
We may be able to help artists to pursue the joys of fabric. It would be possible for us to set up a loom for those who want to weave to create by themselves. We may inspire each other. It would be good if we could do such things in future.


—— Hmmm, that would be nice.


Tamaki
We have so much to do. We’ll get busy again in 2022. I am so excited.

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