結果か過程か？やっぱり結果が全てだと思う。結果が出ないのは過程が悪いから。結果が出せたのは過程が良いから。それ以外に無いと思う。結果が全てだけど、出た結果に対して満足もしなけりゃ失望もしない。ただ反省と改善をするだけ。んで、次に繋げる。どんなに上手くいっても100点は絶対にない。運やタイミング。そういったものをひっくるめて一つの過程だ。その過程の中に必ず反省点がある。そう言った意味で過程が大切なのだ。満足すると反省点を探そうとしなくなる。それ以上の成長は望まないってことだ。だから、どんなに褒めてもらっても絶対に満足しない。1%もしない。成長を求めるなら目標は高ければ高いほどイイ。すると当然、自己採点は低くなる。満足なんてしてられない。今の俺は自分の目標に対して１5点くらい。だからヤルしかねえ。成長の一番の敵は満足だと思っている。家具を作っていても必ず探す。どこまで細かく突き詰めていけるかだ。あの時のカンナの一削り。加工の順番。かかった時間。全部思い起こして反省する。次はゼッテエ繰り返さねえと誓う。それでも毎回新たな反省点は見つかる。だから少しづつでも確実に進歩する。別に苦しくもなければ楽しくもない。時折ほんの少しだけ「嬉しい」を感じれるだけだ。しかし、この「嬉しい」っていうのは特別だ。中毒性がある。ほんの少しでもまた味わいたくなる。ジャンキーになってしまう。どんなに時間を費やしてでも欲しくなる。命と交換でもイイなんて思えてしまう。最近の自社製品の中でのお気に入りは上の写真[sim chair]だ。無駄な部品も加工も無くシンプルである。だから量産体制も採れて価格的にも熟れている。それでも背もたれや座面などの身体が直接触れる部分は職人の手仕事で複雑な３次曲面を創りだしている。熟練の技と生産性を上手く合わせられていると思う。実際に手を動かして造れる人間にしかデザイン出来ない椅子であると思う。が、完璧ではないはずだ。そこを探す。改善を繰り返して、もっと良い椅子が創りたい。もし創れたら、喜んでもらえるからだ。そして俺も嬉しいからだ。だけど、最低でも一年は掛かる。もしかしたら十年かかるかもしれない。だから思う。明日それらが解決して[sim chair]を超える製品が創れるなら、本来それにかかる俺の命の時間と交換してもイイ。だって俺はサイコーな家具を作る為に生きているからだ。俺は３８歳。一つの家具を創るのに３８年掛けて創ったと思っている。普通の職人の１０倍突き詰めた１５年の職人生活が創っていると思っている。沢山の駄作から一つの秀作が生まれる。だから「嬉しい」が得られる。でも一瞬でいい。「乾杯！やったね！」で終わりで良い。歓びに浸るのは何の意味も無い。次の嬉しいが欲しい。そんな「嬉しい」はプロであるからこそ得られる感覚だと思う。命を張ってるから得られる感覚だ。仕事って言うのは手段じゃない。金を得るためじゃない。子供を育てる為じゃない。家族を養う為じゃない。んなコトはやって当たり前だ。魂を燃やせるステージのことを仕事って言うんだと思っている。スケボー、スノボー、サーフィン、バイクetcいろんな趣味を持っているが、どれもプロだけが得られる本当の喜びを味わう事は出来ない。趣味にはプレッシャーや責任が無い。突き詰める苦労を知らない。そして、その結果得ることが出来た技術が無い。だから、本当の喜びには至らない。誰も滑っていないパウダースノーの頂きに立った時、声が出ちゃうくらいのヤバイ興奮を得られるが家具を創る時はもっとある。そして嬉しいがある。それは、俺が家具づくりのプロだからだ。そんな感覚をウチの若い衆達と共有出来たらなあ。と思う今日この頃である。 Results or Processes ? Indeed, result would be everything. Failure to achieve results would be attributed to poor processes. Achieving results would be attributed to good processes. Nothing else. Although results would be everything, I would be neither satisfied nor disappointed. I just reflect and improve. Then, I would connect them to next. Whatever things go well, I never grade them 100 percent perfect. Luck and timing. Those are one of processes. There always exist something to be reflected. That is why the process is important. When satisfied, one would not seek something to be reflected. In other words, one would not like to grow further. So, I would never ever be satisfied with any sort of compliments. Even 1%. If one seeks grow, the higher the goal, the better. Then, self-assessment cannot result in higher score. One cannot be satisfied. At this moment, my self-assessment compared to my goal would be about 15%. So, there is nothing but to do it. The enemy of growth would be satisfactions. I am always seeking something to be improved whenever I make furniture. How much details I would be able to pursue. One surface plaining at that time. Order of the process. Duration required for the process. I reflect remembering all of them. I promise myself I will never repeat same incompleteness again. Still, I always find something new to be reflected. Then, I would be able to improve myself slowly but steadily. It is neither painful nor fun. Sometimes I just feel a moment of "delighted". Well, this "delighted" is special. It would be addiction. I would like to feel it again. I would become junkie of it. I would like to spend whatever the time to acquire it. I would be happy to exchange my life with it. One of the most favorite recent products of KOMA is "Sim Chair" whose pictures are located above. It is simple with neither unnecessary parts nor unnecessary processes. So, it would be suitable for mass-production resulting in reasonable prices. Even so, craftsman create by hand its complex 3-dimensional curves in backrest and seat surface. Good hybrid of hand made by well trained craftsman and productivity. There would be chair whose designers would be limited to those who are able to make those chairs themselves. However, it would not be perfect. I would like to pursue what are not perfect. Through piles of improvements, I would like to make much better chairs. Those chairs would make people happy. Which makes me happy as well. Unfortunately, it would take one year at least. It may take 10 years. Then, I would think. If all issues are completely resolved tomorrow and products better than "sim chair" are able to be made tomorrow, I would like to exchange my life time which would be consumed to achieve those products. Because I devote my life to make the best furniture. I am 38 years old. It takes 38 years to make one furniture, I would think. It is the products of my 15 years career as a craftsman which is 10 times condensed compared to ordinarily craftsman. Excellent works would would be product of many many poor works. Then, I would be able to feel "delighted". However, it would be enough to last a moment. "Cheers ! Great job !" would be good enough. It does not make sense to bask in the afterglow of the delight. I eager to feel next "delighted". The feeling the "delighted" would be attributed to professional. It can be felt only from something we devote our life. Job is not procedure. It is not be done for money. It is not be done to grow children. It is not be done to provide for families. They are too obvious obligations. I recognize my job as stage on which I would burn my passion. I have many hobbies including skate board, snow board, surfing, motorcycle, etc., however, on none of which I would be able to feel "delighted". Hobbies do not contain aspects of pressures or obligations. We never know pains to seek the best. There would not exist any techniques acquired in the process. So, no one can feel true "delighted". When I stand on the summit of powder snow on which no one has set foot, I would be extremely exited screaming in delight. I cannot compare the degree of delight with one I feel in making furniture. And there is delight. Because I am professional craftsman of furniture. Recently, I would like to share this kind of feeling with junior members in my company. Written by Shigeki Matsuoka
