前回記事の〆に軽い気持ちで次回は「KOMAの目標」なんて書いてしまったが、KOMAの目標は？あらためて考えると適当な答えが見つからない。代表者としてはよろしくないが、考えに考えて６ヶ月見つからないのだからとりあえずは具体的な目標なんて必要ないという結論に至った。この１５年。生き残るための課題や目標をクリアしていく事に懸けてきたように思うが、その結果なにを得て、これからなにを得たいのかがいまいちピンとこない。創業からの相棒である亀井に聞いてみた。「俺らも今年で４０だけど、この１５年どうだった？」椅子にのけぞりながら頭に手を組んでボケーと天井を眺めている俺の真向かいで眉間にシワを寄せながらキーボードをたたいているような状況でも、嫌な顔ひとつせずに手を止めて付き合ってくれるのが亀井だ。亀井の答えはこうだ。「俺には今のKOMAなんて想像できてなかったし、こんなふうに成れたら良いなぁって夢みたいに思ってた事が出来てるよ！だってそうだろ？！」亀井が笑いながらつづける。「好きな家具が創れて、イイ仕事を沢山貰えて、直営店があって、お客さんは北海道から沖縄、海外からも来てくれて、面接希望の資料がいくつも届いて、賞なんかもいただいて、雑誌にラジオにTVだよ？！最初の頃やってた仕事覚えてる？あそこからの今だよ？想像ついた？笑」言われてみれば確かにそうだ。個人的には、同業の家具職人の方が最近よくKOMAshopに来てくれるというのも凄く嬉しいことだ。もしよかったら隅々まで見てもらいたいし、もし少しでも彼らの家具づくりの刺激になれるなら本望だ。逆にガッカリされないようにもっと頑張ろうと思える。KOMAのスタートなんてヒドイもんだった。「好きな仕事して自由に生きるってカッコ良くね？！」程度のものだった。そんなんだからかすぐに地獄を見た。まず仕事が無いし、あっても安くて徹夜でやっても稼ぎにならない。お互い家族もいるのにメシも家賃もガソリン代すら払う金がなくて何も出来なくなって喧嘩して1年で解散したのだった。もっと思い出した。そもそも会社に勤める事すらまともには出来そうもないと高校生の時には理解していたから結果的に職人になったのだった。もともと選択肢なんてなかった。「確かに。俺らにしては上出来だな。」「そうだよ！本当にありがたいことだな！」と満足げに言う相棒を見ていると、お陰さんでドロドロと溜まっていた澱が下がるのを感じる。やたら感謝感謝というのも胡散臭いが、自分の中の「感謝」という言葉になにか気持ち悪い違和感のようなものが無くなる度に少しは人としてマシになれたような気がする。「目標が見つからない」なんて偉そうに言っているが実はそんなモノは最初から無くて、どうにかギリギリ出来る事をやっていたら知らない間にチャンスもタイミングも誰かが運んできてくれた事ばかりだとあらためて思う。これからも俺たちは、もっともっと良い家具が創れるように技を磨くだけでいい。少し背伸びしたチャレンジをして、当たり前の事がもっと当たり前にできるようになっていけばいいのだ。だから具体的に目標など持つ必要はない。こうなれたら楽しいとか、嬉しいとか、カッコイイとか、それがそのまま目標でいいのだ。「で？楽しみまくったその先は？」と亀井がニヤニヤしている。「野球少年だったらメジャーリーグの殿堂入りだろ？ギター小僧はグラミー賞か？」「お〜！じゃあ俺らみたいな工作小僧は？」と亀井。「家具の世界史にその名を刻むトップブランドの職人集団だろ！やっぱ成り上がった分だけ楽しめそうだろ？」「20年後かな？その時の乾杯はヤバい楽しそうだな〜笑」とやはり亀井は満足げである。昔ばなしと未来のバカ話で楽しい今夜があるのだからそれでイイのだ。とにかく俺たちは四の五の言わずに家具をつくりまくるだけでいい。こんなシンプルなことに半年もかかっちゃったけど、とりあえずはスッキリ解決だ。前回の記事で「次は海外展開スタートだ！」なんて勝手に言っていたら、本当に上海の会社さんから嬉しいオファー。え？マジで？とにかく本当にありがたいっす。楽しそうだからがんばります！話は変わるが、こうして書いているこの記事の目的は親方の目線を通してKOMAの素性を少しでも知ってもらえたら嬉しいということだが、こんなに進まないんじゃそもそもやる意味が無い。今後はその週の印象深かった事をなんとなく書いていこうと思う。 At the end of the last article, I happed to set "Goals of KOMA" as theme of the next blog, I have found it difficult to find them. It would not be appropriate as the representative, given no ideas after thinking through over 6 months, I would like to conclude as KOMA does not require specific goals. For past 15 years, we have been struggling to overcome issues and goals to survive, I have not had clear ideas what are leaned and/or what we would like to acquire. I ask Kamei, who has been the partner since establishing KOMA, about it. "We both will be 40 years old this year, what do review past 15 years ?" Kamei sincerely responds to me even when he has been working something seriously pausing his work while I am looking at the ceiling with clasping my hands behind my head and bending myself back over the back of the chair. Kamei responded as following, "I was not able to imagine the prevailing status of KOMA and we have achieved what we though of something we would like to be like dreams ! Do not you think so ?!" Kamei continued followings with smiling "We are able to create furnitures which we would like make, to have many orders, to have directly maned store, clients come across Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa as well as overseas, to receive many CVs, to be awarded, to be exposed to magazines, radio programs, and TY programs ?! Do you remember our jobs in the early stage of the company ? We have reached the current stage from there. Have you had any ideas of them ? lol" It is surely true. Personally, I am also delighted to see other craftsman specialized in furnitures frequently visit KOMA shop. I would like for them to look through details of our furnitures, and I would be satisfied if our products inspire them somewhat. Or, they would inspire me in order to keep them from being disappointed. The initial stage of KOMA was terrible. It was something like "Is it cool to make living on what we love to do with freedom ?!" So, we have experienced the hell before long. We do not have jobs to do or jobs we were not able to make money even completion with work whole though nights. We have dissolved in one year inability to do anything without money for foods, rents, gasolines, although both us have families I remember further. Given my understanding that I cannot be employed by others when I was in high school, I decided to work as a craftsman. From the beginning, I had no other choices. "Sure, it would be good achievements for us." "Yes, it is indeed fortunate !" Thanks to the partner saying with satisfied, I felt piled up sediment has been cleansed. To much expressing appreciations would be shady, while I may become better person when I feel lesser strange when I think of appreciations. Although I arrogantly make comment "I cannot find goals.", I doubt there are no such goals from the beginning and I have re-realized that all chances and opportunities had been brought by someones before I knew them. So, we may not have to have concrete goals. What we think of joyful, happy, cool would be goals. "Then, after we will absolutely enjoy ?" said Kamei with smile. "The goal of a baseball boy is supposed to be introduced in to the Baseball Hall of Fame in MLB. In case of a guitar boy, it is supposed to win Grammy Awards." "How about crafts boy like us ?" Kamei asked. "It is supposed to be a group of craftsman whose name are memorized in the world history of furnitures ! It supposed to be really fun for us to rise further upward in the world ?" "I guess it may be 20 years later ? The drink celebrating the achievement would be incredibly enjoyable !", Kamei appeared to be satisfied. It would be good to enjoy conversations about the past and idle talk about the future. Anyway, all we are supposed to do is just making furniture without arguments. I took 6 months to have this simple conclusion, anyway, it has been clearly resolved. "I would like to start developing businesses overseas !" in the previous article without any basis, however, there are an offer from the company in Shanghai. What ? Really ?It is deeply appreciated. I will make efforts given it appears to be fun! By the way, the purpose of my blog would be making the identity of KOMA to be well known through the master of the factory, however, it would not make sense given too slow updates. In the future, I would like to write down something I am impressed and I just would like to do so. Written by Shigeki Matsuoka
