皆でお揃いの法被を着て毎年恒例の初詣に行ってきた。大きな鳥居をくぐり参道に入ると細かい砂利に脚が取られて物憂いだが、目を閉じてザクッザクッという音と歩いていると雪や砂浜とはまた違う何か自然の上を踏みしめているような錯覚を覚える。砂利の大きさや量の程良い加減を計算して人工的に感覚までもを創造するのはいかにも日本的なモノづくりの発想で心地が良い。社殿に上がり横一列に並んで正座をして１年の安全と商売繁盛を願い祈祷してもらう。やるだけやったら後は神頼みという単なる験担ぎだが、神主さんが唱える祝詞と幣を振るうサッサッという音が頭の上を行ったり来たりするうちに不慣れな正座に脚が限界を迎えて頭までシビレてくると「ああ今年も始まったなあ」と実感する。参道にはずらりと屋台が並び参拝客で賑わっているが、ピンと張った糸のような緊張感はいつもと同じで背筋が伸びる。熱いワンカップ酒と焼きそば、たこ焼き、モツ煮、お好み焼き、焼き鳥などなど屋台の端から端まで全部ちょうだいってな具合で、寒い中ガタガタ震えながら泥酔するのが毎年の恒例行事だ。数えてみると、そう言えば今年はお陰様でKOMA創業１５周年だ。勢い勇んで全くのノープランで独立した割によく続いたなあと思う。独立して最初の頃の仕事は「クオリティーなんてこだわらなくてイイから安く早くして！」なんて言われるようなものばかりで何だか悔しくて、良いモノづくりの環境を与えてもらっていた修業時代を思い出しては、売れる当てもない作品づくりを意地になって続けていた。そうやって続けるだけで精一杯の８年間を過ごし、ようやく自社製品づくりのチャレンジを少しずつ始められるようになったのは今から７年前。そのタイミングでいきなり与えてもらった伊勢丹新宿店のメインステージ４５平米は大きなチャンスとなった。2013年に10坪の小さな直営店KOMAshopを開店し、念願だった自社製品を展開し始めたのはまだたった５年前。こうして見ると、あらためて自分たちはまだまだ新参者だと認識します。それこそ青山辺りには老舗のインテリやショップが多くあって学生の頃はしょっちゅう憧れの目で覗き回っていた。実は相棒の亀井が職人志望で面接を受けて不採用になった家具屋さんもあったりする。長く続いているショップはそれぞれのオリジナリティーがあって、いちファンとしての気持ちは今でも自分の中に変わらず存在しています。今は自分たちのショップにあの頃の俺たちみたいな学生さんや若い家具職人さんが全国から見学に来てくれることがすごく嬉しいしガッカリされないように頑張ろうという気になります。この日は工房に帰ってまた呑みなおす。みんなで書き初めをして１年の抱負を額に入れて事務所に飾る。酔った勢いで気持ちがデカくなって背伸びをして書くから面白い。これは今年から新しくはじめた行事だ。この日は例のKOMA1-GPの第２回を行った。テーマは「ゴミ箱」で、また俺が優勝して賞金１万円を獲得したが「経費つかい過ぎです！」の武内マイちゃんの一言で財布に入る前に没収された。さあ今年は何が起るのか。去年が遠く霞んでしまうくらい先に進んで、10年後に旨い酒が呑めるような楽しい思い出を皆で沢山つくれたらイイな〜と思っています！ We conducted our regular event visiting shrine for the first time in 2018 wearing matching happi coat. Walking the graveled approach to the shrine after passing Torii gate would make me feel dull, however, I would feel an illusional image walking over the natural matter different from snow or sand when I walk with my eyes closed. I would feel comfortable with the example of Japanese manufacturing idea which artificially makes people's feeling in consideration with appropriate size and amount of gravels. We got Japanese shine devotions asking for safe and prosperity in 2018 on the main building of shine sitting in a single row in the correct manner on a Japanese tatami mat. It would be a kind of superstition to rely on gods after doing all we can do, I would realize the beginning of year 2018 as "well, new year has started" when hearing shine priest's reciting a Shinto prayer and sounds of staff with plaited paper streamers shaken over heads and my feet going to sleep to the limit. Despite food stands lined up and many sonship-visitors, the atmosphere of the approach of the shrine filled with a sense of tense made me straight up as usual. With a cup of hot Japanese sake, I would try every single kind of food provided by food stands including flied noodles, octopus dumpling, tripe hotpot, Japanese-style pancake, chicken skewers, then I have gotten drunken as usual beginning of the year. Thanks to clients and stakeholders, 2018 is 15th anniversary of KOMA. I would be a bit surprised for KOMA to be sustained given it was established with high impetus without careful considerations. Products in the beginning would be ordered as "Please provide products quickly and cheaply because we do not care so much about their quality", which made me vexing, thus, I have sticked to keep making products without any expectations of sales, remembering good environment given to me while my training period. After 8 years just sustaining KOMA, we have been allowed to challenge to make own products for 7 years. It was big opportunity for KOMA to have exhibition at 45 square matter main stage of Isetan Shinjuku store, offered at the beginning of own products. It was just 5 years ago, when 2013, 33 square meter KOMAshop was opened to sell own products. Reviewing the sequence of events, I have re-realized we are just new comer. There are many long-standing interior shops around Aoyama area which I have snooped wth admiration when we were student. Actually, one furniture shop declined the application as craftsman of Kamei. Long-standing shops have been keeping their originality, I continue to be a fun of them. Now, we are delighted to see for students and young craftsmen for furnitures across Japa n to visit out shop, like us long time ago. And we would like to be deserve for their view. The day we visited the shrine, we went back to our factory and drink alcohol again. We conducted the Japanese traditional First Writing of the year which was shown in the flame. They are interesting because we tend to write down stretched goals given alcohol make us generous. This is brand new event we have started this year. We made send KOMA-1 GP on the day. The theme was "Trash Box", which I won again. The top prize JPY10,000 was immediately confiscated before putting into my wallet due to Takeuchi Mai-chan's comment "you have spent too much expenses !" I would wonder and be excited to what will happen this year. I would like to proceed further as 2017 becomes to loom in the distance and make many memorable matters so that we are able to enjoy our drinking party in 10 years ! Written by Shigeki Matsuoka
