[Toshihiro Kamei, Researcher] It's called a turtle. Best friend, comrade in arms, comrade, partner. What is it? I wonder. 1998. We met at an art school. The first conversation was, "There are no cute girls in this class." After graduating, I began training as a furniture craftsman, while Kamei studied metal engraving on his own. We continued to keep in touch frequently. 2003. He was thinking about going independent and approached Kamei. The invitation was to share a workshop as we are both self-employed. Looking back, it doesn't really matter because we didn't know anything, but we wrote and prepared business plans by imitating what we saw. It was fun because it made me feel like something was moving forward in life. Independence wasn't easy. The initial 3 million yen raised was quickly depleted. Kamei had a child with his girlfriend, got married, and began commuting from Yokohama. I had a second child. This is the height of unplanned planning. I don't have a job. Just lower your price and get work. Even so, he was determined not to subcontract work from fellow companies. No matter how much I do it, I don't make any money. Still, I have to stay up all night to finish it. There were days when I didn't have enough gas money to go to the workshop. I slept in the back of a dirty box of luggage I had received as a gift, wrapped in a dusty blanket from the packing. I remember that we were unsure whether to eat it or not, but we ended up eating ramen together. That bowl of ramen was the most delicious of any I'd ever had, and it had such a profound effect on me that I still talk about it today. Around six months later, Kamei's health began to deteriorate. Then, about a year later, I had an accident while driving to work from Yokohama. He was asleep at the wheel. On the way to the hospital where he was taken, I saw Kamei's car, curled up like a crumpled ball. Although he didn't suffer any serious injuries, Kamei's spirit was broken. "I can't continue this any longer." It's supposed to be shared, so isn't that being selfish? What's broken? A fight broke out. I kicked him off the top of the stairs at Tachikawa Station, which must have been about 30 steps. A crowd gathered. The ambulance arrived. So that's it. I continued playing KOMA alone. Now that I was alone, I found it even more difficult to pay rent and utility bills. I was wondering if it was too late for me. I've written about this before so I won't go into detail, but with the help of many people, we were able to start recovering just by surviving. Ever since then, turtles have been on my mind. It sounds cliché to put it into words, but it was a "dream in progress." He begins working independently with the aim of helping the turtle return to normal. I imagined the work he would be responsible for and aimed to ensure he had enough work to do. At that time, Kame had begun his training as a furniture maker in Hachioji. A year after the breakup, I invite Kame out for drinks. I wanted to say, "Let's do this together again." "Absolutely not," was the expected reply. I kept saying it for six months. He persuaded his wife to come back. I'm the head and the turtle is number two. It's not a joint venture. I take responsibility. First, make 10 million in cash in one year. They set out with the initial goals of moving the workshop, replacing the machinery, and hiring employees. 2007. The three-legged race began. Up until now, it has been a hectic time, but I won't go into detail here as it would be impossible to write about it all here. It was tough, but fun. However, over the past three years, a rift has developed between me and Kame. Although it is a blessing, the external evaluations have taken on a life of their own. Monthly magazine interviews, TV specials, and more opportunities to appear in the public eye. I felt like I was being rated higher than my actual abilities. I got scared. I had the illusion that I had to catch up with KOMA before its true colors came off. I have to do it. I can't stop. I just didn't want to go back to those days. I was obsessed with winning. For us with no history, we thought the only way to survive was to win. Before I knew it, I was fighting alone. I only looked outside and never looked inside the company. Nothing has changed about the company itself - the number of people, the machinery and equipment, our capabilities - but the number of things we have to do to keep up with external evaluations has increased dramatically. Small companies have to do all the work themselves. The roles expected of us change rapidly depending on the situation in our company and society. You have to acquire the skills that the company lacks. The division of roles has simply become a case of passing the buck. Instead of relying on each other, they just left it to each other. There was less meaningful communication, and we no longer thought about and acted on things together. Before I knew it, my three-legged race with the turtle had fallen apart. My impatience led me to expect more from the turtle than it actually possessed. I started to get angry more often. The turtle became less motivated. When things didn't go well, we blamed each other. We couldn't keep up with KOMA's growth. That said, it wasn't all bad. I was at fault and so was the turtle. The turtle is not bad and neither am I. That's about it. Of course, there are many things to reflect on. Reflection leads to the next step. In fact, KOMA exists right now. It is said that only 3% of companies survive for 10 years, but these companies still exist. It wasn't a detour. The fact is that they have both worked so hard to keep KOMA alive, and as a result, it has survived. It's not an excuse, I just feel like there was no other way it could have turned out. I think it was a time that had to be passed in order to maintain and continue. There is no strength without the experience of weakness. It's a weakness that I became aware of in order to become stronger. Now, KOMA is really trying to become strong. I realized that what Koma wanted now was no longer just me and the turtle. That's why there is a role. We were able to gain some insights thanks to the young people who have settled down and grown significantly. Now with KOMA, we are able to do the same three-legged race we did back then. And now there aren't two of us. We all put our arms around each other's shoulders and take one step at a time. To me, Kamei is a mirror that reflects myself. They are best friends, comrades in arms, companions, and partners, but they are also something more than that. I'm glad I realized it was the end of the year. It's been years since I've really looked forward to the New Year. Of course, there are many concerns. Anyway, I'm grateful for everything and my friends. Happy New Year~ I call him "Kame". Sidekick, the best buddy, fellow, partner. What would be best expression abut him for me? 1998. We met for the first time at the art school. The first conversation among us was "There is no pretty girl in this class." After graduating from the school, I proceeded training as craftsman of furniture and he proceeded on metal-craving. We continued to keep in touch each others. 2003. When I consider to become independent, I asked him to join. It was an offer to share a factory keeping the status of the owner of small business each other. Given no experiences to run business, we prepared the business plan watching and imitating samples, which does not seem to make valuable when reviewing from now. It was fun to feel we proceeded with our own lives. Owning independent small business was never easy at all. JPY3,000,000, as the initial invested amount of money we put together, run out in short period of time. Kamei got married with her girl friend pregnant and commutate from Yokohama. I got a second child. It was the extreme case of the no plan. There was no order. We discounted prices and got jobs. However, we committed to decline subcontracts. We were not able to make money how much work we had done. However, we could not complete tasks without working whole through the night. I had no money to buy gasoline in order to commute to the factory. I slept on the dirty platform of one-box car presented by someone with blanket for packing our products covered in dust. I remember that we shared a bowl of ramen noodle after significantly spending long time before deciding whether to eat or not. It was the best ramen noodle in our life even now so that we are able to recall it clearly as if it has penetrated into each cell of our body. Kamei had gotten suffering from health problems after 6 months since we had established the factory. About one year later after the establishing the factory, he had a traffic accident during his drive from Yokohama. He fell asleep at the wheel. On the road to the hospital, I saw his car completely crashed as if a piece of paper crumple into a ball. He did not have big damages, however, his heart was broken off. "I cannot continue the factory." It is too selfish to walk away from the contract sharing the factory. How is your heart broken off? We got a fight. I kicked him off from the top of the stair in the Tachikawa station, which would have 30 steps. A crowd with people emerged. Ambulance came. Then, we have dissolved. I continued KOMA by myself. Economically, it became more difficult given my sole obligation to the rent, utility costs. I thought I would be almost done for. I would avoid further descriptions given detailed described before, thanks to helps from many people, KOMA has revived from the situation something like hanging by a thread. Since then, I always had thought of Kame. It would be obsolete when expressed in words, we have not achieved our goals. Then, I selfishly started working with assumption of re-join of Kame. I try to have adequate jobs for Kame with imaging his role in KOMA. At that time, Kame started training as craftsman of furniture at Hachioji. After one year since our dissolution, I invited Kame for drinking alcohol. I would like to say "Shall we work together again?" "I will never work with you" was in line with my expectations. I continued it for 6 months. He came back to KOMA with persuading his wife. I would be the head of KOMA and Kame takes No.2. It is not co-managed. I take responsibility. First of all, we made JPY10,000,000 cash in one year. We started running the company prioritizing relocation of the factory, replacing machines, employment as first goals. 2007. We started a three-legged race. We have spent kaleidoscope changes, which I would not like to describe here given inability to write them completely. It was tough at the same time fun. Within recent 3 years, there has emerged a gap between Kame and me. Although it is appreciated, higher evaluations by third parties have spread like wildfire. Cover from magazines every month. Special TV programs. KOMA has become more exposed to media. I felt higher evaluation than real. I have gotten scared. I have been under illusion that KOMA needs to catch up to the image before the true color is revealed. I need to complete it myself. I cannot stop it. I just would not like to go back to tough time in KOMA. I have stuck to continue to win. Given no history, I thought of continuous wins would be only way for KOMA to survive. Unconsciously, I fought by myself. I turned to take care of only outside of the company without considering of inside of the company. With no changes in business infrastructures for KOMA including number of employees, machinery facilities, and our real ability, in order to match to external evaluations for KOMA, there significantly increased what we are supposed to. In small company, every single aspect of operations must be done ourselves. Roles required to us have changed very rapidly and dramatically. I needed to fill the gaps when anything were missing in the company. The allocation of roles and responsibilities have become just passing the buck each others. We tried to leave everything to each other instead of relying on each others. Effective communications have been decreasing and we rarely think and act together. Unconsciously, the three-legged race between Kame and myself has come apart. My impatience has ask Kame for more than what he is able to. I have tended to become mad. Kame has gotten less motivated. We have blamed each other when we have encountered anything went well. We were not able to match the growth of KOMA. Anyway, everything may not necessarily be bad. Both Kame and myself were bad, Neither Kame nor myself were bad. It would be more appropriate description. Of course, there are many points we need to improve. Reflections would result in improvement. It is indeed real that KOMA exists now. KOMA has survived 10 years, whose survival ratio is said to be 3%. It has not been detour. We both desperately have made efforts in what are supposed to make KOMA to survive, and, in fact, KOMA still exists. It is not excuse, while, we have no choices other than what we have experienced. We have spent time necessary to run KOMA as sustainable business. Weakness to become more strong in the futures would be inevitable. It would be weakness to be aware of in order to be more strong. Now, KOMA is about to become really strong. Now, we have become aware of what KOMA requires and which Kame and myself would be able to cover. That is why roles and responsibilities need to be clearly defined and allocated. We have been aware of them due to growths of younger employees retained longer than before. We have become able to run operations like three legged-race at that time. And, more importantly, we are no longer two any more. We all together go forward step by step wrapping arms around members' shoulders. For me, Kamei is mirror reflecting myself. He is a sidekick, the best buddy, fellow, partner, at the same time, something beyond all of them. I am really lucky to become aware of it ahead of the next year. I cannot remember last time I was really looking forward to the beginning of the next year. Of course, I have many concerns. Anyway, I really appreciate everything and every colleague. A happy new year!
