What is KOMA's goal? Thinking about it, I can't find a suitable answer.
It may not be a good idea for me as a representative, but after thinking about it for six months, I came to the conclusion that there is no need for a specific goal for the time being.
For the past 15 years, I feel like I've been devoting myself to overcoming challenges and goals in order to survive, but I'm not really sure what I've gained as a result, and what I want to gain from it in the future.
We asked Kamei, who has been our partner since the company's founding.
"We're both turning 40 this year, how have the last 15 years been?"
Even when I'm leaning back in my chair, hands behind my head, staring blankly at the ceiling, and Kamei is typing away across from me with a frown on his face, he stops what he's doing and joins me without a single frown.
Kamei's answer is as follows.
"I couldn't have imagined the KOMA I have now, and I've achieved what I always dreamed I would be able to achieve! Right?!"
Kamei continues, laughing.
"I can make the furniture I love, I get a lot of good work, I have a directly managed store, customers come from Hokkaido to Okinawa and even overseas, I receive many applications for interviews, I've won awards, I've been in magazines, on the radio and on TV! Do you remember the work I did in the beginning? I've come from there to where I am now! Can you imagine? Lol"
Now that you mention it, that's certainly true.
Personally, I am very happy that fellow furniture craftsmen have been coming to KOMAshop more often recently.
If you have the time, I would love for you to take a look around every corner, and I would be happy if it could inspire them in their furniture making even a little.
On the contrary, it makes me want to try harder so that I don't disappoint people.
KOMA's start was terrible.
It was something like, "Isn't it cool to do the work you love and live freely?"
Because of that, I soon found myself in hell.
First of all, there is no work, and even if there is, it is cheap and you don't make any money even if you work all night.
Even though they both had families, they had no money to pay for food, rent, or even gas, so they couldn't do anything and ended up fighting, breaking up after a year.
I remembered more.
Even when I was in high school, I realized that I would never be able to work properly in a company, so I ended up becoming a craftsman.
Originally there was no choice.
"That's true. Not bad for us."
"Yes! I'm so grateful!"
As I watched my partner say this with satisfaction, I felt as if the thick sediment that had been building up inside me was starting to clear away.
It may seem a bit suspicious to be overly grateful, but every time I no longer feel some kind of uncomfortable sense of discomfort when I hear the word "gratitude," I feel like I've become a slightly better person.
I know I sound arrogant when I say, "I can't find a goal," but in fact, there was no such thing to begin with.I've come to realize that as long as I've been doing the bare minimum I can, someone has brought me opportunities and timing without me even realizing it.
All we need to do from now on is to hone our skills so that we can create even better furniture.
All you need to do is take on a challenge that is a little beyond your reach and make the ordinary things even more ordinary.
So you don't need to have a specific goal.
If you can achieve something that would be fun, happy, or cool, that's fine as your goal.
"So, what happens after all that fun?" Kamei asks with a grin.
"If he was a baseball player, he'd be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, right? If he was a guitar kid, he'd win a Grammy?"
"Oh! Then what about us tinkerers?" asked Kamei.
"They're a group of craftsmen from a top brand that has carved its name into the history of furniture in the world! Surely they can enjoy themselves to the fullest, right?"
"Maybe 20 years from now? The toast then will be so much fun~lol," Kamei said, sounding satisfied.
That's fine as long as we have a fun night filled with old tales and silly talk about the future.
Anyway, all we have to do is make furniture without any further ado.
It took me six months to solve something so simple, but at least it's resolved properly.
In my previous article, I said, "Next, we'll start expanding overseas!", and then I received a really welcome offer from a company in Shanghai.
Huh? Seriously? Anyway, I'm really grateful.
It looks fun so I'll do my best!
Changing the subject, the purpose of writing this article is to give you a glimpse into KOMA's true character through the master's eyes, but if things aren't progressing at this rate, then there's no point in writing it in the first place.
From now on, I'd like to write about the things that made an impression on me that week.
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 follows:
"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 cleaned.
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 is 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.