It will take about ten years to become independent.
(How many generations?) It's second generation. It's the job which my father fond of. (Did he card for it?) My father liked to make things like this, and he came to Tokyo from Okayama. And he did many things, but he found that this suited for him. (Did he train?) Of course. (Are you working with your brother?) At the largest time, there were four people working here in this small space. There is not that many right now. (Older or younger brother?) Older brother. (When did you start working here?) From Showa 19. (Is it from your father's generation?) Yes, we used to work at the different place, but we were forced to move because of the war. It was to check the spread of the fire. To escape the fire, the house was broken down and moved here. (This place was not burnt?) No. We did not have to move to a place for safety. A bomb was dropped onto that temple over there. This is built here but there were the terraced houses, and roofing tiles and windows were all broken up. My mother was shocked and, we all evacuated to safe place. But she died there, so we came back to Tokyo. (How many years had passed since you started this work?) I can't count anymore. It's more than 40 years. (Do you have a successor?) I am the last one. (What about your son?) He was wondering about it, but I stopped him and get him employed. I was right. (Don't your son say that he wants to get back?) It's not the work that you can easily get back. It will take about ten years to become independent. I'm sure that the number of the work is decreasing by the time my son gets independent. It is poor of him to do it incompletely, and I say it is not forgiving for my son. He is still unmarried and flirting around though he is employed and working


We do most of the work.
(What kind of stuff do you do?) The sashimonoshi (joiners) don't say that we just do one job. We do many kinds of works. We do most of the work. (Is it the indoor furniture?) Yes. Sashimono is Japanese furniture. In the past, I also got orders of bookshelf when the desk making was ordered, but not any more. (What is the fabric?) Let's see, paulownia, zelkova, tamo, mulberry, and many more. The three fabrics are used for just this. The shelf parts on the side are made of yellow birch, which is from Hokkaido. The tray is paulownia, isn't it? And the rims are mulberry. You can't see them since they are colored. (Why do you use mulberry for the rims?) Because you hit against on something often. This is hard stuff. Also, this can be an accent since the color differs.

Our works don't match to the Western style rooms.
The wholesale retailers, which bankrupted is mostly deal in the western furniture. There are not that many which deal in Sashimono. The wholesale retailers that deal in Sashimono are't big. (Is it because the number of Japanese house had decreased?) There aren't many tatami rooms any more. That is the biggest reason. Our works don't match to the Western style rooms. They match the best to the Japanese style rooms. If they sale, we can make the works which match to the both styles. (What are the customers now like?) I also do the wholesale retailing. Also, when I hold an exhibition, some favors my works and come see my works. Wide range of people come compared to the past. Some say at the exhibition that they want to see my work space. I tell them how to get here, and they come. Then they make orders to make something they want.

There are more women rather than men.
(What do you call this?) This is called Midare-dana. You set in the corner and use it when you change your clothes. (Is this carving the leaf of the maple tree?) Yes. I found out its good when I saw the fallen leaves at my house. (Do you ask sculpturer?) There is a pro of sewing machine that uses fret saw. I ask him. Now, there are many people who do this by yourself. Since my workspace is small, there would be no room for me to sit if I have many kinds of machines. (What is this desk?) It is Fumizukue(desk for study). Presently, the wood is burned naturally so the color would be like this in the end. (Though the color in the first place islike that?) Yes, the trees naturally burn. (Is it from sunlight?) It would be burnt by both exposing or not exposing to the sun. If it is exposed, there will be the mark. (Is that only from mulberry?) No, No. They are from any kinds. The direct sunlight is not good. (What are you good at?) I have no particular strong poin, but I often do Paulownia works. (Who make the orders?) There are more women rather than men. Men ask for trash box or some kind of case to put in. They are usually for hobbies. There are more women in my case. (The age is over 50?) Yes, they are usually elderly since the items are expensive. They must be elderly to use money freely. (How much is this?) It is over 200,000 yen when completed. (It's cheap compared to the PCs!?) Is it? (The PCs get old after half year, but your works can be used for ones whole life, right?) Yes. If you use it promptly. Can't you you get something like this in Yokohama for 2, 30000 yen? I even buy junks, which are made from plywood. I do not make them for myself. (Don't you make something for yourself?) I buy big hungers like this for 3, 4000 yen. They are handy. I care nothing even if it is damaged for those things.

A girl!? Wait a minute, this is not a girl's work.
There were many more when my father was young. At the biggest time, there were 5 or 6 workers. (Were they resident?) No, no. Some commuted, and some others slept at the workspace. It was normal to sleep at the workspace. Now, there are no such people who do that. Young people are not patient. Many can't get independent. You can't do anything for 3 years. By working for 3 years, you start to get to earn some money. In 5 years, it is little bit better. But it will take about 10 years, if you really want to do it. (Did you start this job since you liked it?) No, there was no place for me to go. I thought this is the most fun. (Then you went to your father's place?) I have never worked at different place. And I've never done the different work. (Is the training hard?) Since it is at your own house. I played truant and played around when I was young. But somehow I had learned. But it probably took 2 to 3 more years than who worked seriously. (By looking at the photographer) Isn't the photograph a hard work!? In the past, many people could sit in the small workspace. There were not any machines like this. When I first entered this job, there was not any machine like this. (When did you start using machine?) When I was 18, 19 years old. So it was about 44, 45 years ago. (What is that machine?) That one inside do both all big and small things by just changing square chisel. So I think the works now became very easy. The machines do everything. Everything was done by hand in the past. Now, there is craftsmen training courses, and girls are walking around and searching to be an apprentice. I don't mean to hurt you, but I say to quit. (Is it the influence of soap opera of the girl carpenter?) Yeah, yeah. That is probably the cause. A girl!? Wait a minute, this is not a girl's work. (You don't take apprentice any more?) No I won't.

This place is often used for films.
Yes, the soap opera. I was a model, too. (The soap opera of Sashimono?) Yeah, The soap opera of Sashimono. (When was that?) Umm, about 7, 8 years ago. They took all the scenes here. They made exactly same model of my work space. This place is often used for films.

All the black stuff scatter all over.
That way of finishing is called as Jidai-shiage. (Polish after burned? ) Yes, yes. That is such a hard task. It gets all black. In the summer when sweating, all the black stuff scatter all over. (Does it finish in brown?) That brown a good color, isn't it? (Are most of Sashimono in brownie colors?) There are barely red or yellow colors. There are some red, but they are vermilion. (Is it for bug protection to burn?) I do not think so. (Is it for design?) Yes. It is to make some colors or to make use of grain. This is the color before burned.

The crafters know the best.
iDoes the style differ among the Japanese furniture within the area? jNo, I don't think so. The style varies among who makes them. I believe this style is good and some others think differently. There are designers at the department stores, and they are useless. They are so proud. I tell them the bad part by looking at the plan, but they say "It's right", or "this is designed by a graduate of some college".......I was making sure that "I bet you say its bad after finished." Sure enough they asked me, "Mr. Haji, can you make this part little thinner?" I got mad and said "See!? I said so!" The crafters know the best. We are the one who really make them.

That bark can be used as herbal medicine.
iWhat is that board?jIt's Kihada (yellow birch). A yellow bark. (Is Kihada used as medicine?) Yes, yes. That bark can be used as herbal medicine. So when I use Kihada and the bark still remained, people passing by who know ask me for it. I gather and throw them away. Then people say, "can I have them?" They take the wood and use them for herbal medicine. (Is chigai-dana made of paulownia?) Paulownia. (What about this midare-bako?) Paulownia, Kihada, and mulberry is used for green part. I only use those three materials. (Combining them?) I used them on the proper parts. It is not possible to make carved legs using Paulownia, it will break.

So I cut the woods in fun shapes like triangle though they are not building blocks.
Even foreigners come. They say they don't have any work. They say, "Can you teach me?) What are they going to do with it? They barely can speak. How can I teach them. So as I say before, there are a lot of people who graduated crafts man training school. But it is too late of the age. If they really want to do it, they have to start just after graduated high school. Or start after graduating junior high like me. (How old are graduates of craftsman school?) Going there for two years after graduating high school, and they would be twenty years old. Yes. There were a guy who quit teacher of junior high, and became pupil. He can almost be independent at somewhere else, not at my place. Also there are many who are retired. They say that they want to do it for themselves or just want to see it. (Do you reject them?) No, I let them see my works. When I was working at department stores, some came from unbelievable place to see my work space. This guy just sat and saw my work for half days. People who like to create things just stand there and see my work even the pedestrian. They know many things if I talk to them. (Do the children stop by?) Yes. The teachers of nursery school often stop by and say "Can I have parts of the wood for the children since they make something?" There was a nursery school over there though they moved, and often came and brought the wood. So I cut the woods in fun shapes like triangle though they are not building blocks.