MAKISIMA ( http://www.makisima.com/ )
Q: "What do your family do?"
I wonder how many times I has been asked from I was a child "What do your parents do?" And I do not know what answer to make.
A: "They are not office worker, public servant, doctor, writer, farmer, fisher nor dealer. They are not necessarily craftsman nor artist. A teacher in junior high school said they are 'profession' "
At least they are not employee. So, the answer when I fend off the question is,
A: "Profession"
Q: "What profession?"
If I ask like this, I must enumerate confused words.
A: "They may say arts and crafts. They create accessories with fleshwater pearls and precious metals such as rings, necklaces, earrings, brooches, tie-pins, key rings. Or they create accessories with fiber which ornament head and hair and which look like hat, wig or hairpiece. They obtain patents of these things which look like hat, but these does not have common name. They call 'Head Ornament'. They often tell that they are not wig or hairpiece but hat. "
Q: "Does your father make them?"
A: "In case of precious metals, my mother designs and makes original wax cast, and my father manufactures by lost-wax process. Casting may be outsourced now. Head Ornament is also designed by my mother. The fine fiber is colorful synthetic fiber whoese size is about hair. Head Ornament is something ornament for wearing on head or hair. My father runs this business. "
Q: "It's an enviable profession, isn't it?"
A:
"It may be seen so from outside.
But it is not profitable.
My parents say
'There are full of people who only think of profits.'
They and a man of enterprise are on different wavelength.
There are some customers these days,
but I have wondered how they make money to live and to create work.
And my parents say,
'MAKISIMA's products are
the only original ones,
and others can not imitate them.
And we never imitate others.'
Only the people
who are confident in sensitivity and in an eye for the real things
may be able to understand how good MAKISIMA is.
"
By the way, If I could understand MAKISIMA's goodness and originality, and if I could make such money as to live in comfort, I would take over the work. Actually, I decided my course in science and technology, where I felt interesting and I wanted the feeling for Eureka!
MAKISIMA ( http://www.makisima.com/ )
Note: "MAKISIMA" here means my parents' company, MAKISIMA, and their work.
Update: 2001.06.05