Ozawa: There were two things that struck me through the first exhibition. One is that it seems that there are surprisingly few people who accept NP products. The other was that it was not only VISION GLASS that was suffering from the NP problem, but that everyone involved in manufacturers and distribution had the same problem.

Therefore, in the second exhibition, I wanted to make the NP problem a more social theme, and interviewed 11 manufacturing companies based on the keywords "quality" and "inspection." We asked them to display items that show the inspection standards of each company.

Okamoto: I went to the second exhibition, and it was very fresh. There was an exhibition where visitors were asked, "How far can you change the fixed price?" by arranging glasses with 11 levels of quality, from severely scratched to shiny. Since the “answer” is also different, I thought that the things that are thrown away will also change depending on the difference in perspective.

Ozawa: By the way, according to BOROSIL's standards, all 11 grades are OK. When I told them that items with scratches cannot be sold in Japan, they responded, "I didn't know that." The feeling is completely different in Japan and India. However, the great thing about Indians is that they try to match Japanese standards even if they are so different. Instead of saying, "I don't know that kind of value," he swallows our standards once. I feel the strength to survive in diversity. That's why, through the sale of NP products, I decided to accept values ​​that I had never had before.

Okamoto: Japan has particularly strict standards for B products. Japan is a country built on manufacturing, but I feel that the respect and imagination for making things is declining. You can deepen your understanding of "making things" by making and touching them yourself, but in a society where you can buy anything with money, the distance between the creator and the seller, and the creator and the user is widening. I think that is the cause.

SIRI SIRI's measure to avoid such a divergence is to increase direct sales. Even for those who do not make things themselves, I think it will be an opportunity for them to know what kind of values ​​they are making by listening to the stories of the creators.

Ozawa: Basically, our main business is wholesale, but once a week we do direct sales in our warehouse for three hours on Wednesday nights. Then VISION GLASS fans who say "I wanted to buy here" or "I want to choose NP products by myself" come. Three hours a week is a small amount of time, but it has become a very important time.

The charm of "Yuragi"

Okamoto: SIRI SIRI is currently thinking of creating a system called the "Meister System." Even with a single design, there are craftsmen who are exceptionally good at it, but I want to raise the price for such good things so that I can pay a higher price to the craftsman. I wonder if there is a difference in price even with the same design.

Ozawa: I feel that designers and craftsmen are equal.

Okamoto: In that case, there may be a situation where items made by meisters sell at a higher price than items made by craftsmen using the latest technology. There may be the craftsmen's tricks and individuality, that is, "fluctuations", but I am attracted to such "fluctuations". On top of perfection, I feel more attracted to things that make me feel the individuality of the craftsman. So even if robots were to be able to make jewelry accurately, I don't think they would make things that are uniform.

Also, don't you want to block things like the flow of nature? For example, the glass uses an oxygen burner, so it's only natural that air gets in, but the process of removing the bubbles feels unnatural. That said, if there is a bubble in the edge of the ring, it doesn't bother me, but if it's in the top, it bothers me.

Ozawa: In the case of a cup, the same scar may be fine if it's on the bottom, but it's not good if it's on the mouth. With the people in charge of production management, I managed to create a rule based on numbers, saying, "It's OK if there's only one piece with a 5mm scratch." That's why it's hard to set standards.

Okamoto: Actually, standards are very subjective. Besides, whether it's glass or jewelry, if you use it every day, small scratches will easily appear. I think it would be good if the idea that things change as they are used becomes more widespread.

take care of your feelings

Okamoto: Tomo-chan, do you feel the effect of communicating about NP products through activities like exhibitions?

Ozawa: Until now, I've been saying really harsh things, but I don't think I've come to say, ``It's okay if it's a wound like this,'' (laughs). However, there are times when people who weren't our existing customers say, "I really sympathize with you."

Okamoto: It would be nice if many people knew that even if it wasn't a movement, it was people who set the rules for quality (through communication activities). Rules are not rules, but the existence of rules itself is decided by people, so I would like to see more debate about whether the rules are really appropriate. It doesn't necessarily mean that you have to follow the rules that someone has decided.

Ozawa: At the NP exhibition, I never presented an "answer". For example, among the 11 companies that participated in the exhibition, some have extremely strict standards, while others do not. In other words, the purpose of the exhibition was to encourage people to proactively think about quality, as there are many different standards and there is more than one correct answer.

For manufacturers, I think it's hard to talk about quality and inspection. However, I think that such a situation is giving rise to consumers' ignorance. Until I started this job, I thought that the products in the shops around the world were everything.

However, when I started working for VISION GLASS, I came to think that both the creator and the seller have a responsibility to convey quality. Before lamenting what consumers don't know, we must first make an effort to convey it. That's why I want to continue to spread the word about the NP problem.

Okamoto: I hope the time will come when it will be natural to choose things according to your own standards, valuing your own subjectivity and feelings. In the first place, I really like the story that Tomo started VISION GLASS because "I was moved". It all started with the subjective idea that I thought I was beautiful.

When someone's subjectivity is conveyed to others, it can be a trigger to want to buy VISON GLASS. At least I was. What I like about the activities of VISON GLASS is that Tomo-chan himself fell in love with it, and that feeling comes through.

*

In order to put the brakes on excessive mass production and mass consumption, not only manufacturers and sellers, but also users must change their mindset. Everyone was involved in the environment in which they were sold.

Instead of following someone else's standard, use your own standard to approach things around you. I believe that when each person has their own standards, more diverse and enjoyable relationships between people and things will be created.

Written by Hiroto Miyamoto

Photo Go Itami

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Tokyo Midtown DESIGN TOUCH 2018
DESIGN TOUCH CONFERENCE −Learning Future Ideas
Session_#09 Aesthetics of Life in the Future |