There were four hand weaver plants and one branch office of Hinaya once in the Kyoto Tango peninsula. Number of the weavers working there was exceeded 200.
20 years ago .. I worked as a part-timer at these factories during the spring vacation of my university when I was 20 years old.
I lived in the intense coldness of Tango peninsula for one month, and was engaged in part-time job as a handweaver in February, 1991.
Among my recollections, the stay at Ine is still so deep in my mind.
The Ine factory of those days was the main atelier of the production of
"Karakumi" and "Kumi obi".
In Ine, I stayed at the house of Mr. Kura who is a plant supervisor, and I worked with him for about two weeks.
Mr. Kura's house is a
boat house peculiar to Ine.
Mrs. Kura studied ceramic art by herself, and was having own production started at that time.
She and Mr. Kura were very cheerful and kind. There was no child between them.
My vivid memory of those days: one is the conversations at a dinner table after finishing work and at Mr. Kura's house every evening.
While I who just began to drink alcohol, felt so happy when I listened to Mr. Kura's talk who got drunk pleasantly. I was just managed to drink 2 or 3 cups of beer, but the conversation which him and Mrs. Kura was very pleasant and special.
In the daytime, Mr. Kura always kept a smiling face, at his house after work, he seemed to more relaxed and cheerful.
That was 20 years ago.
Three years ago, I became the president of Hinaya, decided to close the Ine factory down where the operating ratio had fallen remarkably, and laid off many weavers including Mr. Kura.
Those days, I was desperate for the cultivation of new market, such as an overseas business, and left the younger brother who sees a manufacturing sites to close down these old factories.
I heard that Mr. Kura had developed some sort of sickness when working at Ine factory, and one year after the closing of it he passed away.
I was not able to attend his funeral due to an overseas business trip.
Two years have passed since then.....
I visited Tango area for the first time in a 2 years today.
Since the younger brother is in charge of these factories, I rarely go to Tango these days.
I have important business there and on the way, I wanted to drop by at the remain of the Ine factory.
After Hinaya withdrew there, it was turned to be the place of the town revitalization managed by a local volunteer housewives called "
Ocha-no-Kaka".
The weaver place was opted to be turned into a timberyard, however, Mrs. Kura made it as it is today.
"Our business operation is very suvere, but I could not stand seeing the place to be a timber yard."
Co-owner of the place mentioned.
She also mentioned that after Mr. Kura passed away, she took ceramic producton to be her occupation and opened "
Ine Studio".
When I passed through the shop curtain, I saw Mrs. Kura' s friendly smile which is the same with the ones 20 years ago.
She turned the boathouse into a wondersul gallery and cafe.
While we were chatting, of course we started to talk ob the master's recollections.
She said thats she often talks about the works(Obis) of him while visitors come to the gallery and take a look at her ceramics. She also still keeps many magazines with the stories on his obi works.
"I wish I had purchased more of his obis to keep....he was always working to midnight also at the house ofter work. But he did not show any works to me, nor he did not talk about the company at all at home.
When closing a factory, the master faced very difficult matters, however, he never mentioned.
He never let me touch a thread, either, even if he brought back repair works at home.
Although many matters were described in notes about the textiles of Hinaya, he said that all were confidential to the outside of the company, and never showed it to me.
When the factory was closed, the master burned them all right away. "
I almost burst into tears.
I, one who is going to close two more factories for the company's reconstruction now, and I know it is unevitable as a top management of the company.
However, it is the right thing to do for the weavers who had supported the art and craftmanship of Hinaya?
I tried not to be so sentimental, though I could not help myself going back to the time of the warm suppers at Mr. Kura's house after I worked at a part-time job in intense coldness all day 20 years ago.
