In this, the fifth AJI PROJECT craftsman interview, we spoke with Ninomiya Kenta, the youngest craftsman yet.
( Click here for past interview articles with craftsmen)
Ninomiya is a stone craftsman known as a "letter engraver." As the name "letter engraver" suggests, his main job is to carve letters into stone products, and he does not cut or polish the stone. Therefore, he can be called a "unique" specialist, even in a production area where division of labor and specialization have progressed. He is in charge of the products that make use of his special skills when making AJI PROJECT products.
The article is divided into two parts. In the first part, we talk about the uniqueness of "letter carving" and his thoughts as a young stonemason, and in the second part, he talks about the product creation of the AJI PROJECT.
→ "Send and deliver quality products in the right way" - Kenta Ninomiya (Part 2)
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Blasting is a tool with many applications and possibilities
- What kind of work do you do on a daily basis?
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Ninomiya-sanLetter engraving craftsmen use tools and work completely differently from other stonemasons. Unlike other stonemasons, they don't cut or polish stones, but rather carve letters and designs into finished stone products. Normally, they use a tool called a sandblaster to carve letters into stone products that are delivered, add color, and deliver them.
- Letter engravers are a bit of a special breed among stonemasons.
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Ninomiya-san
That's right. To the viewer, the letters often become the "face" of the product, so in that sense, you are a somewhat unique stonemason.
Sandblasting can of course be used to carve materials other than stone, and it can also be used to remove rust and paint from iron. It has a lot of versatility, or should I say "freedom"... With sandblasting, you can also do small processing. I feel that there are many possibilities in being able to do things that other stonemasons can't do.
- What is the difficulty in carving letters into stone?
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Ninomiya-san
Basically, the thicker parts of the letters should be carved deeper... That's the rule. In fact, if the thinner parts are carved too deeply it looks strange. But it's also weird if they're too shallow. The balance between the two and the overall look is all down to my own cultivated intuition.
That feeling, or the quality of the carved characters, can be hard to convey to others. This may be because the carving is special, but even for the same stonemason, it seems difficult to tell, and the difficult thing about being a stonemason is that the quality is judged not by how well the carving is done, but by the price.
Even if it's the same character, writing it on paper and carving it into stone are completely different, and the way the "uttate" (the starting point of the brush stroke) is placed, the way the emphasis is applied, the intention with which the character is carved, the depth, the balance... There is no standard, and it's difficult to explain in words... but I am careful to make sure that it "doesn't feel unnatural."
- Do you ever look at your past work and think, "I wish I had done it this way?"
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Ninomiya-san
Yes, that's true. Sometimes the work I did for "additional engraving" comes back to me after a few years, and when I get the work from the early days, I think, "Ah, if I were to do it now, I would do it more like this..." (laughs).
I think it's more a difference in how it looks than a difference in the way it's carved.
I feel like "carving beautifully" and "making it look beautiful" are slightly different, and I think that feeling has improved compared to when I first started. I think that if I look at my work now in a few years, I'll probably think, "Wow, I still have a lot to learn" (laughs).
"It's made of stone, so it can't be done" is no longer an acceptable excuse
- It's important to hone not only your technique, but also your sensibilities and your ability to observe.
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Ninomiya-san
I think it's probably not just stones or work, but also the things I've seen and experienced that have had a big influence on me. Through that, I update things in my own way, and I start to feel things like, "It would be beautiful if it looked like this," or "It would be better if it was a little like this." So I'm always trying to hone that kind of feeling...or rather, I'm trying to feel it.
I think the biggest thing is going to on-site carving (a method of carving the stone where it is, rather than transporting it to a factory and then carving it there) and looking at work, without knowing who did it or where it was done, I think "Wow, that's good" or "If I were to do it, I would do it a little more like this" and I also talk with customers...I think absorbing something from such experiences is connected to my current sensibilities and sensibilities.
- What do you think is needed to expand the possibilities of stone?
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Ninomiya-san
Rather than thinking, "It's stone, so it can't be done," or "It's stone, so it can only be done," I think that if we can get rid of those fixed ideas, we will be able to find something that can be put to good use. I also think that the idea that "It's stone, but it can be done to this extent" is probably what the world needs right now.
If everyone could think like that, I think many more possibilities would emerge, and if we connect with designers, we might be able to spread the word that "this is what's possible." If that happens, I think people will think, "I want to become a craftsman," and it might bring vitality to not only Aoshima but the entire production area.
Being in this production area, seeing the same things every day, talking to the same craftsmen... then maybe... I think that having an interest and concern for various things and honing your sensibilities will lead to an understanding of "this is how it is" and "this is how you should do it."
"What an amazing world view!"
- As a craftsman, are there any people or works that have influenced you in any way other than technical skills?
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Ninomiya-san
I was greatly influenced by the artist Jury Kawamura. Jury designed several "Aji Stone Bonsai" and during the process I had several opportunities to talk with him and thought, "What an incredible worldview!"
Even with the "Aji Stone Bonsai," the stone processing technology, which had been stagnant until then, suddenly took off, and it was a shock. The idea of making bonsai out of stone, Jury drew the blueprint, and a local sculptor created it through a lot of trial and error... I was also inspired by that. They can make things that no one else can make... When I realized that I was able to work surrounded by such people, my way of thinking changed in some ways, and I think I was greatly influenced.
- It was also because of that person that you started learning English.
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Ninomiya-san
Yes, I started learning English when Jury told me, "You'll need it in the future, so you should learn it." Ever since I was a student, I've had an interest in being able to communicate with people from other countries.
The sensibility of foreigners... You can see it with tourists, but when Japanese people go on vacation, they dress fashionably but it's hard to move around in. But when you look at foreigners who come to Japan, they're wearing walking shoes, running shirts, shorts, short sleeves... They only carry the bare minimum with them. It was interesting to see these differences, and I thought, "It would be even more interesting if I could talk to them."
However, I had no confidence that I could master it, I didn't know how to study, and I hated studying to begin with so I never studied... (lol) I thought "What's the point of me studying English now...", but I believed the words "Just do it", "Keep going", and "You'll be able to do it eventually", so I started studying.I hadn't had the opportunity to take the plunge before, so it was a good opportunity for me to hear that from someone who inspired me. I'm still not good enough to talk about it though (laughs).
Kenta Ninomiya
Born in 1991 (32 years old at the time of the interview)
- AJI PROJECT products I am in charge of
- Mainly AMIME MITSUDE / GRILLE SQUARE
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When we think of stone as a recording medium, the letters engraved on stone products can be said to be value in themselves.
In the first part of the interview, we talked about the skills required for "letter engraving" and the path of a craftsman. In the second part, we ask questions about AJI PROJECT's products.
→Read the second part, " 'Send and deliver good things in the right way' - Kenta Ninomiya "