"Sending and delivering good things in the right way" - Kenta Ninomiya (Part 2)

"I think it has led to technological progress and evolution."

At AJI PROJECT, you are in charge of creating products that utilize sandblasting techniques. Unlike other products, your products are made with very delicate processing.

Ninomiya-san

Yes. I think it's possible to make holes in stone with other tools, but to leave that much space between holes in stone that thin, I think blasting is the only way to do it.

Even if we use a blasting tool, the cut is fine and needs to penetrate deeply, so if we carved the normal way, the rubber sheet (which protects the parts that aren't being carved) would burn, and because we carve from both the front and back, it's difficult to align the carving position.

As a creator, what kind of products does AJI PROJECT make?

Ninomiya-san

What kind of product is it? I think it has contributed to the advancement and evolution of technology.
I don't know what AMIME and GRILLE were like when they were first created, but even if I had been a craftsman back then, I probably wouldn't have had the idea that I could make things like that.
Someone said to me, "If you use this tool and apply that technique, maybe you can do it?", so I thought, "Okay, let's do it." But I think I probably wouldn't have been able to do it with just the letter engraving technique I had up until then.

On top of that, they are taught "What should I do to make this?" and "What is the best way to do it?" and while doing it themselves, their skills improve little by little.

In the process, the skills I learned are also useful in my main job of engraving. I think it has given me the mindset of "I can do this if I apply it," and it has given me confidence, so I'm glad I did it...or rather, I think it was beneficial for me.

It's weird to say I don't care...

You are also in charge of engraving the logo on AJI PROJECT products. Do you feel any tension or pressure putting the logo on the finished product?

Ninomiya-san

I do think, "If I put this logo on it, it will become a product," or, "Because I put this logo on it, it will be an 'AJI PROJECT product' or an 'Aoshima product,'" but I don't feel any pressure about it (laughs).

However, there is a sense of accomplishment that is different from other jobs...
With normal letter engraving, you often don't know where or who the item will go to, and you're not directly asked to use your skills. There's a general contractor, a retailer, subcontractors, and the subcontractors come to us... but with AJI PROJECT, you can see the process - the order comes in, it's made, the logo is engraved, it's shipped... so instead of just thinking about my own work, you can feel closer to what happens beyond that... Of course, you don't know where it will end up or who will get it, but I feel closer to the customer, and it's really stimulating to have the feeling that the things I've been involved in are being sent out to the world, not just locally.

I think that the other craftsmen who make AJI PROJECT's products also feel a sense of fulfillment in knowing that they are not just subcontractors.

Is there anything you are particular about?

Ninomiya-san

Particularities... It would be strange to say that I don't have any particular preferences, but I'm not that conscious of them. Just like with other letter engraving work, I try to make it as neat as possible.

Ah, but when it comes to logos, I think about the times when I bought something myself. For example, when I want something branded and buy it, I don't want to feel like, "Oh, there's something strange about the logo," or "It's a little different." I haven't actually had that experience, but I don't want customers who buy AJI PROJECT products to feel that way.
I think that branding is also the accumulation of sending and delivering quality products in the right way.

"Oh, here comes SOLID."

Putting a logo on a product also means that you are a craftsman who takes each product in hand and completes it. As a craftsman, do you have any favorite or memorable products other than AMIME and GRILLE?

Ninomiya-san

My favorite product... I wonder what it is? The one with the most logos carved is ROCK END after all (lol).

...Maybe Fujishiro's SOLID. I don't know what SOLID is, but when I see the logo, I feel something... it's attractive... like, "Oh, SOLID is here."
...It's hard to put into words (laughs)

It's difficult to put into words something that you sense.

Ninomiya-san

That's right. But I think that kind of thing will become important from now on. Just like putting it into words, if we keep saying things like "I can't do it because it's stone" or "I can't do it because these are the only tools I have," we'll never be able to make any progress. In fact, it seems like stone has been stuck in the technical aspect for years now...
From now on, I think we need to keep thinking, "It's just a stone, but we'll do something about it," and continue to evolve our technology, otherwise we probably won't be able to keep up with the times.

I want my children to interact with animals.

How do you spend your private time? I previously heard that you play golf on your days off.

Ninomiya-san

I've been playing golf, but my score hasn't changed (laughs). It's always been around 80-90. I get greedy (laughs).

My child was born last year, and up until now, he has been able to play at the nearby Ishisho-no-Sato Park, but now that he can walk, I think it's time to take him to various places. I want him to interact with animals, so I'm not sure about the nearby zoo or Yashima Aquarium...
I believe that spending time in places like that with my family can be beneficial to my work.

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In the second part, we talked about the relationship between the products and the makers behind the "Aji Stone Products that Fit into Your Life."

The AJI PROJECT Newsletter, which is distributed once a month, includes early interviews with artisans (short versions) as well as interviews with creators, so please feel free to register (for free) if you are interested.