"I was the first person to see the other side of the broken stone" - Kenichiro Shimamoto (Part 2)

When it comes to polishing, we are quite highly regarded in the production area. However, this is something that was built up through the hard work of our previous craftsmen, and it is a technique unique to that person. And those craftsmen are no longer around.
When I started polishing it myself, I was using the same tools and following the same process, but it was so different that I thought, "What is this?" I've seen the finished product and the work process many times, so I remember how the light from the fluorescent lights and mercury lamps in the factory reflects on the stone. "This stone would shine like this." But when I actually tried it...
I have once again come to realise just how difficult it is to make a stone shine in a natural way.

For example, we have an automatic polishing machine, and since it's called automatic, once you set it, it will automatically complete the polishing process, which has various grits and several steps. However, our craftsman was always standing next to the polishing machine.
For gloss, the previous work is very important, so you have to watch the previous process. In other words, even if it is a machine, you have to be there from start to finish and watch the condition of the stone surface for each grit, otherwise you cannot judge the amount of water or the condition of the whetstone... that's what it means.

There are some difficulties, such as having to align the grain of the stones and they are expensive, but from the perspective of the craftsman, it is easy to make them in a sense. They meet expectations, and turn out just as you expect. With stones with large grain, it simply doesn't turn out the way you expect it to. It takes a lot of time, and it's frustrating...I think that's reflected directly in the product.

Of course, you have to be careful not to do this with any stone, but this rarely happens with Aji stone. I can polish it nicely, process it, and make things with it... that's what makes it an Aji stone.

I'm about to start a new business. Some people have told me, "Shimamoto-kun, if you're a stonemason, wouldn't it be better for your customers to feel at ease if you run a stonemason shop properly?" I think that's true, and I'm still conflicted about it, but now is the youngest time of my life, so I thought, "If I'm going to do it, now is the time!" and I'll do what I can do, what's interesting.

With this in mind, in our new logo we changed the "yu" in "Shimamoto Stone Industry Co., Ltd." to "yu" (play) (laughs).

I went to Osaka right after graduating from high school, and at that time I wanted to do voice work. So I went to that school and studied for a year. At the end of that, I had the opportunity to "act" and I went on stage... well, the people watching were all my family, but it was so moving that I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought it was amazing. So I thought I'd like to learn acting as well, so after graduating from school, I became one of the early members of a new theater company that was starting up around Toyonaka... I think it was about three years? I appeared on various stages... and that's how I spent my time.

My wife was also studying with me at the time, but she found the backstage work interesting, so she worked alongside the stage director and did various things. Then, when we decided to get married, I realized that it would be difficult to make a living from just the stage, so I talked it over with her and she said, "Let's take over the stonemason's shop," and I came back here.

I don't know if that's coming through, but when I'm explaining something to a customer, I think I'm good at thinking about how to make it easy to understand, and thinking about things objectively, rather than subjectively or one-sidedly. Choosing my words might be one example of that.

My favorite tool... Maybe a grinder? There is something called grinder paper, and I also use it to finish the split surfaces of ROCK END. It removes the blade marks on the surface after cutting, making it smooth, but it doesn't have too much shine... I like the subtle matte finish.

I don't have any particular preference for manufacturers, but I've always used the same tools that my predecessor used.

It's similar to Okada-san , but it's sound and music. I listen to music on my smartphone and podcasts, but I basically listen to a certain group's chat on YouTube all the time. I feel relieved to have sound casually in front of my ears. And on the contrary, it helps me concentrate. I've been doing that for a long time.
They deliver new songs once a week, but there are some that I listen to several times. Even when I'm feeling anxious or impatient, I feel reassured knowing that the same voice is there every day, in the same tone as always. It calms me down, resets me, and helps me get through today.

I don't really feel anything when I see the stone in the factory. But there are moments when I feel the earth, history, or something like that. It's the same with ROCK END, but the moment I split the stone, I feel like it touches the air for the first time in tens of millions of years. There are moments when I suddenly feel like this side was supposed to be invisible forever, and that I'm the first person to see it.