Q: Do you have any reason that you choose Makita?

Takao: Of course it was my neighbor company but when our president introduced me the job in the umbrella team, I was fascinated with the charm of making umbrella, especially its various processes. I could choose the textile weaving team but I was interested in making umbrellas.
Sugaya: when Takao started working here, the elder craftsmen just retired.
Takao: yes, so Chika is my closest colleague even she is much mentor.
Chica: we used to produce hundreds of same umbrellas because it was the mass production era but we needed to set up our new production style with the change of time.
Sugaya: we used to sell the umbrella textiles that we designed, planned and made maquette by ourselves. But after, license business expanded and we shifted our creativity from creating original design to realization of clients' requests. And now, we become like umbrella making professional team who can create from vague idea to real & charming umbrella.

Q：This is because of Makita who has an experience of whole processes, from planning, weaving to finishing umbrella.

Takao: Yes, I think so. There are various patterns of shapes, bones and combination in umbrellas. Makita can do whole process from weaving original fabric to cutting, sewing and finishing in our factory as well as collaboration with neighbor area, Nishikatsura, Fujiyoshida and Tsuru region.
Sugaya: many other factories stopped production and made them in cheaper countries in abroad. But Makita kept our policy ~made in our region~ and kept the production facilities.
Chika: we can answer the various requests because of this policy, I believe.
Sugaya: recently, we get more and more contact from companies and creators who want to make new umbrella with us.

Q：I found you cut the textile by hand, not using machine.

Takao: human hand is more precise than machine. We have various textiles so that hand and knife is the best tool for the precise cutting.
Chika: you keep using very old knives.
Takao: normally such old knives are not usable anymore but for some textile, this length of blade is the best.

Q：how do you manage such variation?

Sugaya: it is Chika
Chika: it is our team work.
Takao: Chika knows everything from sales manager's request to urgent production.That makes the work easier. Also making umbrella needs many processes and we need to communicate clearly.
Sugaya: we also ask neighbor factories for sewing process. And we know each one's feature so that we ask this pattern to this craftsman, that pattern to that factory. That's how we make such variety!
Takao: I realize Makita staffs are neighbors and craftsman and factories are also neighbors!
Sugaya: This team work of neighborhood is our umbrella's secret to create perfect beauty and superior quality. As Takao is the professional of cutting parts, each craftsman is the professional of other processes. And we all know what others do and pass the baton to next process with care. That is the important basement of creating Makita's umbrella.
Chika: And the special of our umbrellas are using yarn dyes woven textiles.
Takao: There are the particular beauty only achieved by jacquard weaving.
Sugaya: our wish is to create umbrellas to draw the beautiful scenery when we feel down in the rainy days. And we are happy to see many umbrellas in the town with smile of people.