A 3D Buddha statue created by automotive engineer‐artist. Part2
Table of Contents
▶Continued from Part 1
●The creation of Polygon Ursula using 3D technology and its future development
●Changes and connections after attending zenschool
●Mr. Imai’s thoughts on “the future of XX in Japan
▶Video Conversation
▶Continued from Part 1
●The creation of Polygon Ursula using 3D technology and its future development
Miki: I’d like to continue to ask you about the creation of the Asura statue. I heard that it was very difficult to create the 3D data for this statue.
Imai: That’s right. This is the first one you made, and I made some changes to it, but I made it on paper first and checked the expression on it, and I wasn’t satisfied with this face at all.
Miki: That’s right. It was too flat, like there was no face at all.
Imai: That’s right. But if we were to faithfully recreate the face, it would end up looking like this, but in reality, it would be more realistic if we left it as it was, but there were some parts that were a little different from that, so we worked on them. What about other parts, such as the feel of the cloth?
Miki: The texture of the cloth is very well expressed. Also, I thought the back area was quite well done.
Imai: That’s right. The line of the back is also beautifully curved.
Miki: Did you learn how to handle various kinds of 3D data in the process of making this?
Imai: I’ve left most of the data to them, and they just give me instructions. There are almost no mistakes. I’ve learned how to make small adjustments without drawings, and I can do it in the actual production process.
Utsunomiya: This is the process of cutting parts from aluminum sheets and bending them, right?
Imai: Yes, that’s right. I cut everything by hand, without using machines.
Utsunomiya: You cut the parts with scissors?
Imai: I printed out the plan and pasted it on a piece of paper, and then cut along the line. To get the crispness, I had to put a thin line on the back of the paper, and then bend it to make a curve.
Utsunomiya: I was able to increase my speed and productivity…
Imai: But this time, we had to rework and rework, so it actually took about 200 hours. In version 1, the drawings were already finished, so we were able to do it in about half that time, so the next time we make it, we can do it in about 100 hours, half that.
Miki: Do you have any plans for future sales channels for the Asura statues? How do you plan to turn it into a business?
Imai: It’s my fault, but I’m more interested in creating than selling. I have other plans besides the Asura statues, but if I keep on doing that, I’ll cause trouble for the company.
Miki: What kind of applications do you have in mind?
Imai: First of all, I was thinking of using it as a target for restaurants and other places where it would be displayed as well as for staging, because it is very beautiful when illuminated with various colors of light.
Utsunomiya: It stands out, doesn’t it?
Imai: I think it has a great impact, so I think it could be used in restaurants. Of course, I’m also thinking of selling or renting it, but first of all, I’m thinking of sending out more information to increase the number of fans…
Utsunomiya: Do you get a lot of ideas from people?
Imai: Yes, I do. As for future plans, I’m not ready to sell my products yet, but I’m going to exhibit at the Toyota Business Fair in Toyota City in March. I’m also hoping to have my work exhibited at the Factory Art Museum Toyama by Mr. Kajikawa, a graduate of zenschool.
Utsunomiya: In April, right?
Imai: Yes, that’s right. We are planning something for the first anniversary, and I’m sure that information will come out sooner or later, so I would like to participate in that.
Miki: What about crowdfunding?
Imai: I’ve talked about this a little bit before, but I have a big dream to take my work overseas, so I’d like to visit places like MoMA in New York…
Miki: I’d like to hold a solo exhibition, so I’d like to use crowdfunding to pay for that trip…
Imai: That’s the kind of image I’d like to aim for in the end.
Miki: That sounds great. Please let us do it at zenmono.
Imai: Yes.
Miki: I think this is something that will attract a lot of attention from overseas as well.
Imai: Not only the Asura statue, but various other series…
Miki: Do you have something in mind?
Imai: I’m thinking of participating in the Creator’s Market, one of the two times a year, in December every year, and presenting a new Buddha statue each time.
Utsunomiya: After the Asura statue?
Imai: Yes, that’s right. Utsunomiya: Yes, I would like to keep it a secret at this point, but I will definitely exhibit it, so I hope that people will take a look at it and look forward to it if they come to see it.
Imai: That’s right. There are many graduates of zenschool, so we can get many ideas by interacting with many people.
Utsunomiya: It would be good if you could come to the presentations and interact with them.
Miki: That’s right. This has a great impact.
Utsunomiya: It’s quite difficult to carry this around, isn’t it?
Imai: No, it can be disassembled, so it really comes apart…
Utsunomiya: So it can fit in the trunk of a car?
Imai: It can fit in the box, and since it is made of aluminum and hollow inside, it weighs only about 3.5 kg, which is enough to lift it up.
Utsunomiya: Can you hold it for a moment? Can you turn it sideways? The sides also look like this.
Miki: The back is also great. I like the back view.
Utsunomiya: I also like the way the clothes look. You don’t see that very often, do you? It’s hard to see the back view. There are some pictures of the front on the Internet. Is the back the same as the real one?
Imai: I’ve already reproduced everything.
Utsunomiya: Is that really the back view?
Imai: Yes, it is.
Miki: I was impressed with the expression of the arms. It’s just like this. The arms are a little thin and look like they might break, so it’s really well expressed. It’s wonderful. Do you plan to make more Buddha statues in the future?
Imai: Yes, I do.
Utsunomiya: Just like Sanjusangendo (laughs).
Imai: Yes, that’s right. I’ve already paid a visit to the temple in advance for the next one.
Utsunomiya: I’ve already paid a visit to the temple and injected my soul into it…
Miki: I think there was a lot of response to the first version, but what kind of response have you had so far?
Imai: One response was from a magazine specializing in aluminum… We had an exhibit in Toyama for one day (April 2017), and after hearing about it, a publisher in Tokyo saw it from somewhere and asked us to do an interview with the company.
Miki: You already agreed to do the interview, right?
Imai: At that time, we couldn’t publish it because it wasn’t original, so we said, “We’re sorry. I said, “I’m sorry, but I’m going to make an original, and I’ll let you know when it’s ready,” and I contacted them last month.
Miki: I see. Do you feel like you’re going to get any interviews?
Imai: On the contrary, they ask me a lot of questions, and I just answer them and send them pictures, so I think they might publish my work.
Utsunomiya: It’s aluminum, isn’t it? You can also make other materials like copper here, right?
Imai: Yes, we can.
Miki: Copper has the texture of copper, which is nice.
Imai: The copper is twice the size of this one, and only the head is made. The reason why it is twice the size is that copper is handled differently from aluminum, and copper itself is sticky, so…
Utsunomiya: Is it hard to bend?
Imai: It’s hard to bend, and it’s also hard to cut, which makes it so sharp that your hands are covered with scratches.
Utsunomiya: As it ages, it becomes more attractive.
Imai: You can also use chemicals to forcibly rust it, so you can make the same drawing for that one…
Utsunomiya: It looks different. The color of the skin changes.
Imai: For example, if you use a brass plate, the color will be gold.
Utsunomiya: But if you use aluminum, you can anodize it, can’t you?
Imai: Yes. I think there are many ways to expand the same product.
Utsunomiya: Of course, the way of lighting also makes a difference, doesn’t it?
Imai: Yes, we can.
●Changes and connections after attending zenschool
Miki: Can I turn the conversation back to zenschool here?
Utsunomiya: You took the course in December, 2016 and presented it in February, 2017.
Miki: Did you expect yourself to change in this way before and after taking the course?
Imai: As I thought at the time of the interview, my honest impression was that I had no idea what I was going to do even after reading through the material beforehand, but after the seminar, I honestly thought that it was by far the most fun of all the seminars I’ve attended. I have been to many seminars in the past, but this was by far the most enjoyable. At first I thought it was a long four days, but then I thought, “Is it over already?
Utsunomiya: What did you enjoy about it? From your point of view, Imai.
Imai: When I thought about it beforehand, I could only come up with things that were actually available in the world, such as stoves, but I actually took the meditation and did the exciting activity, and I came up with something that I didn’t expect…
Utsunomiya: Is this unexpected?
Imai: It was unexpected. I was surprised by it, and I also enjoyed making it myself, so it was very exciting for me to be able to make something like that every day…
Utsunomiya: Is it like rediscovering yourself?
Imai: Yes, it is.
Utsunomiya: But it was there originally, wasn’t it?
Imai: What I like about zenschool, the idea of micro manufacturing, and the stove are probably similar, but the originality and the fact that I could do something that only I could do, something that I could say with confidence that it was my idea, was really big for me.
Utsunomiya: Does it mean that the level of your love is different?
Imai: Yes, it does. It doesn’t mean I’m going to stop using the stove, but my excitement is completely different.
Miki: The level of excitement…
Utsunomiya: It’s reflected in your products, isn’t it?
Imai: Yes, it does. As I said, by taking the course, I was able to learn how to sell my products, and I was able to receive a subsidy. It’s not strange to pay someone to do what you can’t do.
Utsunomiya: Was it different in the past?
Imai: I used to feel like I had to do everything by myself, but then I would get stuck. There is a limit to how much time I can spend on a project, and there is also a limit to how much I can do technically, so if I can leave it to the professionals or get help…
Miki: How do you feel the other students have changed?
Imai: Even after the seminar is over, we don’t just say goodbye, we get together on a regular basis, and yesterday’s New Year’s party, which was attended by the second year students, we got to know each other quickly…
Miki: That’s right. We can talk in the same mode.
Imai: It’s still a lot of fun, and we can exchange a lot of information, and we can follow each other’s work, such as visiting each other’s factories, and we can also cooperate in our main business.
Miki: This connection is exactly the kind of network that Toyota City needed. It’s a network where we can have a real dialogue with each other, not just the one created by the manufacturing industry.
Utsunomiya: As the number of terms increases, the community will grow and become stronger, and we hope that zenschool Toyota City can continue for a long time.
Imai: There are many interesting companies in Toyota City, but I feel that there are not many connections.
Utsunomiya: Usually, when manufacturers get together, there is a sense of rivalry. They say, “We shouldn’t say such and such”…
Miki: Here, there is no such thing. Everyone is doing what they like, so it doesn’t matter.
Utsunomiya: So, people are more and more open about themselves, aren’t they?
Imai: That’s why it’s easy to get to know each other, and I think it’s really interesting.
Miki: Sometimes the graduates from Toyota City come to the presentations in Tokyo.
Utsunomiya: The other day, they came to Shibuya.
Miki: The zenschool Tonomachi that we are running with Keio University is also an alumni group, so if you come to that school, you will be able to connect with many people who are working in the medical field.
Utsunomiya: I would like to create a community where everyone can connect with each other.
●Mr. Imai’s thoughts on “the future of XX in Japan
Miki: The last question is about the future of XX in Japan, and XX can be anything you like, manufacturing, small and medium-sized enterprises, or manufacturing.
Imai: This may be a bit general, but I’m not the president of a company, and I’m a salaried employee, but many of the participants in zenschool are presidents or managers. If I were to talk about it from that perspective, I would say that the name “Made in Japan” used to be very well known all over the world, but now I have the impression that it is on the verge of collapse. Miki: Yes.
Miki: That’s right. They were excited to make them…
Imai: It’s the same with Buddhist statues. I can feel the soul of Buddhist statues made in the past, and I really feel that people today cannot reproduce them. I would like to read a book on Bushido, and I would like to train myself and my company to reflect it in our education.
Utsunomiya: It’s not just about skills and techniques, but also about the soul…
Imai: I think the difference between the two is coming out.
Utsunomiya: It is called “mind, technique and body”, isn’t it?
Imai: That’s right. If you look at traditional crafts from the past, you will see that they are doing things that make a lot of sense, and they are really pursuing quality. They have reached a level where you can feel the product when you touch it or see it, so I would like to work with that kind of thinking.
Miki: Are you going to share what you have learned with other employees?
Imai: At the moment, I’m working alone, so I’m very grateful for the support of the president and the fact that I was allowed to participate in this project. He also supports me in terms of money, and I think that by participating in zenschool, I can think about sales and learn how to think like a manager.
Utsunomiya: That’s great. I hope this will spread not only to Issac, but also to other Toyota companies…
Imai: That’s right. It’s an interesting company…
Miki: I think it would be great if zenschool could help companies develop people who are capable of having proper discussions with the president.
Utsunomiya: It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with the times when the president is the only one making management decisions, isn’t it?
Imai: It is often said that Toyota City is the center of the automobile industry, and if that industry collapses, as it did during the Lehman Shock, the city will go into a tailspin, so it is better to have products other than automobile-related products to diversify the risk.
Utsunomiya: I heard that the president of Toyota exhibited at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas the other day.
Imai: I feel that we need to move forward in that aspect as well.
Miki: Mr. Imai, a metal Buddhist priest, has joined us today. Thank you very much.
Imai: Thank you very much.
