Bheela’s Blog -105
20 November 2022
Episode 104 Recap
The two men who visit the Tanokura house are from the Ono-ya supermarket. They want Ryuzo and Oshin to sell their product through their superstore. Oshin is not comfortable with this idea, but she agrees. It helps them to recover the cost.
Ryuzo celebrates this breakthrough, and he starts dreaming big. Oshin is worried about his ambition, and she warns him.
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https://medium.com/@bheela-wadehra/bheelas-blog-104-55264b21833a
Episode 105
FLASHBACK CONTINUES
Oshin almost gives up on the new clothing business when Ono-ya, a big store, offers to carry her line in their shop. Oshin and Genzi join to fulfil the orders along with the two hired tailors. Tanokura company is once again moving ahead.
‘Excuse me!’ Four girls are at the main door, and Oshin looks up to see them.
‘Mr. Tanokura told us to report to work at nine,’ says one of them.
Oshin goes to the door to greet them; she is puzzled.
‘He is not here right now,’ says Oshin. She sits at the door to talk to the girls; she says, ‘I am Mrs. Tanokura.’
‘We are here to operate the sewing machines,’ says the eldest among the girls.
‘We don’t need any new people yet,’ says Oshin.
‘Isn’t this the Tanokura Company? Then there is no mistake,’ the girl replies.
‘We only have three sewing machines, and they are all occupied,’ Oshin points to the machines the tailors are working on.
‘Maybe we were being fooled. We quit our jobs to come here because the pay was better. We trusted you,’ says another girl shaking the elder one.
‘Mr. Tanokura asks us to come,’ the elder girl gets confused.
‘Then why doesn’t his wife know about it?’ asks the youngest of the four.
‘He didn’t tell me anything,’ Oshin gets up and tells them.
‘Mr. Tanokura used to do business with the tailor I worked for. He said he needed experienced people to help him sew a new clothing line. He promised us better wages. That is why we all quit our jobs to come here,’ the elder girl pleads.
‘We don’t have enough machines to go around,’ says Oshin; she is now thinking about how to solve this problem.
‘We can’t just get sent away now!’ the girls are desperate.
‘Once Mr. Tanokura comes home, we can talk.’ Oshin tries to show them the door; Genzi joins her, and the girls start to protest. There is a commotion.
Ryuzo enters at that time.
‘Thanks for coming,’ he says to the elder girl.
‘What is going on? Your wife knows nothing about this!’ the girl starts sobbing.
‘Sorry, I was too busy,’ says Ryuzo, and then turning to Oshin, he introduces the elder girl, ‘This is Toshiko. Toshiko introduces the other girls, ‘This is Katsuko, Hisae, and Fumie. They are all experienced!
‘I will pay you what I promised,’ says Ryuzo.
‘Good, we all want better wages, but you will have to pay us more for harder jobs!’ says Toshiko.
‘We need a high production rate,’ says Ryuzo to the girls. Oshin is puzzled by all these events, and Genzi scratches his head, clueless.
‘We don’t have enough sewing machines!’ reminds Oshin catching Ryuzo’s arm.
‘They are right here!’ Announces Ryuzo; he looks out of the door to the lane and shouts, ‘Hurry, and bring them in. We will have a total of six machines now,’ says Ryuzo.
The girls exclaim in excitement and move to a side. The laborers bring the machine in one by one.
‘The work will get done faster!’ Ryuzo is excited too.
Oshin is alarmed by all these; she takes Ryuzo to one side and tells him, ‘Then maybe we need only three new people.’
‘You are pregnant; you should be taking it easy. Leave the store to me!’ says Ryuzo; he is concerned for Oshin always, but Ryuzo has a hidden desire to prove to himself his capability of setting up a business.
‘Let us get to work!’ he shouts to the team of tailors. He also introduces the two tailors already working with Tanokura to the new hires, saying, ‘This is Umeko, and this is Itoko, our old hands.’
The new girls bow to the two tailors. ‘They will teach you what to do!’ Says Ryuzo to the four girls who just joined. Then he turns to the two girls and asks them, ‘Please help the new hires.’
Genzi is watching the situation in awe; he stands in a corner, but Ryuzo spots him. He brings Genzi to the new girls, saying, ‘This is Genzi, our manager! Ask him for anything. Let us get the machines up!’
The girls, with the help of Ryuzo, set up machines in the adjoining room. Oshin, bewildered, watches from the corner of her eyes.
***
Six machines start operating. Ryuzo sits in the dining area and wipes his forehead.
‘We are all set now! Each of these girls will do the work of two! I am glad to have them.’ Says Ryuzo, looking at Oshin.
(Post World War I, the Japanese started pushing themselves into business. It also meant some exploitations of labour in the zeal to do more and turn the economy. Japan began to do business globally, bringing new product lines and services into the market. But was it sustainable? The following articles provide more insight into the economic situation in Japan from the 1920s to 1930s, followed by the depression leading to World War II.
https://uncpress.org/book/9780807857311/the-japanese-business-community-and-national-trade-policy-1920-1942/; https://www.grips.ac.jp/teacher/oono/hp/lecture_J/lec07.htm)
With a tray with two cups of tea, Oshin joins him. She is somewhat apprehensive about this sudden upscaling of business.
‘I told you that we don’t need more people or machines. We will sell to Ono-ya only what we can make.’ Says Oshin.
‘That will cost us our reputation,’ Ryuzo replies, ‘we will lose business to somebody else. This is a highly competitive market, so we must fill our orders as they come in.’
‘Yes, but,’ Oshin interrupts.
‘What are you so worried about? All of Japan will need Western clothes now. For both men and women. But we don’t need expensive clothes. Clothes off-the-rack are what people want! We will build up a reputation with what we sell to Ono-ya. Then we can sell to other big stores! We will have to work hard to maintain quality control. We will be building a big factory soon!’ Ryuzo starts dreaming of a big business; his confidence is back, and he wants to achieve success too soon.
‘What about your job?’ Oshin reminds him.
‘I will quit tomorrow. I will make this business my life’s work!’ Ryuzo already has planned; nothing will stop him now. Oshin’s jaws drop upon hearing this. Ryuzo continues, ‘Oshin! Just leave everything to me!’ he seeks Oshin’s approval.
‘Okay,’ says Oshin with a smile after a pause, ‘I guess you are right! If we fail, we will crawl back up again. I have done that many times in my life.’
Oshin sighs, taking a deep breath, and says, ‘It is tough being a woman. Especially pregnant women, we need security and get too worried. And I will hold you back.’
Ryuzo smiles; he now understands. He says with a smile, ‘men are the opposite. We like to try for bigger things when we have a baby coming. I am doing this for you and our baby!’
Oshin smiles, too. ‘Yes! Then go right ahead! If you fail, we can start from scratch again!’ she straightens herself, touches her belly, and says, ‘I am sure my baby won’t be afraid of poverty.’
‘Thanks,’ says Ryuzo; he is full of emotions, ‘I have nothing to fear now. I will charge ahead!’ He jumps toward Oshin to hug her, overwhelmed with his love for his wife. Not prepared, Oshin trips to the floor together with Ryuzo. Ryuzo holds her from touching the ground.
‘Are you okay?’ Ryuzo gets ups and holds Oshin in his arms.
‘No! I am not!’ Oshin laughs and holds her back with her palms.
‘I am so sorry,’ Ryuzo gets worried.
Hearing the noise, Genzi appears and quickly turns to his back, looking at the couple in an intimate position. He coughs to register his presence.
‘Mr. Tachihara is here,’ announces Genzi.
Oshin keeps laughing with her hands on her lips. Ryuzo, embarrassed, gets up quickly, picking his coat, and rushes to the front room.
‘He is so silly,’ Oshin cannot contain her laughter, she says, looking at Genzi.
‘I am glad that you are safe,’ says Genzi; he, too, starts laughing as Oshin tries to get up. He continues with all his wisdom, sitting next to Oshin, ‘A couple has to agree on everything. Otherwise, nothing will go right.’
Oshin smiles shyly.
***
It is bedtime, and Ryuzo is about to sleep. He looks toward Oshin but finds the bed empty. Springing up to his feet, he reaches the dining area to find Oshin working on the designs.
Oshin spreads all the sheets and tries out various designs. She is now pregnant and nearing her term; she always feels hungry. She keeps a bowl of nuts and a cup of milk as she draws a pattern for a top. She pops up nuts as she works.
‘You are still up?’ asks Ryuzo.
‘Yes, Ono-ya wants new styles. That is why I need new patterns made.’
Ryuzo sits next to her and looks at the drawings.
‘This one is so nice,’ he appreciates.
‘It is a simple style but with a nicer fabric,’ says Oshin; she has a creative mind.
‘I can choose the material,’ says Ryuzo.
‘Want some?’ Oshin offers nuts to Ryuzo.
‘No, thanks.’
‘We work so hard, and Ono-ya gets most of the profits; that is not right,’ says Oshin with a mild complaint tone.
‘That can’t be helped. Ono-ya have their own overheads!’
‘The customer would save so much if they bought straight from us. Wouldn’t that make things a lot easier?’ Oshin says from her natural instinct.
‘The world is not as easy as you think. It is a long-standing business tradition.’
‘There is a way to offer customers a better price.’
‘Ha-Ha,’ Ryuzo laughs out loud, ‘You don’t have to worry about things like that; we should just worry about keeping the costs down,’ says Ryuzo and gets up. Oshin calls him back.
‘We can’t possibly make work clothes, too?’ she asks eagerly.
‘It is best to make all we can while we are still able to. Working women need clothes to wear at the office!’ Ryuzo responds; both of them now think of the business growth.
‘Why do we have to work so hard for Ono-ya?’ Oshin looks up at Ryuzo; she thinks, scratching her hair with the back of the pencil.
‘Just go to bed!’ says Ryuzo and closes the door behind him as he returns to the bedroom.
Oshin pops up another nut and gets back to work.
RETURN TO THE PRESENT TIME
Kei laughs out loud. He gets up and sits on the bed. Oshin sits on her bed with her back resting against the pillow and legs stretched out, half covered with the comforter.
They are still in Tokyo, staying at the hotel suits. The sleeping area has two single beds and a lovely lampshade between the two beds. Oshin continues the stories of being pregnant full term and working hard to set up the clothes business.
As Kei laughs, Oshin asks, ‘what is so funny?’
‘That is so like you! You don’t understand economics, yet you want to help common people get a better deal?’ says Kei.
‘Why not? We could have sold directly to the people.’
‘I see, that is why you opened a supermarket. You wanted people to get all their foods at fair prices by direct purchase!’
‘It had nothing to do with supermarkets back then, supermarket came much later in my life.’
‘Your markets buy direct from the producers. And you sell in large quantity at a lesser profit.’ Kei understands the way business is currently being done at the Tanokura company.
‘Well, that is true,’ says Oshin. She contemplates and recalls, ‘But there were harder roads to travel before I could open my own supermarkets.’ Oshin’s life has been full of struggle, twists, and turns. She shares with Kei in great detail.
‘What you learned back then has made you who you are today! At least, as far as business is concerned,’ says Kei. He realizes he is learning more from his grandma during this trip than any college degree would teach him.
‘It was a whole new world for me. It wasn’t like hairdressing at all.’
‘But did it go all well?’ Kei is curious to know.
‘Clothes sold so well that it was almost frightening!’ Oshin recalls with twinkles in her eyes. She then feels tired and says with a mock complaint to Kei, ‘Why did you get me up to talk like this again? You woke me up!’
‘You weren’t able to get to sleep!’ Kei clarifies, smiling at his grandma.
‘I will have to get something to drink now.’
‘I am glad it went well,’ says Kei.
‘What?’ Oshin is somewhat distracted by her thoughts.
‘Your line of off-the-rack clothes for everyone!’ says Kei; he gets up and prepares a drink for his grandma.
‘Oh yes,’ says Oshin, and she goes into her past again. Sleep still eludes her.
What happened next? Was Tanokura company able to meet the growing demands of Ono-ya?
We will find more in the coming episode, number 106, soon!