Leader of the firm-cotton team, responsible for on-floor direction and quality control of firm cotton production. After the firm cotton shift he assists the futon-making processes. He is from the Philippines, and studied mechanical engineering at university.
The support core at the heart of a shikibuton
I lead the team that makes the firm support core. This layer has an important part in the shikibuton’s support and resilience, so we check its consistency carefully before it goes to the next process.
Working with materials and the weather
Temperature and humidity affect our materials and equipment. I adjust the material blend and dryer temperature for the day’s conditions and watch for static. I also clean and maintain the key machine parts, including the cylinder and doffer, every day. Those checks help keep the work consistent.
Keeping quality consistent
Whatever the weather or batch, I want our work to meet the same standard. That takes daily checks and careful adjustments, combining the equipment with the team’s experience.
The workshop’s unity
What keeps me here is the unity of this place — everyone walking toward the same goal, thinking things through together when a hard problem comes. I came from the Philippines and studied mechanical engineering; this workshop took me in and let a person from machinery become a firm cotton artisan. “Always so that the customer is pleased” is the reason we do our work each day.