Chairs

2022/04/21

Mitsuru Mitani

Chairman of the Board, Mitani Sangyo Co., Ltd.; Councilor, Keio University; 1977 Faculty of Law (Dept. of Political Science)

On June 14, 2022, at the Mitani Sangyo general meeting of shareholders, I will step down from my position as Chairman of the Board.

There is no particularly deep meaning behind it, but I have been frequently asked by those around me why I am doing it or if something happened, which has left me rather perplexed. I hold several other positions, and I am simply resigning from one of them; the others remain unchanged. I have always told my son, the President, that the board seats are at full capacity and that I would vacate my seat when it came time to appoint younger people, so I am delighted by the growth of our young talent. By vacating my seat and that of the Vice Chairman, who shared many hardships with me, two directors in their early 40s will be born. For some reason, the company has given me a new position called "Special Advisor" and told me I can choose my own title. Since I feel like I might become the "master of the pond" like a soft-shelled turtle, I am thinking of making my title "The Master." Having worked as Vice President for 9 years since the age of 26, President for 17 years, and Chairman for 15 years, I feel I can finally take a breath.

That said, believing that doing nothing is the start of senility, I am currently in a process of trial and error creating a business model for a venture I can start myself. If it goes well, I would appreciate your applause.

Takashi Murakami

Mystery Critic; 1987 Faculty of Law

The armchair detective solves mysteries without visiting the scene, relying solely on information obtained through clients or assistants. Baroness Orczy's "The Old Man in the Corner" series is known as a representative example, and many may be familiar with it through the paperbacks from Hayakawa Publishing or Tokyo Sogensha. I am one of them, but the impressions I received from those uniquely Japanese-edited short story collections were later corrected by information I obtained. First, what I thought was the author's name was a combination of a title (Baroness) and a name. The fact that her full name is 47 characters long (according to the commentary in the Sogen Mystery Bunko) was also a shock. It is too long, so I will omit it here. Also, it is later-acquired knowledge that this old man (whose name is not mentioned) actually visits crime scenes and courtrooms to actively gather information, making him not very armchair-detective-like at all. Furthermore, I was surprised to learn that the impressive short story that serves as the final episode in both of the aforementioned paperbacks (Japanese title "The Old Man in the Corner's Last Case" in the Tokyo Sogensha edition) is actually the 6th work out of a total of 38. There are many other interesting facts surrounding the Old Man in the Corner, such as the reversal of the order in which they were published in book form. A translated edition covering all the short stories has been published by Sakuhinsha, so please give it a read.

Tomoya Kato

Tendo Co., Ltd.; 2005 Faculty of Science and Technology, 2007 Graduate School of Science and Technology

Let's take a moment to consider the comfort of a chair.

When you hear the phrase "a comfortable chair," what comes to mind? A sofa wrapped in soft cushions? Or a functional working chair based on ergonomics? Of course, since it is a matter of individual sensation, there is no single correct answer, but having a curved shape that follows the body is one element that creates comfort. Furniture makers have gone through much trial and error to realize this point, refining their respective technologies.

When giving curves to a wooden chair, processing methods such as (1) carving, (2) bending after steaming, and (3) layering thin sheets in a mold exist (Tendo Co., Ltd. mainly uses the third technique, called "molded plywood").

Wooden chairs with gentle curves make it difficult to feel tired even when sitting for a long time. Because they are made of natural materials, there are individual differences in the wood grain, and one can enjoy the change in expression over the years. With proper repairs, permanent use is also possible. When considering a "good chair" that can be cherished for a long time, please keep this in mind.

Tota Kirimoto

Former Professor, Keio University Faculty of Letters

The Forbidden City was the imperial palace located in the center of Beijing, the capital during the Ming and Qing dynasties of China. At its heart was the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where imperial enthronement ceremonies and funerals were held, and the Emperor's throne was set in the center of the palace. As for whether any Emperor could sit back in this throne with peace of mind, the situation was not that simple. This was because a device called the Xuanyuan Mirror was installed directly above the throne.

The Xuanyuan Mirror was an iron ball held in the mouth of a dragon, and it was believed that if someone unfit for the rank of Emperor sat on the throne, the dragon would immediately drop the iron ball and kill that person. In reality, there was no possibility of the iron ball falling, and it conversely served as a device that guaranteed anyone who sat on the throne was the Emperor. However, as symbolized by the fact that Yuan Shikai, who attempted to ascend the throne after the fall of the Qing dynasty, shifted the position of the throne, it still held a certain regulatory power. It is not easy being the Emperor.