Given that I had the afternoon/evening 'off', I pulled out my list of pending errands, found a few that could be strung together, and got on my bike. Only one of them concerns us here - I went to visit a guy I know who works at the local newspaper office. This newspaper isn't one of the 'big ones' that blanket the country, but is a small affair that covers the immediate area. They have written about me now and then over the years, and I thought it might be possible to 'hit them up' for another story. But not about my own printmaking this time, about the staff 'problem' for Mokuhankan.

Problem?

Well, yes. It's been more than a half-year since I opened up and started working with other people here, and although some of the things are coming along quite well (Tsushima-san's printing, for one), progress has been incredibly slow.

Although she has made good advancement on her printing skills, the fact that she can only be here for a very limited amount of time each week means that we can't get much production out of her. Ishigami-san is a few steps behind her in progress, but she too has many family obligations. Now none of this is news; I knew from the start that this would be the case, and that's simply the situation I have to work with. It's time to get some other irons into the fire.

So I sat down with the guy at the newspaper office, and we talked about a 'Help Wanted' ad/story. Here's a rough translation of the proposed approach:

Now wait a minute! Four employees? Just where is the money for this going to come from? Well of course, I don't have that kind of money just lying around. Here's the thinking ...

For the two new printing trainees, it won't be that expensive. I'm looking for more 'housewife' types, and as with Tsushima-san, they will only be able to do a limited number of hours per week. Assuming my own next project moves forward as planned, I should be able to 'carry' them.

The woodworker? Well, for my next project, I need a case. The case for the previous series cost me something over 500,000 yen. Cash. Gone. So as long as that kind of money is 'budgeted' anyway, why not try to use it a different way? For that money, I can get - if I can find him - the 'services' of a young person for a couple of months, and have enough left over for the raw materials. Working under my direction, he (she) should be able to make the cases for my next Treasure Chest. He (she) could then get busy on the handles and cases for our knife project. After that, Mokuhankan wouldn't have enough work to keep him busy, but he could then either start printing for us, or - and this is where you may start rolling your eyes - have a go at producing some of the many wooden toys I designed back in the late '80s, before I gave up toymaking to start the ten-year poets' series. Make a batch, and then get on his bike and try and 'move' them. If that project won't fly, then it'll simply be 'sayonara'.

The business (office/PR/etc.) person? Where on earth will the money for her come from? The business/office work is getting more and more necessary here, but it doesn't generate any revenue directly. Well, I have some aces up my sleeve. Thousands of them. Specifically, in drawers in the Library room upstairs and in the cupboards in the stockroom up on the top floor, I have back number prints. I have a lot of back number prints. They are sitting here because I simply have never had the time to make any efforts to get them out into peoples' hands; all my energy and time is always expended on the current series. But they are beautiful prints, and none the less interesting now than they were in the year that they were made. The huge poets' series - for just one example - sold tremendously well in the years just after it was completed, when I was still talking about it and giving interviews, etc. etc. It now simply 'sleeps' - more than twenty full sets of it - but I see no reason why an energetic person can't stir up some interest in it, and get them moving out of the drawers. Get on the phone; get knocking on doors - those things that I myself am absolutely no good at ...

In any case, the die is cast. Or it will be in a couple of days when the newspaper people get back to me with their offer. It's going to be one of those 'I buy an ad, and they write a story' kind of deals. My acquaintance there is a long-time reader of my newsletter, so has a pretty good idea of my financial situation. Hopefully, their offer will be something I can afford. Just what will happen after it runs, I can't predict. A flood of applicants? Silence?

We'll see ...