I Might Be Able to Build a Tea Room ②
This is a continuation from last time.
I was told, "There's a damaged pillar, so I'd like you to come and take a look at it."
I thought it was just a common repair job.
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When I went to the site later, there was an old, dusty tea room.
The pillar in question was the "tokobashira" (alcove post).
That alcove post had been eaten by insects, and the inside was hollow.
It looked like it was standing, but the inside was already gone.
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And the person was a tea ceremony instructor.
I understood then.
This tea room wasn't just an old room.
I realized it was a place that had been used for many years.
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This is where the work discussion comes in.
The request was as follows:
"I want you to fix this pillar."
"If possible, without breaking the wall."
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Honestly, I paused for a moment.
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An alcove post doesn't just stand there.
It is integrated with the surrounding plaster walls, ceiling, and alcove.
It's not a place you can easily replace.
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Moreover, it's a log pillar.
Each one is fitted to match that specific location.
No two are the same.
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And to do that without breaking the wall.
Without damaging the plaster wall, at that.
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It's going to be a very difficult job.
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I thought about the procedure in my head.
Where do I start?
How do I remove it?
Can it even be removed in the first place?
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If I were to do it normally, I would take it apart.
I thought that was the most reliable way.
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Then the person said,
"If it seems difficult, you can just fill in the insect holes."
"Filling it with putty and painting it is fine too."
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Huh?
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I wondered if that was really okay.
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Certainly, that would be finished quickly.
Fill it with putty, match the color, and just tidy up the appearance.
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But can you call that "fixed"?
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An alcove post is not just a pillar.
It's a place that defines the impression of the space.
To put it bluntly, I think of it as the face of the tea room.
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Finishing that with paint.
It might look clean.
But it would definitely stand out.
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The customer might not care.
"As long as it looks decent for now."
I understand that feeling too.
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But I care.
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Do I do it knowing that?
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On the spot, I said,
"Please let me take this back and think about it."
"I will provide an estimate."
I told them that and came home.
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On the way home, I was thinking the whole time.
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Should I finish it easily?
Or should I do it properly?
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And then, I decided.
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Let's do it properly.
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I will replace the alcove post.
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Of course, there are risks.
The material costs are not cheap.
A single pillar costs from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yen.
If I fail, it will be wasted.
If I damage the wall, it will need to be replastered.
Extra costs will also be incurred.
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Everything will come back to me.
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Even so.
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I didn't want to do a half-hearted job for that space.
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This is the kind of work I wanted to do.
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Not just breaking and building, but work that preserves and utilizes.
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I felt like I was being tested on whether I had the resolve for that.
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I haven't decided whether to officially accept it yet.
The estimate is still to come.
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But if I do it, I won't run away.
If I fail, I'll just pay for it out of my own pocket.
You can't handle high-quality materials without that level of resolve.
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That's what I decided.
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To be continued.