Kahoru Sugimoto

Born in 1979, she lives in Shiga Prefecture. She has been working at Yamanami Kobo since 1998. When she first started working at Yamanami, the first task she did was making paper using milk cartons. During this process, her role was to roll the paper fibers in her palms to make small balls. Now, more than 20 years later, this task has disappeared and her activities have changed, but to her, work still means the act of rolling the fibers with both hands. Now, the scope of her activities has expanded, and she uses paper cups to choose her favorite color and carefully stamp each one. The circles on the paper cups are stacked in various colors, creating a colorful finish. For her, the act of rolling the clay into balls and stamping them is considered work, and it is likely that this is what gives her a sense of accomplishment, fulfillment, and motivation.