The reason why I pursue glass art | Yukie Kimura | TEDxSapporo
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0:07 - 0:08Hello.
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0:09 - 0:13I make glass in Otaru, Hokkaido.
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0:13 - 0:15My name is Yukie Kimura.
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0:15 - 0:19Today I'm in my work clothes
and even brought a blowing rod. -
0:20 - 0:24I don't have experience
speaking at this kind of place, -
0:24 - 0:28so I brought this thinking that holding it
might keep me sane somehow. -
0:28 - 0:29(Laughter)
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0:30 - 0:33I don't know how this will turn out,
but please go easy on me. -
0:33 - 0:36(Applause)
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0:37 - 0:41What I do is called glass blowing.
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0:43 - 0:46I melt glass at about 1,200 degrees
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0:46 - 0:50and continue to melt
that glass for 24 hours. -
0:50 - 0:53I roll that glass on the end of this rod,
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0:54 - 0:57fold newspaper that is called
paper phosphorous, -
0:57 - 0:59wet it, place it on the palm of my hand,
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0:59 - 1:02and then I mold it into shape.
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1:02 - 1:05I'm often asked, "Isn't it hot?"
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1:05 - 1:07but my palm isn't hot.
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1:07 - 1:10But it is 1,200 degree glass,
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1:10 - 1:13so the water in the newspaper
will boil at once, -
1:13 - 1:14and when it drips on your hand,
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1:14 - 1:17it hurts so much that you will throw
the newspaper away. -
1:17 - 1:18Other than that,
-
1:18 - 1:20because you can't touch it
with your hands, -
1:20 - 1:22you use a tool called a metal jack
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1:22 - 1:26and a tool called a pincer
that looks like a huge tweezer -
1:26 - 1:30to pick, pull, and twist it
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1:30 - 1:33instead of using your fingers.
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1:33 - 1:36During production,
I put on something like disco music -
1:36 - 1:38and make glass while
grooving to the music. -
1:38 - 1:41My clothing is generally like this
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1:41 - 1:43though today I dressed up a bit.
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1:43 - 1:45(Laughter)
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1:45 - 1:47I have fun while working.
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1:47 - 1:50And if you ask what kind of things I make,
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1:50 - 1:53for example, I make pendants
with the image of the Otaru sea -
1:54 - 1:56or pendants with a locked heart
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1:57 - 2:01and also decorative vases
with a heart motif -
2:03 - 2:06or plates with a lot of colorful,
transparent hues, -
2:07 - 2:09water glasses,
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2:10 - 2:11flower vases,
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2:12 - 2:14aroma pots,
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2:14 - 2:16sculptures,
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2:17 - 2:20and also trophies on request.
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2:21 - 2:26Glass is naturally really beautiful
even when it's just a simple lump, -
2:26 - 2:29so I feel that I must create
something even more beautiful. -
2:29 - 2:32While creating, I always think
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2:32 - 2:36that I want to make the things I touch
more beautiful, more enchanting. -
2:37 - 2:43I grew up in Osaka and I lived there
throughout high school. -
2:44 - 2:46The spark that caused me
to start glass blowing -
2:46 - 2:51was when a former high school teacher
took me to a glass factory. -
2:51 - 2:54In the middle of the factory,
there was a giant boiler -
2:54 - 2:58and a roaring fire was burning.
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2:59 - 3:03Seeing the workman standing seriously
in front of those bright red flames -
3:03 - 3:08my first impression was frankly
that it was amazing and really cool. -
3:09 - 3:12That was where I first
handled melted glass, -
3:13 - 3:17but it was soft and too hot, and of course
I couldn't do anything with it. -
3:17 - 3:20But the melted glass I saw then
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3:21 - 3:26was quietly emitting this orange light
that was so incredibly beautiful, -
3:26 - 3:29and I couldn't forget
my fascination with it, -
3:29 - 3:32so I decided to jump into
the world of artisans alone. -
3:33 - 3:35Those around me said things like,
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3:35 - 3:38"You won't be able to keep that going.
You should stop now." -
3:38 - 3:41"What are you doing
going to such a cold place -
3:41 - 3:44when you're sensitive to the cold?"
-
3:44 - 3:48but no one could stop the dreams
burning within my 18-year-old self, -
3:48 - 3:50and so I came to Otaru alone.
-
3:51 - 3:53I'm going to change the subject a bit.
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3:53 - 3:56I started Karate in grade school
-
3:56 - 3:59and became the second best
in the country in junior high school. -
3:59 - 4:02(Applause)
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4:02 - 4:07I hated to lose and always thought
that I wanted to become the best. -
4:08 - 4:11Honestly, when I started glass blowing
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4:11 - 4:14I was young and hadn't seen
much of the world -
4:14 - 4:20and thought, "Maybe if I do this,
I'll be able to become the best?" -
4:20 - 4:26but that kind of baseless self-confidence
was in tatters immediately after that. -
4:27 - 4:30It was fine that I jumped
into the world of artisans, -
4:30 - 4:35but it was a harsher world
than even I had imagined by far. -
4:36 - 4:38It got steadily harder,
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4:38 - 4:41and despite trying my best,
things got tougher every day. -
4:41 - 4:45At the time, I didn't even
have a cell phone, -
4:45 - 4:49and I would go use
the public telephone in the snow. -
4:50 - 4:54But the numbers on my telephone card
were decreasing very quickly, -
4:54 - 4:58there weren't any friends nearby
that I could talk to, -
4:59 - 5:02and I didn't want to whine to my family.
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5:03 - 5:07And so I was gradually feeling
pretty run down emotionally, -
5:08 - 5:10and it kept getting tougher,
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5:10 - 5:13but I remember my heart
being rescued many times -
5:13 - 5:16by the scene of the Otaru sea
suddenly coming into view. -
5:16 - 5:19Before this, I had never
lived so close to the ocean -
5:20 - 5:22so I thought, "The ocean is so nice!"
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5:23 - 5:26Though I had been trying my best
in that kind of environment, -
5:26 - 5:28at last I got frustrated.
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5:29 - 5:33Two years after jumping
into the world of artisans, I quit. -
5:33 - 5:36But at that time, I swore in my heart,
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5:36 - 5:40"Even if I leave this place,
I definitely won't stop glass blowing." -
5:41 - 5:43After that, I returned to Osaka
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5:43 - 5:47and became engaged in glass blowing
at yet another new place. -
5:47 - 5:52The world of artisans
was a place of watch-and-learn, -
5:52 - 5:53but honestly,
-
5:53 - 5:56even though I was watching hard,
I was barely managing my own workload. -
5:56 - 6:01But because I would repeat the task
of gathering glass up from the furnace -
6:01 - 6:04and carry it across day in, day out,
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6:04 - 6:05my skills for just that part
-
6:05 - 6:09was recognized by a senior coworker
at the next place I worked in Osaka. -
6:09 - 6:14He said, "Just your ability
to gather glass is beyond compare." -
6:14 - 6:18"There aren't many guys
that can handle this kind of soft glass." -
6:18 - 6:23"But why can't you make one cup
after doing this for two years?" -
6:24 - 6:26That caused me to realize anew,
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6:26 - 6:31"That's right. I can't even make one cup."
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6:31 - 6:35Then that coworker gathered some glass
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6:35 - 6:39and came and explained in words
everything about how to make a cup. -
6:39 - 6:43"At this point, since it's like this,
here you cool it like this." -
6:43 - 6:44That kind of thing.
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6:44 - 6:48As a result, everything I had
learned by watching until then -
6:48 - 6:51had been like puzzle pieces in my head,
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6:51 - 6:55but upon having it taught to me in words
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6:55 - 6:58the pieces assembled all at once.
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6:58 - 7:02All of a sudden,
I became able to understand. -
7:02 - 7:06Since then, I've been able
to very easily make cups. -
7:07 - 7:10This was a very good experience for me.
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7:10 - 7:13And after that,
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7:13 - 7:17I thought, "If I can do this,
I can make anything," -
7:17 - 7:21and I started challenging myself
with all kinds of things. -
7:22 - 7:24That was the moment
where I started to think -
7:24 - 7:29that glass blowing was fun
for the first time. -
7:29 - 7:33Up until then, glass blowing, to me,
only meant something stressful. -
7:34 - 7:39Then I moved to a place near Yokohama,
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7:40 - 7:42I started to build up experience,
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7:43 - 7:48and when I was 30, I returned
to my husband's hometown Otaru. -
7:48 - 7:51I decided to return in order
to start my own studio. -
7:52 - 7:54The location was chosen,
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7:54 - 7:56I imported a melting furnace from the US,
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7:57 - 8:00and I was really excited
and ready for the opening day, -
8:00 - 8:04but on the fifth day of operation,
the furnace suddenly broke down. -
8:06 - 8:07What?! I was so surprised.
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8:08 - 8:10I didn't know what to do.
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8:10 - 8:13I had even put our opening day
in the newspaper. -
8:15 - 8:17What should I do?
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8:17 - 8:20Even now, I can't forget
the taste of the yakisoba noodle -
8:20 - 8:22I ate with my husband while crying.
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8:23 - 8:25Despite all of that happening,
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8:25 - 8:28we eventually managed to open.
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8:28 - 8:32There was support from family,
friends, and acquaintances. -
8:33 - 8:36After I decided to establish myself
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8:37 - 8:40and make a living at this,
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8:40 - 8:43I felt that my family's attitude
had changed as well. -
8:44 - 8:47Especially my father who,
when he came from Osaka to Otaru, -
8:48 - 8:51made desks and the like
for inside the gallery, -
8:51 - 8:54with my husband
as his number one apprentice. -
8:55 - 9:00They also happily made the shelves
in the gallery together. -
9:02 - 9:07And in addition to my husband becoming
my father's number one apprentice, -
9:07 - 9:10he also became my exclusive assistant
-
9:10 - 9:13and has been doing work
at the studio alongside me. -
9:13 - 9:17My husband hadn't done
glass blowing until that point. -
9:17 - 9:22And my mother and little sister in Osaka
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9:22 - 9:24as well as my husband's mother in Otaru
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9:24 - 9:27started helping out with things
like side jobs and accounting, -
9:28 - 9:33and my self employment becoming
a shared family topic -
9:33 - 9:36was not something
I had expected from the start. -
9:36 - 9:40When I started doing glass blowing,
I thought that I would try hard alone -
9:40 - 9:46and if I built a house from the earning,
everyone would be happy, -
9:47 - 9:52but my bond with my family
has deepened beyond my imagination. -
9:54 - 9:56And now it feels like
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9:56 - 10:00I have one more reason
to continue glassblowing: -
10:01 - 10:03"I want to use your product
for a proposal. -
10:03 - 10:06It is an important moment.
Can you help me?" -
10:07 - 10:12The visitor from far away that says,
"I look forward to it every year." -
10:12 - 10:15"Looking at you makes me imagine
what my daughter, -
10:15 - 10:17who became handicapped
at a young age, -
10:17 - 10:20would be like if she were well."
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10:20 - 10:23The grandmother that said,
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10:23 - 10:26"I'm rooting for you,"
along with a strong handshake. -
10:26 - 10:27And all the letters I receive.
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10:28 - 10:30At some point, through glass blowing
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10:30 - 10:35I started witnessing people's lives.
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10:35 - 10:41And witnessing people's lives,
honestly, is not always pleasant. -
10:42 - 10:45Just last year this happened.
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10:45 - 10:47Mrs. Murakami from Kushiro.
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10:47 - 10:50It was just around the time
we opened the gallery. -
10:51 - 10:54Even when we were open, no one would come.
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10:54 - 10:55At that time, she came and said,
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10:55 - 10:59"I saw you in a magazine and thought
your gallery was lovely, so I came." -
11:00 - 11:04"When I see your red, it makes me happy,"
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11:04 - 11:06she would say.
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11:07 - 11:12Mrs. Murakami had been struggling
with cancer for a long time. -
11:14 - 11:18"To be honest,
there are a lot of hard times. -
11:18 - 11:22But when I put on your accessories
and go to the hospital -
11:22 - 11:25it's like an outing
and it lifts my spirits," -
11:25 - 11:26she said.
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11:26 - 11:32Every year the cherry blossoms
in Hokkaido come into full bloom. -
11:32 - 11:35At the height of the season,
she visited the gallery with her husband. -
11:36 - 11:40Last spring, she didn't come,
so wondering what could have happened, -
11:40 - 11:42I gave her a call.
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11:42 - 11:45She had already passed away.
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11:46 - 11:50I was so sad that tears started to fall.
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11:50 - 11:51I even thought
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11:52 - 11:55that if not for glass blowing,
I wouldn't have experienced this sadness. -
11:57 - 12:02But I don't think I will forget
Mrs. Murakami's kindness -
12:02 - 12:06for the rest of my life.
-
12:06 - 12:10I want to face all of the joy
and all of the sorrow. -
12:10 - 12:14That's how I feel about what happened.
-
12:16 - 12:18I think it's okay to change
-
12:18 - 12:22my reason for making things,
my reason for continuing to create, -
12:22 - 12:25and what I choose to make.
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12:25 - 12:29And I think it might just be something
that continues to change. -
12:29 - 12:33I'm often asked what I want
to make in the future, -
12:33 - 12:36but I am always at a loss over an answer
-
12:37 - 12:42because I feel that I surely won't know
what I want to make in the future -
12:42 - 12:44until I'm in the future.
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12:44 - 12:49I believe that the accumulation
of things I'm making now -
12:49 - 12:52and things I am working on
will change my future self. -
12:53 - 12:58I want to continue to challenge myself
to make a future I look forward to. -
12:58 - 13:01When I started glass blowing,
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13:01 - 13:04my foolhardy reasoning
was that I wanted to become the best. -
13:04 - 13:08Then after my setback,
I continued out of stubbornness. -
13:09 - 13:11There were times where I continued
-
13:11 - 13:14because I was excited to learn
the art of glass blowing. -
13:14 - 13:17Since acquiring those skills,
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13:17 - 13:21I feel like I'm always thinking about
what kind of expression I should try next. -
13:22 - 13:27In the future, my reason for glass blowing
will continue to change. -
13:27 - 13:30But when I thought in the beginning,
-
13:30 - 13:32"I want to do glass blowing!"
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13:32 - 13:33"This is it!"
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13:33 - 13:36those sparkling emotions,
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13:37 - 13:41I want to at least keep believing in them.
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13:43 - 13:46So I am sticking with glass blowing.
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13:48 - 13:51Someday I want to build a studio
in a place where you can see the ocean. -
13:52 - 13:56I want to continue to make
more and more works of art -
13:56 - 13:58that touch people's hearts.
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13:58 - 14:01That is my dream now.
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14:01 - 14:03Thank you very much.
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14:03 - 14:06(Applause)
- Title:
- The reason why I pursue glass art | Yukie Kimura | TEDxSapporo
- Description:
-
The glass artist Yukie Kimura became fascinated by glass when she was 17 years old, and is now opening her own studio called "Yukie Glass" in Otaru. It was challenging starting out as a glass artisan all on her own, but because she continued to make glass her connection with her family deepened, and she had valuable encounters with numerous customers. Even though her reason for making glass will no doubt continue to change, she believes in her initial feeling of "I want to do glass!" and describes her dream to be continuing to make glass pieces that touch the hearts of even more people.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
- Video Language:
- Japanese
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 14:18
Riaki Ponist edited English subtitles for 私がガラスにこだわる理由 | 木村 幸愛 | TEDxSapporo | ||
Riaki Ponist edited English subtitles for 私がガラスにこだわる理由 | 木村 幸愛 | TEDxSapporo | ||
Riaki Ponist edited English subtitles for 私がガラスにこだわる理由 | 木村 幸愛 | TEDxSapporo | ||
Riaki Ponist approved English subtitles for 私がガラスにこだわる理由 | 木村 幸愛 | TEDxSapporo | ||
Riaki Ponist accepted English subtitles for 私がガラスにこだわる理由 | 木村 幸愛 | TEDxSapporo | ||
Riaki Ponist edited English subtitles for 私がガラスにこだわる理由 | 木村 幸愛 | TEDxSapporo | ||
Riaki Ponist edited English subtitles for 私がガラスにこだわる理由 | 木村 幸愛 | TEDxSapporo | ||
Riaki Ponist edited English subtitles for 私がガラスにこだわる理由 | 木村 幸愛 | TEDxSapporo |