Becoming a carpenter in Japan

If you have read my back story (published here), then you will already know that I have been on a journey to become a craftsman (職人 “shokunin” in Japanese) since I first met my friend, Hayashi-san, back in 2016. He gave me a glimpse into the world of Japanese craftsmanship and I felt drawn to the work and the way of life.

After spending 5 years living and working in Japan, I had many opportunities to see Japanese craftsmanship first hand. One particular experience, which was a visit to Kawai Kanjiro’s house in Kyoto, really inspired me to focus my efforts on stuying Japanese traditional carpentry.

A beginner amongst beginners

I am certain there are many viable routes to becoming a carpenter in Japan. Regardless of the route you take, and whether you have previous carpentry experience or not, one obvious challenge presents itself: how to cross the language barrier and work culture gap?

I started learning Japanese before I came to Japan, and would have considered myself at a “conversational” level when I first started looking for a carpentry apprenticeship. After my experience working with Hayashi-san, it became clear that I could function in a work environment, but the communication wasn’t always smooth. I was lacking the vital ingredients – the technical terminology to understand and express things clearly.

To become a successful carpenter in Japan, aside from the practical skills and experience, you will also need a firm grasp of “kenchiku yōgō” (建築用語 – architectural terminology).

Based on my lack of practical experience and need to learn the technical terminology it became clear that trying to start work within a company would be very stressful at best, impossible at worst.

I needed to go where other beginners go.

I needed to go back to school.

Read my next post to hear about my experience entering a “Senmon gakkō” (専門学校 – vocational college), including living on campus in a dormitory.