Soliloquy of the President [housing] vol.167
There are less and less carpenters.
There were 940,000 carpenters in 1980 (according to the national survey), in2005 there were 540,000. 400,000 carpenter less in 25 years. This is a 16,000
decrease in a year, therefore it should reduce to 160,000 until 2015. Thereare 380,000 carpenters now.
Not only carpenters but also craftsmen of construction sites are decreasing
as well. The cost of construction grew 30% in Tokyo, The costs began to risein Aichi prefecture, in Tokai region also. I want to build cheap and nicehouses but I can’t because of this craftsman shortage.
Suddenly indeed, but I was a craftsman. I was really working in construction
sites as a craftsman 10 years, from 24 years age to 33 years. I could be aGerman teacher or be employed in a trading company after I graduated fromcollege with excellent results (?) but I was interested in planning, design andconstruction of buildings. I became independent at the age of 24 but myfather, who was a breadwinner of my family, died when I was 25 years old, I
became a craftsman to support my 7 member family. It is a somehow rare
course of combination. But I remember those fun 10 years.
I did not do craftsman work only. My tough boss taught me to prepare thetools, elaborate the technology, it was a mental work too. Increased work
meant increase revenue also. The starting salary of a university graduate
was 130,000 Yen back those days, I was a skillful craftsman and the best
earned in the prefecture, my revenue was 1.3 million Yen a month. I becamea one-man owner, president based on that money. I have 900 employees and15 billion Yen turnover. (No. 1 in Mie prefecture) I liked and was fun thiswork.
Well, how to solve the craftsman shortage from now. Our company has orders
for 480 houses in 2016. We got building order which consisted of 320 rooms
for condominiums and senior housing units, a total of 800 homes. Thosemust be cheap and nice houses no excuse of craftsman shortage. The current
number of 48 carpenters is not enough at all.

Well I have three ways here. ① Factory made “big beam” construction that I
developed. The factory manufactured columns and beams with the “BBconstruction method” enable construction without carpenters even in rainydays or in typhoon. It is supreme. ② 16 carpenter trainees from thePhilippines are now in our company, that will increase year by year. They are
working well and serious. About 60 people take test and are interviewed in
the Philippines and take 6-month training before coming to Japan. They areexcellent craftsman. I appreciate that. ③ Now looking for “Yankees”. In anutshell, young healthy people who don’t like to study. I am master and bossof craftsman. My favorites are a little bit problematic people. Teach strictly
for two-three years in construction sites those kids so they learn the joy andfun of creating things. It is not necessary for them to graduate college but ahigh school. First about 30 people who dwell in a “shared house”, and learn
in a “craftsman school”, teach them something like boxing and English too,
we hope that they will be fine craftsman.
We should face over the problem about a shortage of craftsman to make abest solution in order to providing “cheap and good” homes for customers.
The important thing is to work hard and joy so that our valued customers arepleased. Life will change if this is evident.