Japanese craftsman training policy and practice : - A case analysis of Tokyo from the perspective of job creation -

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to discover and describe the characteristics of the ability to create jobs with meaning in a society in which self-employed often struggle. To this end, authors of this work analyze the policies of the Japanese government vis a vis the training of artisans. Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has long promoted training and apprenticeship policies for artisans as part of cooperative initiative with local governments. The core analysis of the study is grounded in field work. Authors of this study conducted interviews with managers, experts of public institutions, and craftsman responsible for the day-to-day direction of outreach programs in Tokyo, and the case analyses that comprise this paper are based on data collected firsthand. The results of the case study found that Japan’s craftsman training policy and practice had the following characteristics. First, in order to contribute to job creation, artisans need not only individual skills and cultural abilities, but also social skills to link social resources for social use and succession of skills. Second, the training of skilled workers such as artisans was promoted alongside the fostering of successors, due to the aging of skilled workers. Third, workers’motivation was enhanced through experience-oriented training that focused on the meaning and pleasure found in work, as well as the discovery of society rather than income or economic access. Fourth, artisan groups play an intermediate role in matching public institutional training with job seekers and expanding educational environments and opportunities.