Traditional craftsmen dwindle Masayoshi Minato, Japan Today
TOKYO — Faced with a declining number of master craftsmen, the private and public sectors are trying to preserve traditional Japanese craftsmanship by training a new generation to uphold the old skills.
"There will be no skilled craftsmen in Japan in several years" due to the rapid aging of the population and progress in mechanization, warned Takeo Ito, who established Nihon Shokunin Meikoukai (Japan Master-Hands Club) two years ago.
According to a survey Ito conducted in Tokyo and its vicinity several years ago, the average age of skilled craftsmen is over 65 and a large number of them are in their 80s.