Formerly, carpenters of Japanese architecture can

1. do sales

2. Design architecture

3. Manage construction process

4. Craft wood

5. Educate apprentice

 

Today, however, carpenters lost all the status, because they

1. are just a subcontractor, and Architect does all the design

2.  no longer craft woods

3. are too poor to hire people

 

Carpenters are not a cultural heritage, but an asset.

Akimoto, who grew up in a family of carpenters wanted to return their status and pride, because they are the basis of Japanese architecture.

 

This idea shocked some of the students studying architecture.

 

Why?

 

Their study was so segmented that they did not have an overall picture, and most of them have never even  hammered a nail in their lives!

 

Formerly, training to become a carpenter means

1. completely obeying the master carpenter

2. spend full time i.e, literally day and night cleaning and preparing for the master

3. at very low salary

 

Akimoto’s idea;

1. treat carpenters as the same status as other business section

2. show career and training map

 

These are the messages Akimoto is presenting at seminars.