ついつい誰かに話したくなってしまう日本のこと。
今回は日本の仕事をフカボリ！
『職人』を説明してみましょう。

まずはKey Words & Phrasesから。

テーマに関連する語句

craftsperson / craftsman / artisan（職人）
manual dexterity（手先の器用さ）
craftsmanship（職人の技・職人芸）
manufacturing（ものづくり）
master（優れた・熟練の）
handicraft（手工芸品）
lacquer（漆器）
dyeing（染物）
crafted（丹念に作られた）

一般的な語句

renowned for（～でよく知られている・有名である）
closely associated with（～と密接に関わる）
reinforce（～を強化する・強める）
preeminet（卓越した）
meticulousness（綿密さ)
the former / the latter（前者・後者）
achieve perfection（完璧な仕事をする）
win the confidence（信頼を得る）
successor（後継者）　

続いて、今回のテーマに挑戦！

Did you know that Japan has a number of brilliant craftspeople?
（日本には優れた職人が数多くいるのを知ってましたか？）

・Japan has been renowned for being good with hands and creating excellent products.
・Representative example of those who have manual dexterity is a craftsperson, and they have been closely associated with social and economic development in Japan since ancient times.
・Japan has a wide variety of craftspeople, and their craftsmanship contributed to reinforce the country’s position as the preeminent economic power by supporting manufacturing.
・Although the number of master craftspeople has been decreasing in recent years, their meticulousness and loyalty towards works are still outstanding.

3 Questions for Digging Deeper! 《 もっと掘り下げてみよう！ 》

What kind of craftspeople do Japan have?
（日本にはどんな職人さんがいるの？）

Japanese craftspeople are classified broadly into two categories of workers for traditional handicrafts and consumer products. Typical examples of the former include workers of Japanese traditional paper, dyeing and lacquer. The latter are artisans who make tiles, furniture, Japanese traditional doors and windows.

What is so great about Japanese craftspeople?
（何がそんなに優れているの？）

One of the greatest things about Japanese craftspeople is that they try hard to achieve perfection and once perfection is achieved, they try to improve it further.

As a result, a number of high-quality products are born and many of them have gained popularity in the international market. For instance, Japanese kitchen knives have won the confidence of chefs overseas for their fine edge, beautiful and detailed design.

Why is the number of craftspeople getting smaller?
（職人の数が減少している理由は？）

It is said that the biggest reason is decline in sales. Unlike in the past, there are an endless number of convenient and affordable products available in Japan, which makes people avoid purchasing high-priced and delicately crafted products. As a consequence, sales of crafted products have been decreasing.

Although there seems to be a certain number of people who aim to be craftspeople, unless their earnings improve, the industry struggles to secure successors.

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日本の発展を支えてきた職人文化、今後も守っていきたいものですね。

まずはビジネス英会話力チェック(無料)をお試しください

BBTオンライン英会話はポイント制で、 受講ペースと4つのコースの組み合わせは自由自在です。