CCUS

Illustration of a construction worker tapping an ID card at the card reader beside a Japanese construction site gate, with a tower crane and buildings behind

September 28, 2026 / Last updated : October 31, 2026 Shirokuma Japanese Construction Sites

Construction Work in Japan: How to Actually Get In

Construction work in Japan, explained by a site supervisor: the routes in, the two tests you need, and how to check an employer first.

Title card for an article about shokunin, showing three Japanese construction trades: a tobi scaffolder on a scaffold frame, a daiku carpenter with a hammer, and a sakan plasterer with a trowel

September 20, 2026 / Last updated : October 31, 2026 Shirokuma Japanese Craftsmen

Shokunin: Who’s Who on a Japanese Construction Site

The short version Hi there, I’m Shirokuma! When I started as a site supervisor, the craftspeople on my site didn’t really talk to me. Not rudely. They just had no particular reason to. I was young, I was from the contractor’s side, and I hadn’t done anything yet that would make my opinion worth listening […]