We face each tree raised in the mountains, tracing its rings, listening closely to the memory it holds.
Our carving is a conversation ̶ a quiet response to the voice of the wood.
By working with our hands, we reconnect people and places, crafting homes that bridge nature and everyday life.
This is the work of a carpenter at SOBOKUYA.

My father worked in interior finishing, applying wallpaper and flooring tiles. From an early age, I often visited construction sites and admired how cool he looked at work. I vaguely wanted to become a craftsman myself, and before joining SOBOKUYA, I worked in Tokyo assembling unit baths, from demolition to installation. However, unit baths are factory-made products that are merely assembled on site, so the work felt more like putting together a large plastic model kit than true craftsmanship. I wanted a job where I could proudly say I made a living with my own hands. That’s when I began considering either becoming a carpenter or a temple carpenter (*miyadaiku*).

Since I attended high school abroad, I also wanted to work overseas after leaving my previous job. At the same time, I couldn’t give up my dream of becoming a carpenter. While talking with a friend, they said, “In Buddhist countries, there are temples, right?” That made me realize something. So I searched for “Southeast Asia carpenter job,” and the first result was SOBOKUYA’s website. I read that they had just opened an office in Vietnam and were planning to establish one in Dubai as well. I thought this could be the place where I could pursue traditional carpentry while also working internationally.

That’s right. Even so, I wanted to learn more, so I first met with President Imai, who took me to several ongoing sites. Other companies told me that the first three years would be just training, and it would take three to five years to become a full-time employee. In contrast, SOBOKUYA’s trial period was only six months. Comparing the two, I felt SOBOKUYA would allow me to gain diverse experience much sooner.

It has to be *kizami* (hand-carving). There are many moments when I feel that what I’m doing is an incredibly luxurious thing. In a time where everything is about being faster and more convenient, this work goes against the current. It’s a kind of work only a craftsman can do. One house in a rural town in Vietnam where I first did *kizami* is especially memorable. We carved the wood in Japan, shipped it to Vietnam, and then we SOBOKUYA carpenters traveled there to build it on site. Seeing the timber I carved myself become part of a completed structure, having been involved from start to finish, was so moving that I nearly cried.

SOBOKUYA is a global company with many foreign employees, and including the Japanese staff, there are many fascinating people with diverse backgrounds. In terms of work, it’s also a company where if you raise your hand, you’re given opportunities, and it’s easy to voice what you want to do—that’s another appealing point. Going forward, since I’m pursuing carpentry, I aim to become a master carpenter. To do that, I need to be able to look at blueprints and fully visualize the finished building, though I struggle with numbers. My current goal is to keep learning from my seniors and build a detached house from start to finish with my own hands.

It takes decades to truly become a full-fledged craftsman, so some level of determination is required. However, carpentry is a trade that AI cannot replace, and I believe it provides lifelong security. For those who want to create something tangible with their own hands, this is the right path. Wooden architecture can last 100 or even 200 years, so to be able to build something that may remain long after I’m gone is truly a luxurious privilege.