东京 —— 日本最大建筑公司之一将为高技能外籍工人设立认证制度，旨在培养能够缓解该国劳动力短缺的领军人才。
TOKYO -- One of Japan's biggest construction companies will credential highly skilled immigrant workers to develop leaders who can ease the country's labor shortage.
从2027财年起，竹中工务店将推出面向外籍人士的“名匠”认证计划。申请者须持有2号“特定技能”签证，并在竹中工务店管理的建筑工地拥有一定时期的工作实绩。新认证主要面向受雇于分包商的外籍工人。
Starting in fiscal 2027, Takenaka will institute a meister certification program tailored to immigrants. They will have to hold type 2 "specified skilled worker" visas and have a proven track record in working on Takenaka-managed construction projects for a certain period. The new credentials will be mainly for primarily foreign workers employed by subcontractors.
新计划将评估建筑技能、日语沟通能力、领导力以及指导年轻工人的适配性。每年将认证约10人，并授予价值10万日元（约合637美元）的礼券。
The new program will evaluate construction skills, ability to communicate in Japanese, leadership, and aptitude for mentoring younger workers. Around 10 people will be certified each year and awarded gift certificates worth 100,000 yen ($637).
拥有获认证的“名匠”并非分包商承揽建筑工程的必要条件。但工人被认定为高技能专业人士，能提升个人及其雇主的公信力。
Having certified meister craftsmen on staff will not be a requirement for a subcontractor to secure construction contracts. But a worker being recognized as a highly skilled professional enhances the credibility of both the individual and the employer.
竹中工务店长期以来设有认可熟练工人的“名匠”制度。但认证要求包含国家资格，门槛对外籍工人而言过高。
Takenaka has long had a meister program that recognizes skilled workers. But the certification requirements included national qualifications, so the bar has been set too high for foreign workers.
日本政府数据显示，该国熟练建筑工人数量迅速减少，2025年为299万人，较十年前减少约10%。
Japan's rapidly shrinking pool of skilled construction workers numbered 2.99 million in 2025, down about 10% from a decade earlier, government data shows.
日本建设业联合会预测，随着从业人员老龄化，这一数字将进一步下降至2035财年的264万人。
As the workforce ages, the figure is projected to fall further to 2.64 million in fiscal 2035, according to the Japan Federation of Construction Contractors.
另一方面，日本的外籍建筑工人持续增加。2025年约为17万人，是2015年约1.9万人的近9倍。
On the other hand, foreign construction workers have been steadily increasing in Japan. They numbered around 170,000 in 2025, nearly nine times the 2015 level of roughly 19,000.
截至2025年底，在竹中工务店工地登记的外籍工人总计约1万人。其中持有1号特定技能签证（限制在留期限）者约400人，持有2号特定技能签证（无在留期限限制）者约130人。
At the end of 2025, foreign workers registered at Takenaka construction sites totaled about 10,000. Around 400 held the type 1 specified skilled worker visa, which limits the length of residency. Around 130 workers had the type 2 visa, which has no time limit for residency.
在大型建设项目中，分包商选派的工长多达 20 人甚至更多。但外籍工长仍占极少数。
At large construction projects, there can be as many as 20 or more foremen selected by subcontractors. But foreign foremen remain a very small minority.
“我们需要具备语言能力和领导力、能直接与现场员工对接的人员，”竹中工务店的一名代表表示。
"We will need personnel with the language skills and leadership abilities to interact directly with our on-site staff," a Takenaka representative said.