This is the fourth of the interview series, and this time it is President Tanaka’s version. In this fourth installment, we hear about the past and future of our company. This is the final installment of our three-part series on President Tanaka!

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Finally, we come to the final installment. President Tanaka.

Mr. Tanaka: Thank you for this project.

We have asked the general managers so far the same question. What construction industry-related news or trends are you particularly interested in now?

Mr. Tanaka: I would have to say news related to rebar processing. I am most concerned about the future of this industry. I wonder how attractive the construction industry is today. If the industry were attractive, there would be more people working in it, and I don’t think the shortage of skilled workers will become a problem.

You often hear about the labor shortage in the construction industry, don’t you?

Tanaka: I don’t think construction work itself will disappear in the future, but I think there will be problems such as changes in construction methods.

–I see. Is there any other news that interests you?

Tanaka: I am also interested in the ratio of RC (reinforced concrete) to S (steel-frame) construction in buildings. This may be due to the fact that S construction is faster/cheaper. On the other hand, however, I think one of the reasons is that construction cannot proceed smoothly due to a shortage of craftsmen involved in rebar processing.

Tanaka: Is the shortage of labor in the construction industry still a concern for you?

Tanaka: I think it is not so much the labor shortage itself, but how to make the industry more attractive. As I mentioned earlier, if the industry were attractive, the labor shortage would not be a problem in the first place.

Q: What do you think needs to be done to make the industry more attractive?

Tanaka: I feel that the industry as a whole is lacking in perspective. For example, Toyota Motor Corporation is asking its suppliers to lower their prices by 3% every year. But they would never do business with a company that would be in the red, and they cooperate with each other so that it is a win-win situation. In the construction industry, too, I think the industry as a whole needs to think, “How can the rebar industry become more efficient?

–That’s an idea that applies to all industries, isn’t it?

Tanaka: That’s right. After all, if there is no mutual benefit, craftsmen cannot continue their work. With the current treatment, I think it is becoming difficult for young people to enter the industry. In the past, the work may have been tough, but people worked because the income was good. But nowadays, salaries are low, and I don’t think there are many people who have dreams of becoming independent.

Is the 3K (hard, dirty, and dangerous) problem a major factor?

Tanaka: I think that’s part of it, but if the 3Ks can’t be wiped out, I think there should be something more attractive than them. For example, job satisfaction and wages. After all, a building that you built is something to be proud of, isn’t it?

Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of the industry, we need to make the industry an industry where people want to work. 

Tanaka: I don’t think it will be viable in the future if we rely solely on foreign technical interns. We need to make the industry attractive to Japanese people as well. To achieve this, we must do our best from our standpoint.

-Thank you very much. Now the next question. Let me ask you about your career. You took a job from a banker to a manufacturer. Why did you decide to enter into a manufacturer?

Tanaka: First of all, let me tell you why I started working at a bank. Actually, I was job hunting with the thought that I would never work for a bank or an insurance company (laughs). I was taking it easy when it came to finding a job and thought, “Well, I’ll just become a public servant,” but suddenly the world was in a recession and it became difficult to find a job… In the end, I was only able to find a job at a bank. At that time, it was impossible to be a job hunter, so I got a job at a bank.

–So that’s how it was! I didn’t know that.

Tanaka: It was interesting to try my hand at being a banker as well; I had worked as a banker for 28 years, but I wanted to work somewhere other than a bank someday. Then, when I was 50 years old, President Hata (current Chairman) approached me and I decided to join Toyo.

Q: Were there any deciding factors for you to join Toyo?

Tanaka: I knew that Toyo was a good company because I was at a branch nearby for a short time. That was a deciding factor.

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That’s all for this issue! Continue to Part 2…