(でんとうこうげい)

traditional craft

(わざ)

skill, craft, technique

(わかもの)

young people

(つたえる)

to convey / to tell

(とりくみ)

efforts, initiatives

(ぜんこく)

nationwide; the whole country

(さんち)

producing region, place of origin

(しょくにん)

craftsman / artisan

(こうれいか)

ageing (of a population)

(すすむ)

to advance, to progress

(ぎじゅつ)

skill, technology

(うけつぐ)

to inherit, to take over

(たりる)

to be enough; to be sufficient

(かだい)

issue, problem, challenge

(かかえる)

to hold, to be burdened with (a problem)

(くに)

country; the government

(ちょうさ)

investigation; survey

(かず)

number, count

(さんじゅうねん)

thirty years

(およそ)

approximately, roughly

(さんぶんのいち)

one third

(へる)

to decrease / to diminish

(こうした)

such / this kind of

(じょうきょう)

situation, circumstances

(うける)

to receive

(かくち)

various places, everywhere

(じちたい)

local government / municipality

(くみあい)

association, union, cooperative

(わかい)

young

(せだい)

generation

(そだてる)

to raise, to bring up, to grow

(はじめる)

to begin, start

(すうねんかん)

for several years

(せいかつひ)

living expenses

(ほじょする)

to subsidize, to assist financially

(まなぶ)

to learn / study

(せいど)

system; institution

(もうける)

to set up, to establish

(さくひん)

work (of art), piece

(いんたーねっと)

Internet

(はんばいする)

to sell, to market

(ほうほう)

method; way

(おしえる)

to teach

(ある)

a certain (some)

(いっぽう)

on the other hand / meanwhile

(しゅぎょう)

apprenticeship, training, ascetic practice

(おえる)

to finish / to bring to an end

(じゅうぶん)

enough; sufficient

(しゅうにゅう)

income, revenue

(える)

to gain, to obtain

(かんけいしゃ)

person concerned, official

(はんろ)

sales channel, market outlet

(ひろげる)

to expand; to spread; to broaden

(さんぎょう)

industry

(なりたつ)

to be viable, to hold together, to be made up of

(かかせない)

indispensable; essential

(してきする)

to point out

called/named ~

Used to introduce or name something. In this article, 「鳥貴族」という店 means 'a store called Torikizoku'.

is doing, has been doing (ongoing state/action)

Expresses a continuing action or resulting state. Formed with て-form + いる. Can describe an action in progress or a state resulting from a past change.

according to ...

Cites a source of information. The noun before によると is the source. Often followed by a reported statement.

while doing ...

Verb stem + ながら indicates doing two things simultaneously. The action before ながら is the secondary action; the main action follows.

potential form: can ~ / be able to ~

「学べる」 (from 学ぶ) and 「得られる」 (from 得る) are potential forms — what a trainee is able to study, and the income one is able to earn.

doing things like ~ and ~

Lists representative actions among several. Implies there are other actions too. Used twice in this article.

even if; even though

Used to express concession or hypothetical situation.

it is not necessarily the case that ~

「得られるとは限らない」 denies a general assumption: finishing the apprenticeship does not automatically guarantee a decent income.

Not only ~ but also

Expresses that something is not limited to one thing. Not only Tokyo and Kyoto, but various other places too.

as / in the role of

Marks the role, capacity, or status in which something is treated. Used here as 特別な史跡として (as a special historic site).

nominalizer (the act of ~)

Turns verbs into nouns — changing one's awareness (意識を変えること), not over-buying (買いすぎないこと), and using leftovers well (使うこと).

伝統工芸の技を若者に伝える取り組み

Efforts to pass traditional craft skills on to young people

全国の伝統工芸の産地では、職人の高齢化が進み、技術を受け継ぐ若者が足りないという課題を抱えている。

Traditional craft regions across the country face the problem that their artisans are growing older and there are not enough young people to inherit the techniques.

国の調査によると、職人の数はこの三十年でおよそ三分の一に減ったという。

According to a national survey, the number of artisans has fallen to roughly one third over the past thirty years.

こうした状況を受けて、各地の自治体や組合は、若い世代を育てる取り組みを始めている。

In response to this situation, local governments and trade associations around the country have begun initiatives to train a younger generation.

数年間、生活費を補助しながら技術を学べる制度を設けたり、作品をインターネットで販売する方法を教えたりする産地もある。

Some regions have set up programs that let trainees study the craft for several years while receiving a living allowance, or teach them how to sell their work online.

一方で、修行を終えても十分な収入を得られるとは限らない。

On the other hand, finishing the apprenticeship does not necessarily mean one can earn a sufficient income.

関係者は、技術を伝えるだけでなく、販路を広げて産業として成り立たせることが欠かせないと指摘している。

People in the field point out that it is essential not only to pass on the techniques but also to widen sales channels so the craft can stand on its own as an industry.