141 outstanding skilled workers named for fiscal 2026141 highly skilled craftspeople to be honoured by the government
On November 6 the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that 141 outstanding skilled workers, known as contemporary master craftsmen, had been selected for fiscal 2026. The award ceremony will be held on Monday November 9 at the Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo in Shinjuku City, Tokyo. The award was created in 1967 and goes to workers with outstanding skills who are regarded as leaders in their field. It aims to secure and develop skilled workers and to pass excellent skills on to the next generation.
- 1967The award for outstanding skilled workers is created
- November 6, 2026141 recipients for fiscal 2026 selected and announced
- November 9, 2026Award ceremony in Shinjuku City, Tokyo
Key points
- 141 people will receive the award for fiscal 2026; the selection was announced on November 6
- The ceremony is on Monday November 9 at the Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo in Shinjuku City, Tokyo
- The award goes to workers who have outstanding skills and are regarded as leaders in their field. The scheme was created in 1967
- Its stated purpose is to show younger people the work of those active in skilled trades as a goal, to secure and develop excellent skilled workers, and to hand outstanding skills on to the next generation
What to do in practice
- List the skills your company depends on and who holds them, then decide whether to pass each one on through a mentor, a written procedure or support for qualifications
- Read the purpose and the selection standard on the ministry page, and use them as a reference when setting goals for your skilled staff
On November 6 the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that it had chosen 141 outstanding skilled workers, called contemporary master craftsmen, for this year. They are craftspeople whose skills are good enough for them to be seen as leaders in their field. The ceremony will be held in Tokyo on November 9. The award began in 1967. The idea is to let people know about these skills, give young people something to aim at, and hand the craft on to the next generation.
- 1. Write down whose skill it isList the work that only one person can do
- 2. Decide who teachesDecide who teaches whom, and set aside the time
- 3. Leave it in a usable formRecord the steps in writing or on video
Points
- 141 people were chosen this year, announced on November 6
- They are people seen as leaders in their field. The award has continued since 1967
- The ceremony will be held in Tokyo on November 9
What the words mean
- skill
- The ability to get a job done, built up through practice and experience
- passing on skills
- Teaching what a veteran worker can do so that younger people can take it over
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW): Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Outstanding skilled workers for fiscal 2026 decided
This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence.