The construction industry provides intangible goods (the God of Construction).
Common Threads in Two Thought-Provoking Articles: As I continue reading ”The God of Construction,” I occasionally come across articles that really make me think. Recently, these two articles stood out: ① The northern bypass route and the existing section of National Route 57 have opened! A moment when the work and efforts of the civil engineering industry pay off. ② The construction industry is a “service industry”—originating from…
The restored northern route of National Route 57 and the existing road section are now open! A moment when the work and efforts of the civil engineering industry pay off (God of Construction)
National Route 57’s Northern Bypass and Existing Road Section Open Simultaneously! On October 3, 2020, the northern bypass and existing road section of National Route 57 in Kumamoto Prefecture opened to traffic. Construction had been underway to restore National Route 57, which suffered significant damage in the Kumamoto Earthquake, and both the northern restoration route and the existing section opened on October 3…
The Current Status of the Site Supervisor Known as “Mr. Sigh” (The God of Construction)
Why does this always happen to me… Sigh. That site supervisor’s (branch manager’s) day begins with a sigh and ends with a sigh. When I say, “Good morning,” he replies with a negative comment like, “Ugh, here we go again.” He attends the morning meeting while sighing. Above all, …
Even the older guys in the construction industry—who’ve only recently started getting the hang of using smartphones—can they really master ICT devices? (The God of Construction)
Barriers to ICT Adoption: While the construction industry can achieve efficiency gains relatively quickly after adopting ICT, the reality is that small and medium-sized enterprises lack the financial resources to make such investments. Examples of these barriers include a lack of in-house personnel with the necessary skills and the high cost of ICT equipment. Personnel…
Should I tell the major general contractor I’m assigned to that “black is black”? What is justice for a construction management engineer? (The God of Construction)
Technical Skills and Knowledge Are Essential for Temporary Construction Management Engineers It goes without saying that for construction management engineers working as temporary employees at domestic and international construction sites to earn a living, their success depends on their basic technical skills, such as construction management and drawing preparation. In addition to these, interpersonal relationships on-site and independence at the general contractor where they are assigned…
"Rumors of a Rift" Between the Site Supervisor and the Craftsman (the "God of Construction")
Site Supervisors and Tradespeople Tend to Fall Out—How many times have I witnessed a site supervisor and a foreman arguing on a construction site? Site supervisors and tradespeople tend to fall out very easily on the job site. People in the industry probably think this is unavoidable given their respective positions. However, when it comes to construction management engineers and…
[Satoshi Fujii] If the Kawabe River Dam had been built “as planned,” many of the victims would have been “saved” (The God of Construction)
*This article is based on content originally published in the newsletter “Takaaki Mitsuhashi’s ‘New’ Keisei-Kaimin Shimbun” (July 11) and has been edited with the author’s permission and additional input. The Kuma River Breach That Caused Widespread Damage: The “July 2020 Heavy Rains,” caused by the stalled rainy season front over the Japanese archipelago, brought various impacts across the nation…
The chance of rain on the concrete pour date is 30%… Should we pour or postpone?
Roof Waterproofing Work Where the Weather Determined the Outcome: Nowadays, with the widespread use of the internet, we can check weather forecasts in real time, but when I was young, we had to rely on newspapers and TV, so I think it was harder to predict the weather back then than it is now. The weather is the one thing that never goes the way you want it to…
[The Downfall of a Family-Run Business] The Bankruptcy of Okui Construction, a Long-Established General Contractor in Tokyo: Sloppy Construction Management and Lax Management
"There’s No Way They’d Go Bankrupt": The Shock of a Major General Contractor’s Collapse Okui Construction Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: 2-9-4 Umeda, Adachi-ku, Tokyo; President: Hirohiro Okui) filed for bankruptcy with the Tokyo District Court on March 23 and received a bankruptcy commencement order on the same day. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, Okui Construction had been actively pursuing projects such as reconstruction work in the Tohoku region…