Construction Industry Limited Business Networking Event "Shokunin Sakaba" Surpasses 200 Events Held

Craft Bank Inc. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Han Eiji), which operates the construction industry-limited business networking event "Shokunin Sakaba," celebrated its 200th cumulative event with the Kochi venue held on February 20, 2026.

[Our Journey So Far]

"Shokunin Sakaba" was launched in September 2022 with the aim of creating a venue where one can find a prime contractor or cooperative company to do business with for ten years in a single night. Its origin lies in re-emphasizing the value of face-to-face communication in an era of uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Initially, events were held independently, but by expanding to joint events with regional construction associations, prime contractors, and industry communities, we have been able to provide participation opportunities to construction companies in regions that previously had difficulty participating.
On the other hand, we have also worked to expand the event format, holding our first event within an exhibition at the "Construction & Architecture DX EXPO" held at Tokyo Big Sight in July 2025, with a record 202 participants.
As a result of these efforts, we surpassed 200 cumulative events on February 20, 2026, with a co-hosting event with the Kochi Construction Industry Association Youth Division Federation. Currently, we have expanded our event areas to 38 prefectures nationwide, with a cumulative total of 7,689 participants. (As of March 6, 2026)

▼ Past Co-hosting Achievements

[Special Event to Commemorate 200 Events]

On March 6, 2026, a special event was held in Shinjuku, Tokyo, to commemorate the 200th milestone, with 114 companies and 153 participants. 47% of the participants were first-timers, and 53% were repeat attendees, creating a venue where new encounters and deepening of ongoing relationships occurred simultaneously.

[Growing Significance of Events]

In recent years, the construction industry has been facing aging demographics and labor shortages, making the importance of new encounters and relationship building even greater. The utilization of digital technologies, including AI, is advancing, reducing the cost of information gathering through social media and accelerating the pace of matching.

However, the construction industry is a complex sector where the specialization of each type of work and the conditions of each site are intricately intertwined. In actual transactions, understanding the personality and strengths of the other party through face-to-face communication is a prerequisite for building relationships.

Precisely because we live in an era of increasing efficiency, the need for "relationship building with visible faces" remains strong, and we believe the value of networking venues like "Shokunin Sakaba" will continue to grow.

[Future Outlook]

Even in the current era of AI penetration, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of building relationships face-to-face in the construction industry remains unchanged. "Shokunin Sakaba" values an environment where people can interact on equal footing regardless of their position or company size, believing that new encounters and relationships are born precisely in such settings.

We will continue to focus on creating a safe and secure environment for participants to interact, further deepen our collaborations with companies and organizations in each region, and contribute to the formation of regional networks and the revitalization of the entire construction industry.