To Those Working in Jobs AI Cannot Take: The Reality of Construction's Hiring Difficulties and Self-Affirmation, crack Representative Jin Ohno Speaks at Sakashita Gumi Safety and Health Gathering in Miyazaki Prefecture

The venue's atmosphere was initially cold...

Jin Ohno, representative of crack Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo), gave a lecture on Wednesday, June 11, 2026, at the "Safety and Health Gathering" of Sakashita Gumi Co., Ltd., a major general contractor in Miyazaki Prefecture celebrating its 98th anniversary.

The theme was "To Those Working in Jobs AI Cannot Take: The Pride of the Construction Industry and How to Leverage Communication for Recruitment."

To approximately 250 employees and partner company representatives in attendance, Ohno spoke about "how the value of on-site work is skyrocketing due to the evolution of AI" and "the importance of verbalizing that pride to achieve "self-affirmation" and overcome hiring difficulties."

Challenges Faced by a 98-Year-Old General Contractor: Labor Shortages and Difficulty in Instilling Company Philosophy

The Construction Industry Faces Severe Labor Shortages

The background to Sakashita Gumi's request for a lecture from our company was the pressing issue of "hiring difficulties" faced by regional construction companies and the "difficulty in instilling company philosophy" on-site.

The active job opening ratio in Miyazaki Prefecture's construction industry exceeds 5:1, meaning not only is it difficult to attract people, but early turnover among young workers is also a major challenge. Labor shortages in construction companies are a nationwide problem, but the severity is even more pronounced in rural areas.

President Riichiro Sakashita of Sakashita Gumi expressed a strong desire to "reawaken the employees and partner companies to the excellence of their work (self-affirmation)" as they approach their "100th anniversary," and to "use this as a recruitment tool."

However, simply saying "our company is wonderful" or "let's value our philosophy" from a top-down perspective does not resonate with the craftsmen who work hard on-site every day. In past safety meetings, there were bitter experiences where external lecturers' talks did not align with the on-site sentiment, leading to an "awkward silence."

This led them to turn to crack Inc., a company that uncovers a company's "unconscious appeal" and visualizes it through art and music.

An example of crack uncovering a company's "unconscious appeal" and visualizing it with art (Yushin Transport).

The Era of "Blue-Collar Billionaires" Brought by the Evolution of AI

To help on-site workers understand the "value of their work," Ohno surprisingly chose to start his lecture with the topic of "AI (Artificial Intelligence)."

To construction workers who might think, "AI has nothing to do with us," Ohno directly confronted them with global trends.

"Right now, it's not the people on-site who are losing their jobs to AI. It's the 'white-collar' jobs of people sitting in cool rooms, fiddling with computers, and earning high salaries."

He presented recent examples such as Mizuho Bank's large-scale workforce reduction and Sumitomo Corporation's introduction of AI skill evaluations for all employees. He then explained that it is human hands that are building the "data centers to run AI" around the world, and that the era of "blue-collar billionaires" has arrived, with 20-something electricians in the United States earning 40 million yen annually.

Jin Ohno, crack Representative, speaking passionately in front of Sakashita Gumi's company flag.

"AI has an 'undo' button if it makes a mistake in the code. But on a construction site, there is no 'undo' button. Once you pour concrete, it's a one-shot deal. That's precisely why human hands are necessary. You are right in the middle of a domain that AI will absolutely not take away."

This "two-pronged approach" instantly shifted the atmosphere in the venue from "anxiety about AI" to "overwhelming pride in their work."

Even with the same facts, "the type of talent reached" changes solely by "how the job posting is written."

As the value of work increases, it becomes an era where job seekers "choose companies." In the second act, Ohno transitioned the topic to "how to present one's company to become a company that is chosen," showing data on Miyazaki Prefecture's active job opening ratio (5.37:1).

Ohno thoroughly researched Sakashita Gumi's history and achievements beforehand, extracting their "unconscious strengths" from an external perspective. He then verbalized these to the level of actual job postings.

For example, the same fact of "having a 98-year history" can be presented differently:

- "98 years since founding. A construction company with stable management seeking construction managers" (for those seeking stability)

- "Miyazaki Airport, Miyazaki Port, dams, tunnels. Your work will be etched on the map" (for those seeking romance and growth)

He demonstrated that simply changing the wording can attract entirely different types of talent.

"The era of 'good work speaks for itself to those who understand' that is common in B2B companies is over. The ability to recognize your own excellence and speak about it in your own words. That is 'self-affirmation,' and it becomes the strongest recruitment strategy."

Philosophy is Not "Preaching" but a "Crystal of Pride."

Towards the end of the lecture, Ohno spoke about the essence of "corporate philosophy."

"Philosophy is not 'preaching' imposed from above. It is a 'crystal of pride' extracted from the gritty realities of the field. When self-affirmation increases, the philosophy posted on the wall finally becomes 'your own words.'"

He concluded with the message, "You are more wonderful than you think. You are the ones who will create the next 100 years," which was met with thunderous applause from the approximately 250 attendees.

After the lecture, many participants from Sakashita Gumi expressed enthusiastic feedback such as, "This is the first time someone from outside has verbalized the greatness of our company," and "My feelings about going to work tomorrow have changed."

The venue's atmosphere shifted to actively listening to Ohno's talk.

Inquiries Regarding "Lecture Requests" and "Uncovering and Branding Corporate Appeal."

crack Inc. accepts lecture requests for companies, organizations, chambers of commerce, and more. Customization is possible to address the challenges faced by companies, including "The Boundary Between AI and Human Work," "Corporate Branding," "Recruitment Strategies," and "Visualizing Company Uniqueness (Self-Affirmation)."

We encourage company representatives who are struggling to verbalize their company's appeal, thinking "my company has no appeal to promote," or those considering strengthening their recruitment PR due to "no applicants despite posting jobs," to consult with us.

- Contact Form: https://www.crack-inc.co.jp/contact/ - URL: https://www.crack-inc.co.jp/

- Email: pr@crack-inc.co.jp

Contact Information

Jin Ohno, crack Inc.

Born July 30, 1996

From Nerima-ku, Tokyo

Graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University

After working for 8 years at a major global pharmaceutical company, he wanted to go to a place different from the world of papers and numbers, and established the predecessor to crack.

At crack, he promotes projects to ART-ify corporate philosophies, acquiring a wide range of clients from listed companies to startups. In recent years, he has also been actively involved as a player in development sites implementing "tacit knowledge" into AI.

His series of initiatives have garnered attention from industry, government, and academia, including Mori Building, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Doshisha University.

[crack Inc.]

With the concept "Cracking the common sense that no one appreciates," crack is a branding company that cracks existing concepts using new values. It expresses a company's uniqueness and excellent philosophy not only through words but also through art and music.

- Company Name: crack Inc.

- Representative: Jin Ohno, Representative Director

- Established: 2020

- Location: 1-12-4 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061 N&E BLD. 7F

- Business Activities: Recruitment Branding, Art Branding, Company Song/Music Production, PR (Media Coverage Attraction), Lectures on AI Consulting and AI Development/Implementation, Grant Utilization Education Business

Number of affiliated artists: Over 200

- URL: https://www.crack-inc.co.jp/

- Email: pr@crack-inc.co.jp

- Contact Form: https://www.crack-inc.co.jp/contact/

[Sakashita Gumi Co., Ltd.]

- Representative: Riichiro Sakashita, Representative Director and President

- Location: 391-1 Hosono, Kobayashi City, Miyazaki Prefecture

- Founded: April 1, 1928

- Established: May 21, 1949

- Business Activities: General building construction, general civil engineering, carpentry, plastering, scaffolding, earthwork, and concrete work, stone masonry, roofing, tile, brick, and block work, steel structure work, reinforcing bar work, paving work, dredging work, sheet metal work, glass work, painting work, waterproofing work, interior finishing work, insulation work, carpentry work, water supply facility construction, demolition work, construction and design supervision

- URL: https://www.sakashita-gumi.jp/