Japanese for Shipbuilding Work: Welding, Cranes and Working at Height

A shipyard is cranes, heights and sparks at the same time. The Japanese you learn first is the Japanese that keeps you out from under a load.

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A large crane lifting a hull block in a shipyard
What you need to know

Japanese for Shipbuilding Work: Welding, Cranes and Working at Height

Shipbuilding work in Japan includes welding, painting, fitting out and assembling huge hull blocks, often at height and under cranes. The language is practical and safety-heavy: signals for lifting, warnings about suspended loads, harness and scaffolding checks, welding and grinding precautions, and the measurements on drawings. Yards also hold a morning meeting where the day's hazards are discussed. This guide covers the vocabulary of the yard, crane and height safety, welding, drawings and measurements, and the morning hazard meeting.

Never stand under a suspended load, and learn the words that say so

At height, say when you have clipped on and warn people below

Welding Japanese is about eyes, sparks, air and fire

The morning hazard meeting is a speaking task you can prepare

The language of the yard

Ships are built in blocks that are welded, painted, fitted out and then joined. Each stage has its own crew and its own words, but a core vocabulary is shared across the yard.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
造船所zōsenjoShipyard
溶接yōsetsuWelding
塗装tosōPainting
艤装gisōFitting out
ブロックburokkuHull block
図面zumenDrawing, plan
足場ashibaScaffolding
仕上げshiageFinishing

Cranes and suspended loads

Cranes move enormous weights over people's heads all day. The rule that is repeated most is never to go under a suspended load, tsuri ni, and the signals between the person slinging the load and the crane operator must be clear and agreed.

Slinging a load for a crane is called tamakake, and it requires proper qualification. Even if it is not your job, you need to understand the calls.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
吊り荷の下に入らないでください。Tsuri ni no shita ni hairanaide kudasai.Never go under a suspended load.
玉掛けtamakakeSlinging a load for a crane
ゆっくり上げてください。Yukkuri agete kudasai.Lift it slowly.
ストップ！Sutoppu!Stop!
合図を確認します。Aizu o kakunin shimasu.Confirming the signal.
周りに人はいません。Mawari ni hito wa imasen.There is nobody around.

Working at height

Much of a ship is built at height, on scaffolding and inside tall blocks. Clipping on your harness, not dropping things and warning people below are the habits that matter.

Many sites still call a harness anzentai, even though full-body harnesses are now standard. Use the word your site uses.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
安全帯を使ってください。Anzentai o tsukatte kudasai.Please use your harness.
フックをかけました。Fukku o kakemashita.I have clipped on.
物を落とさないように注意してください。Mono o otosanai yō ni chūi shite kudasai.Be careful not to drop anything.
下に人がいます！Shita ni hito ga imasu!There are people below!
足場が揺れています。Ashiba ga yurete imasu.The scaffolding is shaking.

Welding and grinding safety

Welding and grinding bring eye injuries, burns, fumes and fire risk, especially in the enclosed spaces inside a hull. The warnings are short and repeated.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
保護メガネをつけてください。Hogo megane o tsukete kudasai.Please put on safety glasses.
遮光面shakōmenWelding mask
火花に注意してください。Hibana ni chūi shite kudasai.Watch out for sparks.
換気をしてください。Kanki o shite kudasai.Please ventilate the space.
狭い所では酸欠に注意してください。Semai tokoro de wa sanketsu ni chūi shite kudasai.In tight spaces, watch out for lack of oxygen.
近くに燃える物はありませんか。Chikaku ni moeru mono wa arimasen ka.Is there anything flammable nearby?

Drawings and measurements

Shipyard work follows drawings, and measurements are in millimetres. Confirming a number before you cut or weld is always cheaper than redoing the work.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
図面を見せていただけますか。Zumen o misete itadakemasu ka.Could you show me the drawing?
この寸法で合っていますか。Kono sunpō de atte imasu ka.Is this measurement right?
ここは何ミリですか。Koko wa nan-miri desu ka.How many millimetres is this?
溶接の長さは三百ミリです。Yōsetsu no nagasa wa sanbyaku miri desu.The weld length is 300 millimetres.
やり直しが必要です。Yarinaoshi ga hitsuyō desu.It needs to be redone.

The morning meeting and hazard prediction

Many yards start the day with a meeting where the team goes through the day's work and its hazards. This is called kiken yochi, hazard prediction, and you may be asked to name one.

It is a predictable speaking task, so prepare. One sentence about a hazard in your own work, said clearly, is exactly what is wanted.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
危険予知kiken yochiHazard prediction
今日の作業の危険は何ですか。Kyō no sagyō no kiken wa nan desu ka.What are the hazards in today's work?
足元に段差があるので、つまずかないように注意します。Ashimoto ni dansa ga aru node, tsumazukanai yō ni chūi shimasu.There is a step at floor level, so I will be careful not to trip.
ご安全に！Go-anzen ni!Work safely!
作業が終わりました。報告します。Sagyō ga owarimashita. Hōkoku shimasu.The work is finished. Reporting in.

The structure in the third line, the hazard, then node, then what you will do, works for almost any job in the yard. Change the hazard and the action and you have tomorrow's sentence.

Key points

A practical way to improve

Learn the crane and height calls first and practise them aloud with gestures. Then prepare one or two hazard sentences for your own job each day for the morning meeting. Your AI Sensei in Unihongo's immersive 3D classroom can play the foreman asking what today's hazards are, which is good rehearsal for answering in front of the team.

  1. 1

    Choose one clear goal

    Focus each session on a situation or skill you can actually use.

  2. 2

    Practice actively

    Say complete answers aloud instead of only reading or recognizing Japanese.

  3. 3

    Review and repeat

    Keep useful corrections and revisit the same skill until it feels natural.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What Japanese is most important in a shipyard?

Crane and suspended-load warnings, harness and scaffolding calls, and welding safety. After that come measurements and drawings, and the phrases for reporting that work is finished or needs redoing.

What is kiken yochi?

Hazard prediction, often called KY activity. Before work starts, the team discusses what could go wrong in the day's tasks and how to prevent it. You may be asked to name a hazard, so prepare a sentence.

What does go-anzen ni mean?

It is a greeting used in heavy industry, roughly work safely. You will hear it at the start of the day and in passing, and you can say it back.

Is anzentai still the word for a harness?

Anzentai is still widely used on sites, although full-body harnesses have become the standard and formal documents use longer official terms. Use whatever word your site uses.

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