I have an in-law from a family of temple carpenters in Nara. They're not finding people who want go through the rigorous training and the work load demanded of an apprentice.
Have they tried to make the deal more appealing? Apprentices certainly don't have to be treated like garbage, not even in Japan. So what if the apprenticeship takes a little bit longer than in the old days where you needed to basically live in your workplace and survive all the toxic behaviour directed towards you, and maybe you don't even have to master every single one of those ancient skills to become a professional. Attitude and willingness to negotiate matter.
