noun
steeplejack; scaffold builder; high-rise construction worker
Refers to a traditional Japanese construction worker who specializes in working at heights, erecting scaffolding, and building high structures such as temples, shrines, and modern skyscrapers. The term originates from the image of a black kite (鳶) soaring high.
鳶職人は高所での作業に熟練している。
Steeplejacks are skilled at working at heights.
あのビルの建設現場では、多くの鳶職人が働いている。
Many scaffold builders are working at that building's construction site.
Compound of 鳶 (とび, 'black kite') and 職人 (しょくにん, 'craftsman'). The name derives from the way these workers move nimbly at great heights, reminiscent of a kite in flight.