Obsolete term for a skilled manual worker, especially a carpenter or builder. In modern Japanese, 職人 or 大工 are used instead.
In old documents, 匠 referred to a craftsman who worked with wood.
design; ornamental design · idea; conception; plan
master; maestro; great artist
falconer; hawker
swordsmith
master craftsman; skilled artisan
master; teacher
swordsmith
craftsman; artisan
affectation; strained artistry; desire to show off skill
scholar · Buddhist scholar; temple researcher; student of Buddhism
artisan; craftsman; mechanic
carpenter; woodworker
cabinetmaker; woodworker
celebrated musician; master musician
painter; artist
mason; stonemason; stonecutter
The kanji 匠 originally depicted a carpenter's square and an axe, indicating a woodworker. The reading しょう is the on'yomi.