Expiration of One's Term of Service
The apprentice system employed by Wajima Lacquerware craftsmen is known to be extremely strict. All craftsmen have to receive four years' hard training under a master before they are considered to be proficient. The very time when they finish this apprenticeship is called "Nenkiake" (literally: expiration of one's term of service). A craftsman who has finished his training goes around the neighborhood with his master and greets the neighbors. Even after this apprenticeship has ended, the development of skills continues, and it is said that it takes over ten years before a young craftsman has truly mastered the whole set of relevant skills.
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