Japanese corporate title
Encyclopedia
Several Japanese
corporate title
s are roughly standardized across Japanese companies and organizations. Although there is variation from company to company, corporate titles within a company are always consistent. And the large companies in Japan generally follow the same outline. These titles are the formal titles that are used on business cards.
The head of the corporation has the title shacho, meaning company president
, below whom are the fuku-shacho (vice president
), senmu (senior executive vice-president or executive director
), and jomu (junior executive vice president or managing director). The title kaicho (会長) translates to "chairman", but that is slightly misleading. The kaicho is not chairman of the board
, but is, rather, a semi-retired president or company founder. It is unusual for a president to retire completely. But corporate rules, such as limits on the lengths of service or age limits, may force presidents to retire. When this happens, the president is usually given the title kaicho, a title that denotes a position with considerable power within the company, exercised through behind-the-scenes influence via the active president.
All of these titles so far are corporate titles for management positions. The top management group, comprising the kaicho, shacho, fuku-shacho, senmu, jomu, and some or all of the heads of department within the company are juyaku, or double-office holders. They have the additional title of torishimariyaku, which roughly corresponds to the Anglophone notion of a company director, and literally means "those who control". This additional title is added to the management title. Hence senmu torishimariyaku is the title of the senior executive managing director, jomu torishimariyaku is the title of a subordinate managing director.
Below the top management are bucho (general manager), the heads of departments (bu) within a company. Within departments a kacho (section chief) leads a section (ka). A jicho or bucho dairi is a deputy general manager, below a bucho; and a kacho dairi is a deputy section chief below a kacho. A kakaricho is a sub-section chief, a hancho a foreman, and a hirashain an ordinary employee.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
corporate title
Corporate title
Publicly and privately held for-profit corporations confer corporate titles or business titles on company officials as a means of identifying their function in the organization...
s are roughly standardized across Japanese companies and organizations. Although there is variation from company to company, corporate titles within a company are always consistent. And the large companies in Japan generally follow the same outline. These titles are the formal titles that are used on business cards.
The head of the corporation has the title shacho, meaning company president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
, below whom are the fuku-shacho (vice president
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
), senmu (senior executive vice-president or executive director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
), and jomu (junior executive vice president or managing director). The title kaicho (会長) translates to "chairman", but that is slightly misleading. The kaicho is not chairman of the board
Chairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board is a seat of office in an organization, especially of corporations.Chairman of the Board may also refer to:*Chairman of the Board , a 1998 film*Chairmen of the Board , a 1970s American soul music group...
, but is, rather, a semi-retired president or company founder. It is unusual for a president to retire completely. But corporate rules, such as limits on the lengths of service or age limits, may force presidents to retire. When this happens, the president is usually given the title kaicho, a title that denotes a position with considerable power within the company, exercised through behind-the-scenes influence via the active president.
All of these titles so far are corporate titles for management positions. The top management group, comprising the kaicho, shacho, fuku-shacho, senmu, jomu, and some or all of the heads of department within the company are juyaku, or double-office holders. They have the additional title of torishimariyaku, which roughly corresponds to the Anglophone notion of a company director, and literally means "those who control". This additional title is added to the management title. Hence senmu torishimariyaku is the title of the senior executive managing director, jomu torishimariyaku is the title of a subordinate managing director.
Below the top management are bucho (general manager), the heads of departments (bu) within a company. Within departments a kacho (section chief) leads a section (ka). A jicho or bucho dairi is a deputy general manager, below a bucho; and a kacho dairi is a deputy section chief below a kacho. A kakaricho is a sub-section chief, a hancho a foreman, and a hirashain an ordinary employee.