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JŌSHI

上司

boss; superior

On the surface, there is nothing especially esoteric about the concept of the “boss” in a Japanese company. Although the words are different, Japanese companies have the same managerial positions that are found throughout the world (see below). There are, however, a few subtle differences between a boss in Japan and a boss in the United States. 

Japanese companies have a paternalistic streak, and this tendency filters down into boss-subordinate relationships. The all-business, mind-your-own business culture found in America would be considered uncomfortably dry and impersonal in Japan. Most Japanese managers take an interest in the personal lives of their employees, within reasonable limits of course. When a Japanese company employee gets married, for example, it is common for him or her to ask the department manager to give a speech at the wedding reception. For the manager, this request is not an imposition, but an important part of fulfilling a leadership role. 

On the other hand, Japanese employees are less likely than Americans to question the boss’s judgment. An open challenges of an order or a management decision is extremely rare in the Japanese workplace. While complaining about the boss among colleagues is not unheard of, Japanese employees are more cautious than American workers when raking the boss over the coals behind his back. 

Japanese companies are characterized by more vertical management structures than their Western counterparts. Therefore, if you work for a Japanese company, you will likely find yourself below more layers of management than you have been accustomed to in the past. 

The exact title of your boss(es) will depend on your rank, organization, and industry. Nonetheless, here is a sampling of the titles of some of the people you might be working for: