仕事・組織

新任しんにん監督かんとくの采配さいはいのもと、チームは見違えるみちがえるほど強つよくなった。

Under the new manager's direction, the team grew unrecognisably strong.

Usage 采配を振る is the set phrase for taking command. Originally the tasselled baton a general waved on the battlefield, and still most at home in sport and business leadership.

Remember it 采 (the commander's baton) + 配 (deploy) → deploying your forces with a wave of the baton.

強力きょうりょくなリーダーシップで部下ぶかを統率とうそつできる人材じんざいが組織そしきには必要ひつようだ。

An organisation needs people who can lead their subordinates with strong leadership.

Usage 統率する, 統率力 for the quality, 統率が取れている for a well-drilled group. Military at root and still firmer than リーダーシップ — it implies holding a body of people together under one command.

Remember it 統 (unify) + 率 (lead) → holding them together and leading them.

経営けいえい手腕しゅわんを高たかく評価ひょうかされた彼女かのじょは、創業そうぎょう5年ねんで会社かいしゃを上場じょうじょうさせた。

Highly regarded for her management ability, she took the company public five years after founding it.

Usage 手腕を発揮する, 経営手腕, 政治手腕. Neutral and admiring, for practical ability that shows in results. 能力 is capacity in general; 手腕 is skill demonstrated in handling things.

Remember it 手 (hand) + 腕 (arm, skill) → what your hands and arms can actually do.

辣腕らつわん弁護士べんごしとして知しられる彼かれは、どんな難事件なんじけんも巧たくみに解決かいけつしてきた。

Known as a formidable lawyer, he has skilfully resolved every difficult case.

Usage 辣腕を振るう, 辣腕家. Sharper-edged than 手腕: it praises effectiveness while hinting the person is ruthless with it. 辣 also gives 辛辣, biting or caustic.

Remember it 辣 (pungent, sharp) + 腕 (ability) → ability with a bite to it.

現場げんばの判断はんだんは担当者たんとうしゃの裁量さいりょうに委ゆだね、細こまかい指示しじは出ださない方針ほうしんだ。

The policy is to leave on-site decisions to the person in charge and not issue detailed instructions.

Usage 裁量に任せる, 裁量権, 裁量労働制 for a discretionary-hours system. In law, 行政裁量 is administrative discretion — a recurring topic in N1 reading passages.

Remember it 裁 (judge, cut to shape) + 量 (measure) → judging and measuring it yourself.

両社りょうしゃの担当者たんとうしゃが折衝せっしょうを重かさね、ようやく契約けいやくの合意ごういに達たっした。

Representatives of the two companies negotiated repeatedly and finally reached agreement.

Usage 折衝を重ねる, 外交折衝, 事務折衝. Formal negotiation between parties with opposed interests, more official in tone than 交渉 and never used for haggling over a price.

Remember it 折 (bend, compromise) + 衝 (clash) → bending where you clash, rather than breaking.

労働ろうどう組合くみあいが斡旋あっせんした結果けっか、労使ろうし紛争ふんそうは円満えんまんに解決かいけつした。

As a result of the union's mediation, the labour dispute was settled amicably.

Usage 斡旋する, 就職斡旋, 斡旋業者. Bringing two parties together, weaker than 仲裁 and 調停 — an 斡旋者 arranges the meeting but hands down no decision. Note the reading あっせん.

Remember it 斡 (turn, revolve) + 旋 (rotate) → turning the parties round until they face each other.

国際こくさい仲裁ちゅうさい裁判所さいばんしょは国家間こっかかんの紛争ふんそうを法的ほうてきに解決かいけつするための機関きかんだ。

The international court of arbitration is a body for resolving disputes between states legally.

Usage 仲裁する, 仲裁裁判所, 仲裁案. In law, arbitration binds the parties, which separates it from 調停 and 斡旋. In ordinary use it is stepping into a quarrel to settle it.

Remember it 仲 (in between) + 裁 (judge) → standing between them and judging.

裁判所さいばんしょによる調停ちょうていで両者りょうしゃが合意ごういし、裁判さいばんには至いたらなかった。

Through court-led conciliation the two sides agreed, and it never came to trial.

Usage 調停する, 調停案, 家事調停 for family court conciliation, 調停委員. The mediator proposes but cannot impose — the difference from 仲裁 that N1 passages like to test.

Remember it 調 (harmonise) + 停 (bring to a stop) → harmonising them until the quarrel stops.

両国りょうこくは自由貿易じゆうぼうえき協定きょうていを締結ていけつし、関税かんぜいの大幅おおはばな引ひき下さげを実現じつげんした。

The two countries concluded a free trade agreement and achieved large tariff cuts.

Usage 条約を締結する, 契約を締結する, 締結国. The formal verb for signing something binding — 結ぶ does the same job in plainer language.

Remember it 締 (tie tight) + 結 (bind) → tying and binding the parties to it.

契約けいやくを締結ていけつした以上いじょうは、双方そうほうがその義務ぎむを誠実せいじつに履行りこうしなければならない。

Once a contract is concluded, both parties must fulfil their obligations in good faith.

Usage 義務を履行する, 契約の履行, 履行期限. Legal register. Its negation 不履行 is equally common, especially in 債務不履行.

Remember it 履 (tread, carry out) + 行 (do) → walking the obligation out to the end.

債務さいむ不履行ふりこうが続つづいた場合ばあい、貸主かしぬしは法的ほうてき措置そちを取とる権利けんりがある。

If the default continues, the lender has the right to take legal action.

Usage 債務不履行 is the standard compound — default on an obligation, and the Japanese term for a sovereign default too. Built straightforwardly from 不 and 履行.

Remember it 不 (not) + 履行 (fulfilment) → the obligation not walked out.

建物たてものに重大じゅうだいな瑕疵かしがあった場合ばあい、売主うりぬしは修補しゅうほまたは損害賠償そんがいばいしょうの義務ぎむを負おう。

Where a building has a serious defect, the seller is liable to repair it or pay damages.

Usage 瑕疵がある, 隠れた瑕疵 for a latent defect, 瑕疵担保責任 for warranty liability — though the 2020 Civil Code reform renamed that 契約不適合責任. Legal register only; everyday defects are 欠陥.

Remember it 瑕 (a flaw in a jewel) + 疵 (a blemish) → the flaw you find in something that should be flawless.

消費者しょうひしゃが企業きぎょうに対たいして集団しゅうだん訴訟そしょうを起おこし、多額たがくの損害賠償そんがいばいしょうを求もとめた。

Consumers brought a class action against the company, seeking large damages.

Usage 訴訟を起こす, 民事訴訟, 刑事訴訟, 訴訟費用. 訴える is the everyday verb for suing or appealing to someone. Related: 原告 plaintiff, 被告 defendant.

Remember it 訴 (accuse) + 訟 (litigate) → the accusation carried into court.

不正ふせいが発覚はっかくした大臣だいじんは、首相しゅしょうによって罷免ひめんされた。

The minister, whose misconduct had come to light, was dismissed by the prime minister.

Usage 罷免する, 罷免権. Reserved for removing someone from public or high office, with authority. 解雇 is dismissal from a job; 更迭 is replacing an official, often to defuse a scandal.

Remember it 罷 (cease, dismiss) + 免 (relieve of duty) → relieved of the post and done with.

規律きりつに違反いはんした職員しょくいんに対たいして懲戒ちょうかい処分しょぶんが下くだされた。

Disciplinary action was taken against the employee who had broken the rules.

Usage 懲戒処分 is the umbrella term; the grades run 戒告, 減給, 停職, up to 懲戒免職 for dismissal. Institutional — a company or a bar association imposes it.

Remember it 懲 (chastise) + 戒 (admonish) → chastising as a warning to others.

職務しょくむ怠慢たいまんにより事故じこを招まねいた責任者せきにんしゃは、厳きびししく処分しょぶんされた。

The manager whose negligence led to the accident was severely disciplined.

Usage 職務怠慢 is the set phrase, 怠慢な態度 the adjective use. Failing to do what your position requires, where 怠惰 is simple laziness of character.

Remember it 怠 (idle) + 慢 (slack, negligent) → idle and slack where duty applied.

公式こうしき場ばでの失態しったいは、長年ながねん築きずいてきた信頼しんらいを一瞬いっしゅんで崩くずしかねない。

A blunder in a formal setting can destroy trust built over years in a moment.

Usage 失態を演じる, 失態をさらす, 大失態. Not merely a mistake but an embarrassing one that damages standing. 失敗 is a failure; a 失態 is a disgrace.

Remember it 失 (lose) + 態 (bearing, appearance) → losing your composure in front of everyone.

報告書ほうこくしょの作成さくせいに際さいし、重要じゅうような情報じょうほうの遺漏いろうがないよう細心さいしんの注意ちゅういを払はらった。

In drawing up the report, great care was taken to leave out no important information.

Usage 遺漏なく is the form you will meet — thoroughly, without omission — and 遺漏のないように in official writing. The plain equivalent is 漏れ.

Remember it 遺 (leave behind) + 漏 (leak) → what got left out and slipped through.

輸出ゆしゅつの増加ぞうかが経済成長けいざいせいちょうを牽引けんいんする形かたちで、景気けいきが回復かいふくしてきた。

With rising exports pulling economic growth along, the economy has recovered.

Usage 経済を牽引する, 牽引役 for the thing doing the pulling, 牽引力. Also literal: 牽引車 for a tow truck. A favourite of economic and business journalism.

Remember it 牽 (tug) + 引 (pull) → tugging the rest along behind you.

国連こくれん査察官ささつかんによる査察ささつの結果けっか、核かく施設しせつに疑うたがわしい動うごきはないと確認かくにんされた。

Inspection by UN inspectors confirmed no suspicious activity at the nuclear facility.

Usage 査察する, 査察官, 国連査察, 税務査察. Formal inspection by an authority with the right to enter. 検査 is ordinary testing or checking; 監査 is auditing accounts.

Remember it 査 (investigate) + 察 (observe) → going in to look for yourself.

独裁どくさい政権せいけんは反対はんたい勢力せいりょくを粛清しゅくせいし、権力けんりょくの独占どくせんを強つよめた。

The dictatorship purged the opposition and tightened its monopoly on power.

Usage 粛清する, 大粛清 for Stalin's Great Purge, 党内粛清. Political and always sinister. Do not confuse the homophone 粛正, which means correcting discipline.

Remember it 粛 (solemn, stern) + 清 (clear away) → sternly clearing them out.

核かく抑止よくし力りょくが戦争せんそうを防ふせぐという議論ぎろんは、冷戦時代れいせんじだいから続つづく安保あんぽの根幹こんかんだ。

The argument that nuclear deterrence prevents war has been central to security thinking since the Cold War.

Usage 抑止力 is the key form — deterrent power. Also 犯罪抑止, 核抑止. Stopping something before it starts, where 抑制 is holding something already under way in check.

Remember it 抑 (hold down) + 止 (stop) → holding it down so it never starts.

競合他社きょうごうたしゃの動うごきを牽制けんせいするために、先手せんてを打うって新製品しんせいひんを発表はっぴょうした。

To keep rivals in check, they pre-empted them by announcing a new product.

Usage 牽制する, 相互牽制, and in baseball 牽制球 for a pickoff throw. You constrain an opponent's freedom of action without attacking directly.

Remember it 牽 (tug, restrain) + 制 (control) → holding them on a short rein.

組織そしきの刷新さっしんを図はかるため、外部がいぶから新あたらしいリーダーを招聘しょうへいした。

To renew the organisation, they brought in a new leader from outside.

Usage 組織の刷新, イメージ刷新, 刷新を図る. Wholesale renewal that sweeps the old away — its opposite in this vocabulary set is 踏襲.

Remember it 刷 (scrub, print) + 新 (new) → scrubbing it down to something new.

前任者ぜんにんしゃの方針ほうしんを踏襲とうしゅうしつつも、時代じだいに合あわせた改善かいぜんを加くわえた。

While following the previous holder's policy, he added improvements suited to the times.

Usage 前例を踏襲する, 方針を踏襲する. Continuing what was done before, neutral in itself though often faintly critical. Note the reading とうしゅう, not ふしゅう.

Remember it 踏 (step in the footprints) + 襲 (succeed to) → stepping where your predecessor stepped.

小手先こてさきの改革かいかくではなく、抜本的ばっぽんてきな制度せいど改革かいかくが必要ひつようだと専門家せんもんかたちは訴うったえた。

Experts argued that what was needed was fundamental institutional reform, not tinkering.

Usage 抜本的な改革, 抜本的に見直す. Almost always paired with reform or review, and usually set against 小手先 — superficial fiddling. The noun 抜本 barely appears alone.

Remember it 抜 (pull out) + 本 (root) + 的 → pulling it out by the root.

彼女かのじょの研究けんきゅうはこの分野ぶんやにおける先駆せんく的てきな業績ぎょうせきとして高たかく評価ひょうかされている。

Her research is highly regarded as pioneering work in this field.

Usage 先駆者 for a pioneer, 先駆的な取り組み, and the verb 先駆ける — 時代に先駆けて, ahead of its time. Related: 草分け, the one who cleared the ground first.

Remember it 先 (ahead) + 駆 (gallop) → galloping out ahead of the rest.

この法律ほうりつは消費者しょうひしゃ保護ほご立法りっぽうの嚆矢こうしとして日本にほんの法制史ほうせいしに名なを刻きざんだ。

The law is inscribed in Japanese legal history as the first of its kind in consumer protection.

Usage 〜の嚆矢 is the pattern — the first instance of something. Literary and rare, worth recognising rather than using. Plainer: 先駆け, 始まり.

Remember it 嚆 (a whistling sound) + 矢 (arrow) → the signal arrow fired to open a battle, hence the thing that came first.

旧弊きゅうへいにとらわれず、時代じだいの変化へんかに対応たいおうした柔軟じゅうなんな経営けいえいが求もとめられている。

What is called for is flexible management, unbound by outdated practices and responsive to change.

Usage 旧弊を打破する, 旧弊にとらわれる. Old customs seen as harmful — the 弊 marks the judgement. Compare 慣例, which is neutral, and 悪習, a bad habit.

Remember it 旧 (old) + 弊 (evil, abuse) → the old ways that have gone bad.

商慣例しょうかんれいに従したがって契約けいやく条件じょうけんを設定せっていしたが、特定とくていの条項じょうこうについては例外れいがいを設もうけた。

They set the contract terms according to commercial custom, but made exceptions for certain clauses.

Usage 慣例に従う, 慣例を破る, 慣例として, 商慣例. Neutral: simply how things have been done. 慣習 is weightier and can have legal force — 慣習法, customary law.

Remember it 慣 (become habitual) + 例 (precedent) → the precedent that became a habit.

人事じんじは社長しゃちょうの専権せんけん事項じこうであり、取締役会とりしまりやくかいは口出くちだしできない。

Personnel is the president's exclusive prerogative, and the board cannot interfere.

Usage 専権事項 is the usual compound — a matter belonging to one office alone. Related: 専決 for deciding alone, 独断 for acting without consulting anyone.

Remember it 専 (exclusive) + 権 (authority) → authority held by one alone.

弁護士べんごしに訴訟そしょうを委任いにんする際さいは、委任状いにんじょうを作成さくせいして権限けんげんの範囲はんいを明確めいかくにする。

When you delegate a lawsuit to a lawyer, you draw up a power of attorney setting out the scope.

Usage 委任状 for a power of attorney, 委任契約, 権限を委任する. Distinguish 委託, entrusting a task or service to an outside party, as in 業務委託.

Remember it 委 (entrust) + 任 (charge, duty) → putting the duty in someone else's charge.

政界せいかいの腐敗ふはいを根絶こんぜつするためには、透明性とうめいせいの高たかい制度せいどと市民しみんの監視かんしが不可欠ふかけつだ。

Rooting out political corruption requires transparent institutions and public scrutiny.

Usage 腐敗する, 政治腐敗, 腐敗防止. Both literal — 食品が腐敗する — and moral. 汚職 is the concrete act of graft; 腐敗 is the condition of the whole body politic.

Remember it 腐 (rot) + 敗 (spoil, be defeated) → rotted through and gone bad.

航空こうくう業界ぎょうかいは寡占かせん状態じょうたいにあり、大手おおて2社しゃが市場しじょうの大半たいはんを占しめている。

The airline industry is an oligopoly, with two major carriers holding most of the market.

Usage 寡占市場, 寡占状態. Distinguish 独占, a monopoly by one firm, and 複占 for a duopoly. 寡 means few — the same character as in 寡黙, taciturn.

Remember it 寡 (few) + 占 (hold, occupy) → a few holding the field.

独占禁止どくせんきんし法ほうは市場しじょうの公正こうせいな競争きょうそうを維持いじするために制定せいていされた法律ほうりつだ。

The Antimonopoly Act was enacted to maintain fair competition in the market.

Usage 独占禁止法, clipped to 独禁法 in practice, enforced by the 公正取引委員会. 独占 alone also means having something all to yourself — 独占インタビュー.

Remember it 独占 (monopoly) + 禁止 (prohibition) → the ban on holding a market alone.

重要じゅうような提案ていあんを通とおすには、会議かいぎの前まえに関係者かんけいしゃへの根回しねまわしが欠かかせない。

To get an important proposal through, groundwork with the people concerned before the meeting is essential.

Usage 根回しをする. A defining feature of Japanese corporate decision-making: a proposal is agreed informally before the meeting, so the meeting confirms rather than debates. Often paired with 稟議.

Remember it 根 (roots) + 回し (working round) → the gardener's job of working round a tree's roots before transplanting it.

設備せつび投資とうしの稟議りんぎが全すべての関係部署かんけいぶしょに回まわり、最終的さいしゅうてきに社長しゃちょうの承認しょうにんを得えた。

The capital expenditure request circulated to every department concerned and finally won the president's approval.

Usage 稟議書 for the document, 稟議を回す for circulating it, 稟議制度. Japanese organisations approve by circulating a written proposal for seals rather than by a single decision-maker.

Remember it 稟 (report to a superior) + 議 (deliberate) → a paper sent up to be deliberated and stamped.

資材しざいの調達ちょうたつコストが上昇じょうしょうしたため、製品せいひん価格かかくの見直しみなおしを余儀よぎなくされた。

Procurement costs for materials rose, forcing a review of product prices.

Usage 資材を調達する, 資金を調達する for raising funds, 調達先 for a supplier. Covers both buying goods and securing money — the second sense surprises learners.

Remember it 調 (arrange) + 達 (obtain, reach) → arranging to get hold of what is needed.

部下ぶかを叱責しっせきする際さいは、感情的かんじょうてきにならず具体的ぐたいてきな改善点かいぜんてんを伝つたえることが重要じゅうようだ。

When reprimanding a subordinate, it matters to avoid emotion and name specific improvements.

Usage 叱責する, 厳しく叱責する. The formal, written counterpart of 叱る. Related: 注意 for a caution and 説教 for a lecture.

Remember it 叱 (scold) + 責 (call to account) → scolding while calling someone to account.