noun
branch office; subprefecture
Refers to a local administrative office under a larger government body, such as a prefectural branch office or a subprefecture in Hokkaido.
北海道には多くの支庁が置かれている。
Many subprefectures are established in Hokkaido.
県の支庁で手続きをした。
I completed the procedure at the prefectural branch office.
Compound of 支 (branch, support) and 庁 (government office). The term is used in Japanese administrative contexts to denote a subordinate office of a larger governmental body.