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総裁 (そうさい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 10,000 Meanings 1
noun
president ; director general ; governor ; party leader
Title for the head of an organization, especially a political party (notably the LDP), a central bank, or a large institution. More specific than 社長 (company president) and carries a formal, high-level connotation.
日にち 銀ぎん の 新しん 総そう 裁さい が 記き 者しゃ 会かい 見けん を 開ひら い た 。
The new governor of the Bank of Japan held a press conference.
Similar words 社しゃ 長ちょう 社長 is the standard term for a company president or CEO, while 総裁 is used for heads of political parties, central banks, and certain large organizations, carrying a more formal and institutional weight.
会かい 長ちょう 会長 is a chairman or chairperson of an organization, often more ceremonial or board-level, whereas 総裁 implies executive leadership, especially in political or financial contexts.
Etymology Composed of 総 (overall, general) and 裁 (judge, decide), suggesting a person with overall decision-making authority. The term was adopted in modern Japanese for high-level organizational heads.
