Japanese Business Glossary

交通機関 (kotsu kikan) refers to transportation systems or means of transportation. This term encompasses various forms of transport used to move people and goods from one place to another. Examples include trains, buses, subways, taxis, airplanes, and ships. In Japan, the transportation network is highly developed and includes extensive railway systems, efficient bus services, and convenient domestic flights.

特別清算 (tokubetsu seisan) is a special liquidation process in Japan. It is a legal procedure for dissolving a company that is unable to pay its debts or needs to resolve certain financial issues without going through a standard bankruptcy process.

It is typically initiated by the company's shareholders or creditors. The process requires the appointment of a liquidator, who is responsible for settling the company's debts and distributing any remaining assets. The procedure must be approved by the court, ensuring that the liquidation is conducted fairly and transparently. Special liquidation can be a more straightforward and less costly alternative to standard bankruptcy.

This method is often chosen when there is a consensus among the creditors and shareholders on how to handle the company's assets and liabilities.

The term 編曲家 (henkyokuka) refers to a music arranger or orchestrator in Japanese. This role involves taking a piece of music and arranging it for performance by various instruments or voices. The arranger might modify the melody, harmony, rhythm, and instrumentation to suit a particular performance, ensemble, or artistic vision.

The term 斡旋 (assen) in Japanese generally means "mediation" or "intermediation." It involves acting as an intermediary to help facilitate an agreement or arrangement between two or more parties. This can be in various contexts such as business negotiations, employment, or dispute resolution.

In a business context, assen might involve a third party helping to broker a deal between companies or assisting in finding suitable job candidates for a company. In labor disputes, assen can refer to mediation services to help resolve conflicts between employers and employees.

給料 (kyuryo) is the Japanese term for "salary" or "wages." It refers to the regular payment made by an employer to an employee for their work or services.

In Japan, kyuryo is typically paid monthly. It can include various components such as the base salary (基本給, きほんきゅう, kihonkyu), allowances (手当, てあて, teate) which may cover transportation, housing, or other expenses, overtime pay (残業代, ざんぎょうだい, zangyodai), and bonuses (ボーナス, bonasu) often paid biannually in summer and winter.

仲裁 (chusai) is the Japanese term for "arbitration." Arbitration is a method of dispute resolution where the parties involved agree to submit their conflict to one or more arbitrators, who make a binding decision on the matter. It is an alternative to going to court and can be a faster and more flexible way to resolve disputes.

In Japan, arbitration is governed by the Arbitration Act, which is based on the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration. The Japan Commercial Arbitration Association (JCAA) is one of the prominent organizations that administers arbitration proceedings in Japan.