Between running a section and running a department there is often a step. The jicho is the department's number two: deputising for the bucho, coordinating the sections and taking over specific responsibilities. The English is usually deputy general manager. Some companies use the similar title bucho dairi, acting or assistant department head, for the same level, and some use jicho in other units, such as a deputy head of a branch or office.
The post has two lives. In some companies it is a genuine deputy role with clear duties and a path to bucho. In others it is a holding grade: a way to reward seniority, or to give a title to someone for whom no department is free. Because Japanese companies attach titles to grades, it is common to find more jicho than departments.
For statistics, the title is in between. The labour ministry's Basic Survey on Wage Structure defines bucho-level as heads of departments and explicitly excludes deputy department heads and acting heads. Whether a jicho is treated as an exempt manager for overtime purposes depends, as always, on actual authority, pay and control over hours.
What it means for a foreign employer
- Ask what the jicho actually does. Some run most of the department day to day; others have no reports. The title does not tell you which.
- It is a good hiring level. A jicho is experienced, close to senior management and, if the bucho post above them is not opening, often ready to move.
- Offer the right title. A jicho will usually expect a title that reads at least as senior, and often one equivalent to bucho, especially if the move is to a smaller organisation.
- Check exempt status. If your own deputy-level staff have little real authority, they may be owed overtime.
Sources
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Basic Survey on Wage Structure, definitions of positions (bucho-level excludes deputy and acting department heads).
- Labour Standards Act, Article 41.