How to Use Onchu (御中): Japanese Envelopes, Sama and Return Addresses

Use 御中（おんちゅう, onchu）when addressing mail to an organization or department without naming an individual. Use 様（さま, sama）when addressing a named person or a person identified by a role, such as 採用ご担当者様.

On a Japanese reply envelope printed with 行 or 宛 after the return recipient, cross out that suffix and replace it with 御中 or 様 as appropriate. The deciding factor is who receives the letter, not simply whether the address belongs to a company.

How to correct 行 or 宛 on a reply envelope

1. Identify the recipient

Read the final part of the recipient line. A company or department alone takes 御中. A named individual takes 様. Do not add both.

2. Cross out only the existing suffix

Draw two neat lines through 行 or 宛 so the organization or person's name remains readable. Avoid covering the name with a large scribble. For vertical writing, diagonal or horizontal correction lines are commonly used; for horizontal writing, horizontal lines are a straightforward choice. The important point is a clear, legible correction.

3. Add the correct honorific nearby

For a vertically written address, place the replacement beside or below the corrected suffix where it reads clearly. For a horizontally written address, use the available space beside it. Follow any special return instructions supplied with the envelope.

If 御中 is already printed and the recipient is still the organization, you do not need to cross it out and rewrite the same word.

御中 vs. 様: examples

These are writing examples with placeholder names. Check the actual recipient and official company name before addressing your own envelope.

What does 御中 mean?

御中 is an honorific used when directing correspondence to the people within an organization rather than a particular individual. It is commonly used on envelopes to companies, schools, government offices and departments.

It is not an English job title, and it does not translate neatly as “Mr.” or “Ms.” In an English-language address, use the recipient format appropriate to that language instead of automatically inserting the Japanese suffix.

For general Japanese envelope layout and honorific conventions, see Japan Post's envelope guidance.

Why are 行 and 宛 printed on reply envelopes?

The sender may prepare an envelope addressed back to themselves or their organization using a modest address suffix. The person returning it then changes that suffix to an honorific appropriate for the recipient.

This concerns the recipient line, not every occurrence of the characters 行 or 宛 in the document. Do not cross out a character that is part of a person's name, an address or an instruction.

Common mistakes

Adding 御中 and 様 together

Choose the suffix for the final intended recipient. A company line followed by a person's name normally ends with that person's 様; adding 御中 to the company as well is unnecessary.

Treating ご担当者 as an organization

ご担当者 refers to the person responsible. 採用ご担当者様 is therefore a person-directed salutation even when you do not know their name.

Correcting an already appropriate honorific

If the envelope already says 人事部御中 and you are returning it to that department, leave it as it is. Change it only when the intended recipient or existing suffix makes a correction necessary.

Forgetting practical mailing details

Honorifics are only one part of the envelope. Also check the postcode, address, company and department, sender information, contents and required postage or return method.

Using these forms in emails

When writing to a specific person, use their name followed by 様. When contacting an unknown person responsible for hiring, 採用ご担当者様 is often clearer than addressing the organization in general. Match the salutation to the intended recipient and the context of the exchange.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use 御中 when sending a resume?

Use it if the address ends with a company or department alone. If a recruiter is named, use 様 for that person. Follow the employer's provided destination details.

Is the correction direction more important than the recipient?

A neat correction matters, but choosing the appropriate honorific and keeping the address legible are the central points. Do not obscure the recipient while trying to perfect the line direction.

Do I correct the sender's address too?

The honorific correction concerns the return recipient. Do not add an honorific to your own sender name.

Related guide

Polite Japanese requests and business email examples