How to Use \"Onchu\" Correctly: Differences From Sama and Gyo, and Writing It on an Envelope

When you mail a resume or send documents to a client in Japan, you write "onchu" (御中) at the end of the address. Many people add it to company addresses out of habit, yet surprisingly few can explain exactly how it differs from "sama" (様) or "gyo" (行).

Address honorifics are a basic business skill: getting them wrong can leave the impression that you don't know your manners. This article clearly explains the meaning and reading of onchu, how it differs from sama, gyo, ate, and kakui, how to write it correctly on an envelope, and the mistakes people commonly stumble on in job hunting and career changes.

What Is "Onchu"? Meaning and Reading

Onchu (御中) is read "onchu" and is an honorific used in the address of letters, emails, and packages. It is used when addressing organizations and groups such as companies, departments, government offices, and schools, expressing respect toward everyone belonging to that organization.

Onchu is formed by adding the polite prefix "on" (御) to "chu" (中, the people inside the organization). So writing "Company Name Onchu" means "to everyone at Company Name." It is clearly distinct in whom you use it for from "sama" (様), which is used for individuals.

When Do You Use Onchu?

Onchu is used when the recipient is not a specific individual but an organization or group. Typical situations include the following.

• Addressing a company or corporation (e.g., XYZ Corporation Onchu)
• Addressing a specific department or team (e.g., XYZ Corporation, HR Department Onchu)
• Addressing an organization such as a government office, school, store, or facility
• Sending to a department when you do not know the person in charge's name
• Mailing a resume or CV to a company during job hunting or a career change
• Writing the recipient company's name on the cover of a proposal or planning document

Onchu vs. "Sama"

The word most often confused with onchu is "sama" (様). The difference is simple: you choose based on whether the recipient is an organization or an individual. Onchu is for organizations and groups; sama is for individuals.

Be careful not to use onchu and sama together. Adding both duplicates the honorific and is incorrect. Remember: if the address ends with an organization, use onchu; if it ends with a personal name, use sama.

• Correct: XYZ Corporation Onchu / XYZ Corporation, HR Department Onchu
• Correct: XYZ Corporation, HR Department, Taro Tanaka Sama
• Incorrect: XYZ Corporation Sama (do not add sama to a company name)
• Incorrect: XYZ Corporation Onchu, Taro Tanaka Sama (using onchu and sama together)