How to Use \"Onchu\" Correctly: Differences From Sama and Gyo, and Writing It on an Envelope
Published:
Last Updated:
Category: Job Search Preparation & Interview Tips
Published:
Last Updated:
Category: Job Search Preparation & Interview Tips
Authors: Shusaku Yosa
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.
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.
Onchu is used when the recipient is not a specific individual but an organization or group. Typical situations include the following.
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.
If you know the recipient's personal name, use sama, not onchu. As in "XYZ Corporation, HR Department, Taro Tanaka Sama," write the personal name plus sama after the company and department name, and do not add onchu. When the name is unknown and you address it to a "person in charge," "go-tanto-sha sama" (ご担当者様, to the person in charge) is more polite than onchu.
"Gyo" (行) and "ate" (宛) are expressions attached to your own address on reply envelopes and postcards. Because using an honorific for yourself would be rude, the sender writes "gyo" or "ate" modestly in advance. There is no strict distinction between gyo and ate, and either is fine.
Therefore, when you receive a reply envelope and send it back, the manners are to not leave "gyo" or "ate" as is, but to rewrite it into the correct honorific.
If a reply envelope you received has "gyo" or "ate," rewrite it using the following steps.
Note that when "XX-gakari" (〇〇係, XX section) is printed, you do not need to cross out "gakari." Since "gakari" refers to an organization, you can simply add "onchu" after it to make "XX-gakari Onchu."
Other honorifics used in addresses, like onchu, include "kakui" (各位) and "dono" (殿). Each plays a different role.
"Kakui-sama" (各位様), adding sama to kakui, is a duplicated honorific and is incorrect. However, "o-kyaku-sama kakui" (お客様各位) is a customary, established exception.
When writing onchu on an envelope, add it after the company or department name with a small space. Place it below the address for vertical writing, and to the right of the address for horizontal writing.
What people stumble on with onchu is duplicating honorifics or misusing the distinctions. Watch out for the following patterns.
In job hunting and career changes, there are many occasions to use onchu. When mailing a resume or CV to a company, address the envelope as "XYZ Corporation, Recruiting Person in Charge Sama" or "XYZ Corporation, HR Department Onchu." Remember: use sama if the person in charge's name is listed in the job posting, and department name plus onchu if it is unknown.
Also, when a reply envelope is enclosed by the company, cross out "gyo" or "ate" with a double line and rewrite it as "onchu" before returning it. It is a small detail, but whether you can use honorifics correctly is seen as a basic of business manners.
Onchu is an honorific used to address organizations and groups such as companies and departments, and "XX Onchu" means "to everyone at XX." Use it distinctly from "sama," which is for individuals, and as a basic rule do not use the two together. When you receive a reply envelope, cross out "gyo" or "ate" with a double line and rewrite it as onchu for an organization or sama for an individual.
Address honorifics are expressions that working professionals use often, in job-hunting and career-change application documents and in daily work. Knowing the differences among onchu, sama, and gyo lets you avoid hesitation when it matters and leave a good impression. Make it a habit to check the address once more before you send.
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