Tōsha, Jisha and Heisha: Differences and Examples for Japanese Business
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Category: Job Search Preparation & Interview Tips, Work Styles, Job Change
Authors: Shusaku Yosa
当社 (tōsha) neutrally identifies the company making the statement. 自社 (jisha) focuses on a company’s own side in comparisons or operations. 弊社 (heisha) refers humbly to your company when addressing another party. Tōsha can be appropriate in external company information and announcements; choose by purpose and viewpoint, not merely internal versus external audience.
Compare the same factual sentence
The three created examples below keep the factual statement identical: the product is made at a factory in Japan. Only the company reference changes.
Sentence | Effect | Useful context |
|---|---|---|
当社は、この製品を国内工場で製造しています。 | Neutrally identifies the company speaking | Company website or official information |
自社は、この製品を国内工場で製造しています。 | Frames its own company in relation to others | An analysis where the comparison is already clear |
弊社は、この製品を国内工場で製造しています。 | Adds humility toward the recipient | An individual client explanation or email |
Without a comparison context, tōsha may be clearer than jisha in a standalone announcement. Jisha is especially useful in expressions such as 自社製品 (own products), 自社工場 (own factory) and 自社開発 (in-house development). Be careful: “made in Japan” does not establish that a factory is operated by the company. Editing a reference must not change the factual claim.
Use tōsha for a company’s own statement
Tōsha is read とうしゃ. It works when the company explains its activities, policies or information. An external audience does not automatically require replacing it with heisha. For contracts or terms of service, follow the name or defined reference used in that document.
- Company description: 当社は、業務用機器の保守サービスを提供しています。 — “We provide maintenance services for commercial equipment.”
- Public notice: 当社の受付時間は、10月から変更となります。 — “Our contact hours will change in October.”
- Internal policy: 当社では、問い合わせの一次対応を営業部で行います。 — “Our sales department handles initial inquiries.”
These are created examples. The company reference and the politeness of the rest of the sentence are separate choices. Rather than labeling tōsha itself as polite-language grammar, identify who is making the statement and use appropriate endings.
Use jisha for the company’s own resources or a comparison
Jisha is read じしゃ. It is useful when distinguishing a company’s own products, systems or operations from those of others. It can also appear externally, as in an in-house-development description, provided the reference is clear.
Created example | Point | Fact to verify |
|---|---|---|
自社製品と他社製品の保証範囲を比較する | Compare own and other companies’ product warranties | Are the comparison conditions consistent? |
当社は自社工場で部品を製造する | Identify the company and its own factory | Does the company operate the factory, or is production outsourced? |
自社の問い合わせ件数を月別に集計する | Define the company being analyzed | What department, period and count definition are used? |
A社は自社ブランドを展開している | Company A’s own brand | Jisha refers back to A, not necessarily the writer’s company |
The last example shows why viewpoint matters. Jisha can refer to the company that is the subject of a sentence. In a report involving several businesses, replace an ambiguous 自社の対応 with 当社の対応 or A社の対応 if that makes responsibility clear.
Use heisha for a humble reference in correspondence
Heisha is read へいしゃ. The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Guidelines for Honorific Expressions treats it as a humble noun expression. It can suit a client request or apology; it does not mean you are criticizing your company.
Created client request:
弊社からお送りした仕様書について、ご確認をお願いできますでしょうか。変更が必要な箇所がございましたら、該当ページをご連絡いただけますと幸いです。
Meaning: “Could you review the specifications we sent? If changes are needed, please let us know the relevant pages.” Do not repeat heisha in every sentence when the subject is already clear. 資料を添付いたします, “I am attaching the materials,” may be enough.
Choose by purpose and review the facts
Purpose | Possible choice | Check |
|---|---|---|
Official company information | 当社 | Consistent terminology and definitions |
Competitor or outsourcing analysis | 自社 / 当社 | Clear viewpoint and comparable conditions |
Client request or apology | 弊社 or an approved 当社 template | Specific request and suitable sentence endings |
Employment history in an interview | 現職 / 前職 | Current, former and prospective employers stay distinct |
Another company | 御社 / 貴社 for the recipient; name for a third party | Avoid using your-side references |
- Identify the subject and company referred to.
- Decide whether the sentence explains, compares or requests something.
- Follow the document’s defined terms or organization’s style.
- Recheck that a wording change has not invented ownership, manufacturing or other facts.
For an overview, see Heisha, Tōsha and Jisha: How to Refer to Your Company in Japanese (Japanese). References to the recipient are covered in Onsha and Kisha: Addressing Companies and Other Organizations in Japanese (Japanese), and pronunciation in How to Read Kisha (貴社): Meaning and Usage in Japanese Business (Japanese). In an English version of the same document, “we,” “our company,” “in-house” or the company name usually communicates the meaning more naturally than transliterating the Japanese honorific.
Related guides
- Heisha, Tōsha and Jisha: How to Refer to Your Company in Japanese (Japanese)
- Onsha and Kisha: Addressing Companies and Other Organizations in Japanese (Japanese)
- How to Read Kisha (貴社): Meaning and Usage in Japanese Business (Japanese)
Sources and further checks
Public information checked on October 5, 2026. These sources concern Japan; verify the conditions that apply to your case.
The related Otame4 guides linked above are in Japanese.
