ブラック企業

• Reading: ブラックきぎょう
• Romaji: burakku kigyou
• Kanji breakdown: ブラック (from English 'black,' implying dark/evil) + 企 (plan/enterprise) + 業 (business/industry) → exploitative company
• Pronunciation: /bu.ɾa.kku ki.ɡjoː/

Meaning

An exploitative company that overworks employees, pays poorly, or has abusive management — a 'black company' or sweatshop employer.

ブラック企業 is a widely recognized term in Japan for companies with toxic work environments: excessive unpaid overtime (サービス残業), power harassment (パワハラ), poor pay, high turnover, and disregard for labour laws. The term gained mainstream recognition in the 2010s and there is even an annual ブラック企業大賞 (Black Company Award) that names and shames the worst offenders. Awareness of ブラック企業 has become an important part of Japanese job-hunting culture, with websites like OpenWork and 転職会議 providing insider reviews.

Examples

1. 残業月100時間って完全にブラック企業じゃん。 A hundred hours of overtime a month? That's totally a black company.
2. ブラック企業の口コミ見てから応募するようにしてる。 I make sure to check the reviews for black companies before applying anywhere.
3. 前の会社ブラック企業すぎて体壊したわ。 My last company was such a black company that it wrecked my health.

Usage Guide

Context: work discussion, job hunting, social media, news

Tone: critical, cautionary

Do Say

• あの会社ブラック企業って有名だよ。 (That company is famous for being a black company.)
• ブラック企業には絶対入りたくない。 (I absolutely don't want to work at a black company.)

Don't Say

• 自分の会社を社外で「ブラック企業」と公言する (Be careful publicly calling your own company a ブラック企業 — it could have professional consequences)

Common Mistakes

• Thinking ブラック企業 is just slang — it is a recognized social concept discussed seriously in media and policy
• Not knowing the antonym ホワイト企業 (white company, a good employer)

Origin & History

Coined in the 2000s using 'black' (ブラック) as a metaphor for darkness/evil + 企業 (company). The term gained widespread recognition in the 2010s as exploitative labour practices became a major social issue in Japan.

Cultural Context

Era: 2000s coinage, mainstream recognition from 2010s

Generation: All working adults

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across Japan. The annual ブラック企業大賞 (Black Company Award) has brought attention to the worst offenders since 2012.