取締役

• Reading: とりしまりやく
• Romaji: torishimariyaku
• Kanji breakdown: 取 (tori) — take, manage; 締 (shime) — tighten, control; 役 (yaku) — role, duty, position
• Pronunciation: /to.ɾi.ɕi.ma.ɾi.ja.kɯ/

Meaning

Company director; board member. A person elected to the board to oversee company management.

A compound noun from corporate law. 取締役 are elected by shareholders at the 株主総会 (shareholders meeting) and collectively form the 取締役会 (board of directors). Responsible for major business decisions and oversight of management. Common titles include 代表取締役 (representative director), 常務取締役 (managing director), and 社外取締役 (outside director).

Examples

1. 株主総会で新しい取締役が3名選任された。 Three new directors were elected at the shareholders' meeting.
2. 彼女は社外取締役として経営に助言している。 She serves as an outside director and advises on management.
3. 取締役会で来期の事業計画が承認された。 The business plan for next fiscal year was approved at the board meeting.

Usage Guide

Context: corporate law, business, governance

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Japanese: 取り締まる (torishimaru, to manage/supervise) + 役 (yaku, role/position). Literally 'the person in the role of managing and supervising.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Professional