市長

• Reading: しちょう
• Romaji: shichou
• Kanji breakdown: 市 (shi) — city, market; 長 (chou) — chief, head, leader
• Pronunciation: /ɕi.tɕoː/

Meaning

Mayor; the elected head of a city government.

A noun referring to the chief executive of a city (市). Japan has a strong mayoral system where the 市長 is directly elected by citizens. Related terms include 町長 (town mayor) and 村長 (village chief) for smaller municipalities.

Examples

1. 市長が公園の開会式であいさつをした。 The mayor gave a speech at the park's opening ceremony.
2. 新しい市長は交通問題の解決を約束した。 The new mayor promised to solve the traffic problem.
3. 市長に手紙を書いて意見を伝えた。 I wrote a letter to the mayor to share my opinion.

Usage Guide

Context: local government, news, civic life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 市 (city, market) and 長 (chief, head, leader). Together they mean the chief or head of a city.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal