Today’s Business Japanese is “Habatsu (faction)”.

”Habatsu” is often used in politics, but is also used in business world. 

Especially, in the old type of companies the people tend to form “Habatsu” such as “Shachou-ha (President faction)” and “Fuku-shachou-ha (Vice president faction)”.

People polish the apple　(“Goma o suru”) to the top of his faction and drag down (“Ashi o hipparu”) the other faction.

We should do our job for the market, not for our boss.

For your reference, we have “Gakubatsu (academic clique)” in addition to “Habatsu”.

Everyone wants to climb up the corporate ladder by using any connection.

Today’s Business Japanese is “Hiya-meshi o kuu”, literally meaning “To eat cold rice”.

This word originally comes from “Cold rice at prison” and actually means “to be treated badly at company” or “to be demoted”.

Several years ago the LDP politician, Taro Kono, said that I will do “Zoukin-gake (To clean-up the room)” after losing at prime minister election.

“Zoukin-gake” is similar word with “Hiya-meshi o kuu”, but have positive nuance because he mean that he will start from the beginning.

Today’s Business Japanese is “Kata-tataki”.  It literally means “Hitting employee’s shoulder”

In fact, managers silently hit employees’ shoulder from the back, call the meeting room, and do the retirement advice.

Recently, “Kata-tataki” is widely done in the giant IT firms in the USA.

In Japan “Kata-tataki” was done at hotel industry and restaurant industry during Corona period.

And not enough employees have come back even after Corona finished.  Therefore, hotels and restaurants can not accept all customers because of not enough employees.

Companies have to increase the severance pay or take care of reemployment in case of “Kata-tataki”.  Otherwise, there is a chance to be sued by the employees.  “Kata-tataki” has to done softly like grandchildren do “Kata-tataki” to their grandmother.

Today’s Business Japanese is “Sode no Shita”.

It is literally “Under the sleeves”, meaning “Bribes”or  “Under the table”

In the past Japanese people wore Kimono and hide Bribery under the Kimono sleeves.

The other day some companies’ top management were arrested because they passed bribery to the Tokyo Olympic committee chairman.

It is clearly the worst end of life after climbing up the corporate ladder.