Translation guide
In Japanese, the term for a government office depends on the type and scale of the institution. The most common general term is 官公庁 (kankōchō), but more specific words like 役所 (yakusho) for local offices and 省 (shō) for ministries are used in everyday contexts.
The learner wants a broad, neutral term for a government office or public agency.
A formal, general term covering all government and public offices. Commonly used in news and official documents.
I work at a government office.
Commonly refers to local government offices like city halls or ward offices. Often used in daily conversation.
I will submit the documents at the government office tomorrow.
The learner wants to refer to a municipal or local administrative office.
City hall or municipal office. Use for city-level administration.
I'll get a resident certificate at the city hall.
Ward office, found in larger cities divided into wards (e.g., Tokyo).
Town hall, for smaller municipalities (towns). Note the reading やくば instead of やくしょ.
Village office, for rural villages. Less common.
The learner wants to refer to a central government ministry or department.
The learner wants to name a particular office or bureau within a government structure.
役所 (yakusho) is the everyday word for local government offices, while 官公庁 (kankōchō) is a formal, collective term for all government and public offices. Use 役所 when talking about going to a city hall or ward office; use 官公庁 in news or official contexts.
Japanese often uses suffixes like 省 (shō), 庁 (chō), 局 (kyoku), and 署 (sho) to specify the type of government office. Learning these can help you understand and form names of various agencies.
区役所は駅の近くにあります。
The ward office is near the station.
町役場で税金を払いました。
I paid taxes at the town hall.
The village office is very small.
Please check the National Tax Agency's website.
Please go to the police station.