Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
商社 (shousha) Japanese meaning: trading company | Kotomora
Report an issue with this page
He works for a major trading company.
We import raw materials from overseas through a trading company.
Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 が 商しょう 社しゃ に 入はい る for someone to join a trading company (as an employee)
After graduating from university, he joined a major trading company.
商しょう 社しゃ で 働はたら く to work at a trading company
My older sister works at a trading company in Tokyo.
商しょう 社しゃ を 経けい 営えい する to run/manage a trading company
His father runs a small trading company.
Kanji 商 make a deal, selling, dealing in Related words 貿易会社 emphasizes cross-border import/export business specifically, while 商社 is the broader term covering both domestic and international trading firms.
商社 usually refers to a large general trading company (総合商社), whereas 商会 tends to sound smaller, more traditional, and is typically embedded in a business's proper name.
商社 is the general term for a trading company, whereas コングロマーチャント specifically denotes a large, diversified trading conglomerate.
Don't confuse with 商社 is a trading company that buys and sells goods on a corporate scale, whereas 商店 is a small retail shop selling directly to consumers.
商事 means commercial affairs or business matters, while 商社 specifically means a trading company; the two sound alike and both often appear in company names, causing confusion.
Word family trading company employee
general trading company
Etymology Compound of 商 (commerce, trade) and 社 (company, firm). The term has been used since the Meiji era to refer to companies engaged in trade.
