noun
secretariat councillor; assistant vice-minister; deputy director-general
A senior official title in Japanese government ministries and agencies, typically ranking just below vice-minister. The exact English equivalent varies by organization.
彼は今年、官房審議官に就任した。
He was appointed as a secretariat councillor this year.
官房審議官は省内の重要な政策調整を担当する。
The assistant vice-minister is responsible for important policy coordination within the ministry.
Compound of 官房 (secretariat) + 審議官 (councillor). A modern bureaucratic title with no special historical derivation.