noun
Refers to a person who takes over a role, position, business, or tradition from a predecessor. Often used in formal, business, or historical contexts.
彼は社長の後継者に指名された。
He was named as the successor to the company president.
伝統芸能の後継者を育てることは急務だ。
Training successors for traditional performing arts is an urgent task.
後任 refers to a successor in an official post or job, focusing on the position itself rather than the person's role as a successor.
Compound of 後 (after, later) + 継 (inherit, succeed) + 者 (person). The word follows a standard Sino-Japanese pattern for forming agent nouns.