also: よこくし
noun
horizontal skewering; skewer with meat skewered horizontally
Refers to the cooking technique of skewering food horizontally, or the skewer itself used in that manner. Common in yakitori contexts.
焼き鳥屋で横串に刺さった肉を注文した。
At the yakitori shop, I ordered meat skewered on a horizontal skewer.
noun
cross-sector coordination; horizontal integration
Idiomatic business term for linking or coordinating across separate departments, divisions, or organizations. Often used in phrases like 横串を通す (to coordinate horizontally).
プロジェクトの成功には、部門間の横串が必要だ。
Cross-departmental coordination is necessary for the project's success.
彼は組織に横串を通す役割を担
He plays a role in facilitating horizontal integration within the organization.
Refers to vertical skewering, the opposite of 横串 in cooking. In business contexts, 縦串 implies vertical integration or top-down coordination, contrasting with 横串's cross-sectional linkage.
Compound of 横 (horizontal) and 串 (skewer). The business sense is a metaphorical extension of the cooking term, likening cross-departmental coordination to a skewer piercing horizontally through separate pieces.