裏うら方かた

う

ら

か

た

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

behind-the-scenes worker; backstage crew; offstage support

Refers to people who work out of sight to support a performance, event, or organization. Often contrasted with 表方 (front-stage/visible roles).

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が裏うら方かたに回まわるfor someone to take on a behind-the-scenes role
彼かれは主しゅ役やくを辞やめて裏うら方かたに回まわることにした。
He quit the lead role and decided to move to a behind-the-scenes position.
裏うら方かたを務つとめるto serve in a behind-the-scenes support role
彼かの女じょは長なが年ねん、劇げき団だんの裏うら方かたを務つとめてきた。
She has served as backstage support for the theater troupe for many years.
裏うら方かたとして働はたらくto work as behind-the-scenes staff
彼かれは音おん楽がく祭さいの裏うら方かたとして働はたらいている。
He works as behind-the-scenes staff for the music festival.

Kanji

裏back, amidst, in
方direction, person, alternative

Related words

ほくろN1sense 1
黒子 is specifically a stagehand dressed in black in traditional Japanese theater, while 裏方 covers any kind of offstage support role more broadly.
側そく室しつ sense 2
側室 specifically means a formally recognized concubine of a lord, while 裏方 in this old sense is a broader, less formal term for a woman serving a noble privately.

Opposites

表おもて方かた sense 1
裏方 refers to unseen support staff, while 表方 refers to the staff who appear in front of the audience or customers.
正せい妻さい sense 2
正妻 is the legal wife, the opposite of 裏方 in its old sense of a concubine or secondary consort.

Don't confuse with

舞ぶ台たい裏うら
裏方 refers to the person working behind the scenes (like a stagehand), while 舞台裏 refers to the place or hidden process itself, not the person.

Built from

裏うら+方かた

Etymology

Compound of 裏 (behind, back) and 方 (person, role). The historical sense 'lady consort' derives from the idea of a woman serving in the private, inner quarters of a noble household.