A Complete Guide to Onsha vs. Kisha: Never Mix Them Up Again! (with Quick Reference)

How do you refer to “your company” in a Japanese business setting?

Most people have heard the terms “Onsha” and “Kisha,” but do you actually know the difference between them?

Using these terms incorrectly might leave a negative impression, making others think, “This person doesn’t quite understand business etiquette.”

To avoid such pitfalls, this guide will walk you through the correct ways to address various companies and organizations.

【This article is for those who:】

Seek to master Japanese business honorifics.
Need a clear comparison of Onsha vs. Kisha.
Want to distinguish between spoken and written Japanese.

＼Japanese business etiquette／
「日本で働くためのビジネス基礎講座きそこうざ」

Contents

The Rules for Kisha and Onsha
1. Why the distinction?
  - Clarity when listening
  - Visual Elegance
It’s not always “Kisha”!
1. “Kikou” vs. “Kikou”
2. When in doubt, use this!
Watch out for Double Honorifics!
Time for a Quick Quiz!
Conclusion

The Rules for Kisha and Onsha

While both mean “your company” in English, Japanese uses different terms depending on whether you are writing or speaking.

貴社きしゃ	書き言葉 (Written Japanese)	メール、手紙、履歴書りれきしょ、企画書きかくしょなど。
御社おんしゃ	話し言葉 (Spoken Japanese)	面接めんせつ、電話でんわ、会議かいぎ、打ち合わせなど。

Why the distinction?

You might wonder, “If they both mean ‘your company,’ why do we need two different terms?”

The reason lies in the balance between sound (audio) and characters (visuals).

Clarity when listening

Japanese has many homophones—words that sound the same but have different meanings.

“Kisha” is a prime example. When you say “Kisha” out loud, it can be interpreted in several different ways.

記者 (Journalist)
汽車 (Steam train)
帰社 (Returning to the office)
貴社 (Your company)

If someone says “Kisha” in a conversation, there’s a chance the listener might be momentarily confused about which “Kisha” is being referred to.

On the other hand, the sound “Onsha” has almost no homophones (words that sound the same).

This makes it much easier for the listener to instantly understand: “Oh, they are talking about my company.”

That is why “Onsha” is the standard choice for spoken communication.

Visual Elegance

In written communication, such as emails or letters, the meaning and visual image of the Kanji characters become essential.

The Kanji “Ki (貴)” used in “Kisha” carries meanings such as:

Precious / Noble / High-value

When someone opens an email and sees the word “Kisha,” they feel that their company is being treated with respect.

In Japanese business communication, the visual impression of characters is highly valued; therefore, “Kisha” is the preferred term for writing.

It’s not always “Kisha”!

As the characters in “Kisha (貴社)” literally mean “your company,” this term is strictly for private corporations.

Therefore, if you are contacting a hospital or a school, using “Kisha” would be incorrect.

組織そしきの種類しゅるい(Type of Organization)	書き言葉（メール等）	話し言葉（面接等）
会社(Company / Business)	貴社（きしゃ）	御社（おんしゃ）
病院・クリニック(Hospital / Clinic)	貴院（きいん）	御院（おいん）
学校・学校法人ほうじん(School / Academy)	貴校（きこう）	御校（おんこう）
銀行・信用金庫しんようきんこ(Bank / Credit Union)	貴行（きこう）	御行（おんこう）
市区町村・役所(Government Office)	貴所（きしょ）貴自治体（きじちたい）	御所（おんしょ）御庁（おんちょう）
協会・財団法人ざいだんほうじん(Association / Foundation)	貴会（きかい）貴財団（きざいだん）	御会（おんかい）御財団（おんざいだん）
組合(Union / Cooperative)	貴組合（きくみあい）	御組合（おんくみあい）
店舗ぽ(Shop / Store)	貴店（きてん）	御店（おてん）

“Kikou” vs. “Kikou”

Although they use different Kanji, both are pronounced exactly the same: “Kikou.”

Schools = 貴校 (Kikou)
Banks = 貴行 (Kikou)

Be extra careful not to use the wrong Kanji.

When in doubt, use this!

If you’re unsure which term to use in writing or speaking, you don’t have to force yourself to use “Ki-” or “On-” prefixes.

You can use the following alternatives instead:

「〇〇様（組織名そしきめい＋様）」

例：日本ABC協会きょうかい様 / ニッポン株式会社様

Watch out for Double Honorifics!

In an effort to be extra polite, people sometimes stack honorifics on top of each other. This is known as “Niju-Keigo” (Double Honorifics).

“Kisha-sama” or “Onsha-sama” is a NO.

Never write or say “Kisha-sama” or “Onsha-sama.”

The terms “Kisha” and “Onsha” already contain high levels of respect. Adding “-sama” to them would be like saying “The Honorable Mr. Company“—it’s overkill and sounds unnatural.

Why is this a common mistake?

If you feel tempted to use “Kisha-sama,” it’s likely for two reasons:

The fear of being rude: In Japanese, omitting “-sama” or “-san” after a person’s name is considered rude (Yobisute). This makes learners feel that they must attach “-sama” to everything to be safe.
Confusion with “Okyaku-sama”: Since the word for “customer” is “Okyaku-sama,” it’s easy to assume that a company (Kisha) should also have a “-sama.”

However, “Kisha” on its own is already a complete sign of respect for the entire organization. No further suffix is needed.

Proper usage of “-sama”

When you do need to use “-sama” with a company or department name, follow these rules:

《Company Name》

ABC株式会社様

《Departments and Individuals》

貴社営業部御中（To Sales Dept. of Your Company） (※We do not write “Sales Dept. Sama”)

貴社採用担当者様（To the Recruitment Manager of Your Company）

“Kisha” does not need “-sama,” but a specific company name does.

Time for a Quick Quiz!

Now that we’ve covered how to use Kisha and Onsha, let’s put your knowledge to the test with a quick challenge!

①あなたは、就職しゅうしょくを希望きぼうしている病院の採用担当者さいようたんとうしゃにメールを送ります。

You are sending an email to the recruitment manager of a hospital you wish to work for.

「（　　　）の理念りねんに深く共感きょうかんし、応募おうぼいたしました。」

I applied because I deeply resonate with (　 )’s philosophy.

御社（おんしゃ）
貴院（きいん）
貴校（きこう）

②あなたは、銀行の面接を受けています。面接官めんせつかんに対たいして話します。

You are in an interview at a bank. You are speaking directly to the interviewer.

「（　　　）の地域貢献活動ちいいきこうけんかつどうに魅力みりょくを感じております。」

I am very impressed by (　 )’s community outreach programs.

貴行（きこう）
貴社（きしゃ）
御行（おんこう）

③あなたは、ある会社に発注依頼はっちゅういらいのあった商品についてのメールを送ります。

You are sending an email regarding a product order request received from a certain company.

「先日せんじつ（　　　）から発注依頼はっちゅういらいのあった商品について伺うかがいたいことがございます。」

I have a few questions regarding the product order requested by (　 ) the other day.

貴店（きてん）
貴社（きしゃ）
貴所（きしょ）

① 2. 貴院（きいん）

Reason: Since you are addressing a hospital via email (written form), the correct answer is “Ki-in” (貴院), which uses the “Ki-” prefix.

②3. 御行（おんこう）

Reason: Since you are addressing a bank in an interview (spoken form), the correct answer is “On-kou” (御行), which uses the “On-” prefix. It is pronounced as “On-koh.”

③ ２．貴社（きしゃ）

Reason: Since you are addressing a company via email (written form), you should use “Kisha” (貴社).

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve covered the differences between Kisha and Onsha, as well as how to address various types of organizations.

To wrap up, let’s review the key points we learned today:

“Ki” for writing, “On” for speaking.
For organizations other than companies (such as hospitals or schools), use the appropriate Kanji, such as In (院) or Kou (校).
Avoid double honorifics: Never use redundant phrases like “Kisha-sama.“

While Japanese etiquette has many rules, the most important thing is your spirit of respect for the other person.

Even if you feel unsure at times, having these rules in your toolkit will give you the confidence to communicate effectively.

Master these forms of address and take your career and business in Japan to the next level!

To help you overcome these challenges, mailun-lab offers specialized learning materials for Japanese business email writing.