1.
main contractor; prime contractor
The company or person who receives a contract directly from the client and takes primary responsibility for a project. May subcontract portions of the work to other companies.
A compound of 元 (origin, source) and 請け (receiving, contracting). Refers to the company at the top of the contracting chain that receives work directly from the client. Central to understanding Japanese business structure, especially in construction and IT.
Common collocations
- 元請け会社: main contracting company
- 元請け業者: prime contractor
- 元請けを務める: to serve as the main contractor
- 元請け責任: main contractor's responsibility
Contracting hierarchy
Japanese business often involves multi-layered contracting:
- 元請け: main contractor (receives from client)
- 下請け: subcontractor (receives from main contractor)
- 孫請け: sub-subcontractor (receives from subcontractor)