1.
an urgent issue; a pressing matter; a top-priority problem
A set phrase used in formal speech, government statements, business reports, and editorials to label a problem that demands immediate attention. It carries weight and seriousness — appropriate for high-stakes policy or organizational matters, not for everyday concerns.
At the press conference, the prime minister stressed that addressing rising prices is a pressing issue for the government.
Composed of 喫緊 ('urgent; pressing') + の課題 ('issue; problem'). 喫緊 alone means 'most urgent,' but it almost always appears in this fixed combination in modern usage.
Usage
- A formal, written-style expression most at home in government statements, business reports, editorials, and academic policy discussions.
- Frequently follows a topic marked by は or にとって: '〜は喫緊の課題だ' ('X is a pressing issue') or '〜にとって喫緊の課題となっている' ('has become a pressing issue for X').
- Avoid in casual conversation. Spoken Japanese would say 急いで解決しなければならない問題 ('a problem that must be solved urgently') or just 大事な問題 ('an important issue').
- Often paired with verbs like 取り組む ('to tackle'), 対応する ('to respond to'), 解決する ('to resolve').
Common collocations
- 喫緊の課題に取り組む: to tackle a pressing issue
- 喫緊の課題となっている: has become a pressing issue
- 喫緊の課題と位置付ける: to position something as a pressing issue
- 喫緊の課題解決: resolution of pressing issues
- 国にとっての喫緊の課題: a pressing issue for the country
Similar words
- 緊急課題: emergency/urgent issue — slightly stronger sense of immediate emergency; common in disaster and crisis contexts.
- 重要課題: an important issue — stresses importance but not necessarily urgency.
- 当面の課題: an immediate/near-term issue — focuses on what must be addressed in the short term, without the heavy 'urgent' connotation.
- 差し迫った問題: a pressing problem — more colloquial alternative; can be used in everyday speech.