中小企業(ちゅうしょうきぎょう)

ちゅうしょうきぎょう
noun
small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
writtenspokenbusinesseconomics
1. small and medium-sized enterprise; SME
A company classified as small or medium in scale based on the number of employees and capital, as defined by Japan's Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Basic Act. In Japan, over 99% of all companies fall into this category, making the term extremely common in economic and business discussions.
中小企業(ちゅうしょうきぎょう)を支援(しえん)する。
To support small and medium-sized enterprises.
日本(にほん)の会社(かいしゃ)の大半(たいはん)は中小企業(ちゅうしょうきぎょう)だ。
The majority of companies in Japan are SMEs.
中小企業(ちゅうしょうきぎょう)の経営者(けいえいしゃ)は人手不足(ひとでぶそく)に悩(なや)んでいる。
Managers of small and medium-sized enterprises are struggling with labor shortages.

One of the most frequently used economic terms in Japan. 中小企業(ちゅうしょうきぎょう) encompasses both 中(ちゅう)企業(きぎょう) (medium enterprises) and 小(しょう)企業(きぎょう) (small enterprises), with exact thresholds varying by industry. Since over 99% of Japanese businesses qualify as SMEs and they employ around 70% of the workforce, this term appears constantly in news, policy discussions, and business contexts.

Common collocations

  • 中小企業(ちゅうしょうきぎょう)支援(しえん): SME support
  • 中小企業(ちゅうしょうきぎょう)経営(けいえい): SME management
  • 中小企業(ちゅうしょうきぎょう)向(む)け: aimed at SMEs
  • 中小企業(ちゅうしょうきぎょう)庁(ちょう): Small and Medium Enterprise Agency
  • 中小企業(ちゅうしょうきぎょう)診断士(しんだんし): SME management consultant (national certification)

Similar words

  • 大企業(だいきぎょう): large enterprise — the counterpart term for big corporations
  • 零細企業(れいさいきぎょう): micro-enterprise — even smaller than 小企業(しょうきぎょう), typically family-run businesses with very few employees
  • ベンチャー企業(べんちゃーきぎょう): venture company — a startup, which may be small but carries a connotation of innovation and growth potential rather than established small business

Related Words

Compare: 大企業(だいきぎょう) (large enterprise)
Compare: 零細企業(れいさいきぎょう) (micro-enterprise)
Compare: 新興企業(しんこうきぎょう) (startup)
Compare: 地元企業(じもときぎょう) (local company)
general
Added 2026.4.18 4:26 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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