I can't figure out when referring to 部, 課 or 局 if we speak of an "organization
of people" or "the place where they perform their job" ?

I have the same problem regarding the word 部局 even when I've checked the
definition:

> ぶ-きょく [1] 【部局】  
>  官庁や企業などの内部で，事務を分担する局・部・課などの総称。

I would like to understand the concrete meaning of those (somehow) abstract
words and what they refer to.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-04T10:47:38.113
97496
2022-12-05T01:12:42.393
2022-12-05T00:19:27.363
30454
54658
question
meaning business-japanese ambiguity
Concrete meaning of 部 , 課 and 局
部局 is, as the definition says, a collective noun referring to divisions in an
organization, so corresponds to plural _divisions, departments_.

As for 部, 課, 局, they are usually divisions/subdivisions hierarchically
organized, depending on the organization.

For example, [Metropolitan Police
Department](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%AD%A6%E8%A6%96%E5%BA%81) has
several 部, under which there are several 課. On the other hand, [Ministry of
Finance](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B2%A1%E5%8B%99%E7%9C%81) has
several 局 and 課 below them. Both 部 and 局 seem to be translated as _bureau_.

I think in most traditional Japanese companies there are 部 and 課, but perhaps
not 局. But again, this just depends.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-12-04T23:26:01.030
97504
2022-12-05T01:12:42.393
2022-12-05T01:12:42.393
45489
45489
97496
answer