本社 and 支社: headquarters and regional branches
Trace a headquarters meeting, a branch report, future work in Osaka, and representatives gathering at the head office. Identify the organizational relationship and preserve 支店 in the report example.
A meeting at headquarters and a report sent there
本社 (ほんしゃ) means head office or headquarters. 「来週、本社で新しい計画の説明会が開かれる。」 means “An informational meeting about the new plan will be held at headquarters next week.” Headquarters is the venue for the planned meeting, and next week gives its timing.
「地方の支店から本社へ報告書を送った。」 means “The regional branch sent a report to the head office.” The report went from a regional 支店 to the head office. This sentence uses 支店, a label that differs from 支社 in the other examples.
Regional work and representatives gathering
支社 (ししゃ) means branch office. 「来月から大阪の支社で働くことになった。」 means “I will begin working at the Osaka branch next month.” The Osaka branch is the future workplace, and next month is the starting time. The location and planned work timing appear together.
「各支社の担当者が本社に集まった。」 means “Representatives from each branch office gathered at headquarters.” The people gathering are representatives from each branch office, and headquarters is where they gather. This expresses a relationship among offices within a company.
Read office relationships separately from movement
本社 and 支社 identify headquarters and regional branches. Gathering in one place does not replace that organizational relationship with a claim about separate companies. The examples do not specify office sizes or distances.
A future meeting at headquarters and a completed gathering there can share a location while differing in action and timing. Retain 支店 in the report sentence and 支社 in the branch-work and gathering sentences.
What organizational relationship and movement are expressed when representatives from each 支社 gather at 本社?
Show the answer and why
Representatives from each branch office gathered at headquarters. This identifies their branch affiliation and headquarters as the gathering place. The sentence concerns offices within a company, not a fixed contrast of large and small offices or separate companies. The report example separately retains its label 支店.