経歴

The term 経歴 (けいれき - Keireki) is a fundamental noun in the Japanese language that refers to the accumulated history of an individual's life experiences, specifically focusing on their professional career, educational background, and significant personal achievements. Unlike the broader word for history, rekishi (歴史), which usually pertains to nations or global events, keireki is deeply personal and biographical. It encapsulates the 'path' one has walked through various institutions, roles, and stages of life. In a Japanese societal context, your keireki is often viewed as a testament to your reliability, expertise, and social standing. It is not just a list of jobs; it is the narrative of your growth and the evidence of your contributions to society.

Professional Scope

Includes every position held, from entry-level roles to executive leadership, including freelance work and internships.

Educational Scope

Covers formal schooling, degrees obtained, certifications, and specialized training programs.

Public Perception

Often used in introductions, biographies, and news reports to establish the credibility of a person.

Understanding keireki requires recognizing its weight in formal settings. When a Japanese person asks about your keireki, they are looking for a chronological sequence that explains how you became the professional you are today. It is synonymous with 'track record' or 'background.' In the modern era, this also extends to digital footprints and public profiles like LinkedIn. However, the nuance remains formal; you wouldn't typically use keireki to describe your history of hobbies or casual interests unless they have reached a professional or competitive level of recognition.

The word is composed of two kanji: 経 (kei), meaning 'to pass through' or 'manage,' and 歴 (reki), meaning 'curriculum' or 'passage of time.' Together, they literally mean 'the passage through which one has managed their life.' This etymological root emphasizes the active nature of building a keireki. It is something you navigate and construct over time. In business, a 'clean' keireki (without long unexplained gaps) is highly valued, reflecting the Japanese emphasis on continuity and organizational loyalty.

Usage in Media

Commonly seen in the 'Profile' section of books or the introduction of guest speakers on television.

Legal/Official Use

Used in background checks (keireki chousa) and official government documentation.

Using 経歴 correctly involves understanding its formal register and the specific verbs it typically pairs with. Because it is a kango (Chinese-origin word), it carries a level of gravity suitable for business, academic, and official contexts. You will rarely hear it in casual conversations between friends about what they did last weekend. Instead, it appears when discussing career trajectories, qualifications for a job, or the background of a public figure. The most common verb used with keireki is motsu (持つ - to have), but more specific verbs like tsumu (積む - to accumulate) or shoukai suru (紹介する - to introduce) are also frequent.

Building a Background

Use 'keireki wo tsumu' (経歴を積む) to describe the process of gaining experience over time.

Verifying History

Use 'keireki wo kakunin suru' (経歴を確認する) when checking someone's credentials.

Misrepresenting History

The term 'keireki sashou' (経歴詐称) refers to the serious offense of lying about one's background on a resume or in public.

When introducing yourself in a job interview, you might say, 'Watakushi no keireki ni tsuite gousetsu itashimasu' (I will explain my background). Here, keireki serves as a professional umbrella term for your education and work history. It is also common to see it modified by specific fields, such as shokumu keireki (職務経歴 - work history/job experience) or gakureki (学歴 - educational background). While gakureki is a subset, keireki is the total sum. In written Japanese, particularly in the Rirekisho (Resume), you will see a section specifically labeled 'Work Experience' as shokureki (職歴), which is a shortened, more technical version of shokumu keireki.

Another important aspect is the 'negative' use of the word. Phrases like 'keireki ni kizu ga tsuiku' (経歴に傷がつく - to have a stain on one's career) are used when someone makes a major mistake or is involved in a scandal that might hinder their future prospects. This highlights how keireki is viewed as a permanent record. In the Japanese corporate world, where 'membership' and 'reputation' are paramount, protecting one's keireki is often a primary concern for employees. Therefore, the word carries a sense of weight and long-term consequence.

Common Collocations

'Ihen no keireki' (異変の経歴 - unusual background), 'Karei na keireki' (華麗な経歴 - illustrious career).

You will encounter 経歴 in several specific environments, primarily those related to professional development, media, and legal matters. In the workplace, it is a staple of the hiring process. Human Resources (HR) departments spend their days reviewing keireki. During 'Orientation' or 'Town Hall' meetings, when a new executive is introduced, their keireki will be read aloud to establish their authority and justify their position. This is a key part of Japanese business etiquette—knowing who someone is and where they came from before starting a relationship.

In the media, keireki is used constantly. When a news anchor introduces a guest expert—whether it's a doctor, a lawyer, or a political analyst—they will provide a brief keireki. For example, 'Dr. Tanaka, who has a keireki of researching infectious diseases at the University of Tokyo...' This builds trust with the audience. Similarly, in documentaries or biographies (denki), the narrative is essentially an exploration of the subject's keireki. If a celebrity is involved in a scandal, the news will often contrast their current situation with their 'shining keireki' of the past.

In the legal and administrative world, keireki is a technical term. Police reports, court proceedings, and government applications require a full keireki. For instance, when applying for a specialized visa or a professional license in Japan, you must submit a 'Keirekisho' (a statement of your history). In these contexts, the word is devoid of emotion and serves as a factual record of your movements and activities. Even in the world of sports, a player's keireki (the teams they've played for, their stats over the years) is discussed by commentators to predict their performance in a big game.

Academic Conferences

Speakers are introduced by their research history and published works.

Political Campaigns

Candidates highlight their 'public service keireki' to win votes.

The most frequent mistake learners make with 経歴 is confusing it with related terms like 履歴 (rireki), 歴史 (rekishi), and 過去 (kako). While they all deal with the past, their applications are distinct. Rireki refers to the 'log' or 'record' of something. For example, your 'browsing history' is etsuran rireki, not keireki. Your 'resume' is a rirekisho. You use keireki to talk about the experience itself, whereas rireki is the data of that experience. If you say 'my browsing keireki,' it sounds like your internet history is a professional career, which is nonsensical.

Another mistake is using keireki in a casual context where 過去 (kako) or 経験 (keiken) would be more appropriate. Kako is a general term for 'the past,' and keiken is 'experience' in the sense of having done something once or having a specific skill. For example, if you want to say 'I have experience eating natto,' you use keiken. If you use keireki, it sounds like 'eating natto' is a professional qualification or a major life milestone you would put on a CV. It sounds overly dramatic and slightly humorous.

Keireki vs. Keiken

Keiken is 'doing' (skill/action); Keireki is 'being' (status/history).

Keireki vs. Career

The katakana 'Kyaria' (キャリア) is often used for 'career path' or 'ambition,' while 'keireki' is the factual 'history.'

Finally, watch out for the verb pairings. While you can 'have' (motsu) a keireki, you don't 'do' (suru) a keireki. It is a noun that describes a state or a record. Learners sometimes try to use it as a suru-verb because many kango are suru-verbs, but keireki-suru is incorrect. Instead, use keireki wo tsumu (to build/accumulate a background) or keireki wo tsukuru (to create a background). Also, be careful with keireki sashou (falsifying history); it is a very strong legal term, so don't use it jokingly about small exaggerations in casual talk.

To truly master 経歴, you must understand its neighbors in the Japanese vocabulary. The most important synonym is キャリア (Kyaria). While keireki is a factual history, kyaria often implies a professional trajectory, development, and the 'climbing' of the corporate ladder. A 'career woman' is a kyaria uuman, not a keireki uuman. Kyaria is more modern and often used in the context of self-improvement and future goals, whereas keireki is firmly rooted in what has already happened.

履歴 (Rireki)

Focuses on the record or log. Used for resumes (rirekisho) and computer history.

職歴 (Shokureki)

A specific subset of keireki referring only to employment history.

学歴 (Gakureki)

A specific subset referring only to educational background.

Another interesting related word is 遍歴 (Henreki). This word suggests a 'wandering' or 'pilgrimage' through various places or experiences. While keireki is systematic and professional, henreki is more adventurous or diverse. You might talk about someone's josei-henreki (history with women/dating history) or shugyou-henreki (history of training in different places). It carries a more narrative, almost literary feel compared to the dry, professional tone of keireki.

Lastly, consider 素性 (Sujou). This refers to one's birth, lineage, or true identity. While keireki is about what you have done, sujou is about who you are by birth or origin. In a mystery novel, a character might have a suspicious sujou (identity/origin), but their keireki (work history) might look perfectly normal. Understanding these distinctions allows you to choose the word that precisely fits the context, whether you are writing a formal report or a creative story.

背景 (Haikei)

Means 'background' in a broader sense, including family environment or the context of a situation.