Quick Reference

Meaning & Definition

Shikai (司会) refers to the person who presides over a meeting, ceremony, or event — the MC or moderator. In Japan, where formal gatherings follow precise structured programs, the shikai-sha (司会者) role carries real responsibility and specific verbal protocols.

Shikai (司会) means the role of presiding over a formal event — opening the proceedings, introducing speakers, managing the program flow, and formally closing the event. The person who does this is the shikai-sha (司会者, MC/moderator). In Japanese corporate culture, someone selected to be shikai for a company party or ceremony is expected to use specific formal phrases: tadaima yori kaikai itashimasu (ただいまより開会いたします, ‘We will now begin’) to open, and ijo wo motte heikai to itashimasu (以上をもちまして閉会といたします, ‘We will now close the proceedings’). The verb form shikai suru (司会する) means ‘to MC’ or ‘to moderate.’

How to Use It

In Japan, being asked to serve as shikai-sha for a company event is both an honor and a source of anxiety — the role requires memorizing formal opening and closing phrases and keeping the program running on time. There are published guidebooks for shikai manner (司会マナー) that list appropriate phrases for every type of event. For learners, knowing the pair kaikai (開会, opening a meeting) and heikai (閉会, closing a meeting) alongside shikai covers the vocabulary of formal Japanese gatherings.

Kanji Breakdown

司会 uses 司 (shi — to manage, to administer, to govern) and 会 (kai — meeting, gathering, assembly). Together: ‘to govern the meeting’ — a compound that precisely captures the role of directing an event’s proceedings from a position of authority.

Example Sentences

Cultural Context

The shikai-sha role in Japanese formal events is more scripted than its Western equivalent. Japanese ceremonies — company parties, graduation ceremonies, wedding receptions, funerals — follow precise programs (shinkou hyou, 進行表) that are prepared in advance and distributed to the shikai-sha. Deviating from the script or allowing awkward silences is considered a failure of the role. The shikai-sha is expected to be poised, articulate, and time-precise — skills that are explicitly trained in Japanese public speaking courses (speech hisshu jyugyou).

At wedding receptions (kekkon披露宴), the shikai-sha role is often delegated to a professional MC (purofessional shikai-sha) or a trusted senior colleague. The wedding MC must introduce each speaker, manage the emotional arc of the event (from formal toasts to emotional speeches to games and entertainment), and conclude gracefully. Wedding MC manuals are a significant publishing category in Japan, and ‘how to be a good wedding MC’ is a commonly searched topic — reflecting how seriously Japanese people take the formality and smoothness of ceremonial events.

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