Kanri

Kanri (管理) is a Japanese noun meaning management, administration, or governance. It is written with the kanji 管 and 理. The first character 管 conveys control or regulation; the second, 理 conveys logic, order, or arrangement, collectively conveying the sense of organizing and overseeing resources.

In use, kanri denotes the activities involved in planning, organizing, directing, and controlling resources—such as people, information, facilities, and finances—to achieve objectives. It is applied across business, public administration, and institutions. It encompasses policy development, procedures, oversight, and continuous improvement.

Common compounds include 品質管理 (quality management), 在庫管理 (inventory management), 資産管理 (asset management), 生産管理 (production management), 人材管理 (human resource management), 情報管理 (information management), and セキュリティ管理 (security management).

Kanri is related to keiei (経営, business management) but the terms emphasize different aspects: keiei focuses more on strategy, finance, and competitive positioning, whereas kanri emphasizes control, organization, and compliance within a system.

As a general concept, kanri also appears in specialized domains such as IT management (IT 管理), data management (データ管理), risk management (リスク管理), and urban or facility management (都市管理, 施設管理).