裏方

Reading

Kana: うらかた

Romaji: urakata

Definitions

noun

1

someone working behind-the-scenes; scene shifter

See also: 表方

2

lady consort (to a high personage)

Kanji

裏

Readings: リ、 うら

Meanings: back, amidst, in, reverse, inside, palm, sole, rear, lining, wrong side

方

Readings: ホウ、 かた、 -かた、 -がた

Meanings: direction, person, alternative

Example Sentences

いわゆる裏方(うらかた)仕事(しごと)もたくさんあります。

➥There's also a great deal of so called behind-the-scenes work.

大学出(だいがくで)たての新人(しんじん)は資料(しりょう)を作(つく)ったり、コピーをとったりと裏方(うらかた)仕事(しごと)に徹(てっ)するのだろうと、勝手(かって)に想像(そうぞう)していたのですが見事(みごと)に裏切(うらぎ)られました。

➥I had imagined that the newbies fresh from university would probably be stuck with all the backstage work - collecting reference material, getting copies and such but I couldn't have been proved more wrong.