Your First Week at a Japanese Company
Your first week at a Japanese company is mostly about people: meeting your team, learning who does what, and showing you are keen to learn. You don’t need perfect Japanese for that. A good self-introduction, the right greetings and a notebook will carry you a long way.
Every company is different
A first week at a large, traditional firm can look very different from one at a start-up or a foreign-affiliated company, where English may be common and the atmosphere more casual. What follows describes common patterns, not rules. Your manager, HR team or the colleague looking after you is the best guide to how things work in your workplace. For the bigger picture, see our guide to Japanese workplace culture.
Your self-introduction to the team
On your first morning you may be asked to give a short self-introduction (自己紹介, jiko shōkai) to your team or at a morning meeting. It is usually brief, often under a minute, and is less about impressing people than about being friendly and humble. A simple pattern:
- Greeting and name: 本日からお世話になります、スミスと申します。 (honjitsu kara osewa ni narimasu, Sumisu to mōshimasu, “I’m Smith, joining you from today”).
- Your team or role: 営業部に配属になりました。 (eigyō-bu ni haizoku ni narimashita, “I’ve been assigned to the sales department”).
- A little background: where you are from, your previous work, or a hobby. One or two sentences is plenty.
- A humble closing: ご迷惑をおかけすることもあるかと思いますが、一日も早くお役に立てるよう頑張ります。よろしくお願いいたします。 (“I may cause you some trouble at first, but I’ll work hard to be useful as soon as I can.”) Then a bow.
Practise it out loud until it feels natural. People will remember a warm, clear introduction far more than the grammar.
Greetings through the day
Greetings set the rhythm of the office day. Using them consistently is one of the easiest ways to fit in.
| When | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Arriving | おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu) | Say it clearly to the people around you. |
| Passing colleagues | お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu) | Also the usual opener for chat messages and internal calls. |
| Entering a room | 失礼します (shitsurei shimasu) | For a meeting room or someone’s office. |
| Going out to a client | 行ってまいります (itte mairimasu) | Colleagues may answer 行ってらっしゃい. |
| Coming back | ただいま戻りました (tadaima modorimashita) | Colleagues often answer お疲れ様です or お帰りなさい. |
| Leaving for the day | お先に失礼します (osaki ni shitsurei shimasu) | Others reply お疲れ様でした. |
One phrase to avoid with seniors is ご苦労様です (gokurōsama desu). It is traditionally said by a superior to someone below them, so お疲れ様です is the safe choice with anyone.
Asking questions
Nobody expects you to know everything in week one, and asking is far better than guessing. A few habits make it easier for everyone:
- Check first whether the answer is in a manual or shared folder.
- Pick a good moment and open politely: お忙しいところすみません。〇〇について伺ってもよろしいでしょうか。 (“Sorry to bother you while you’re busy. May I ask about …?”)
- Save up small questions and ask several at once rather than interrupting every few minutes.
- Confirm your understanding: 〜という理解で合っていますか。 (… to iu rikai de atte imasu ka, “Have I understood correctly that …?”)
- Ask who to ask: この件は、どなたに伺えばよろしいでしょうか。
Taking notes
In many Japanese workplaces, new staff are expected to write things down and not to ask the same question twice. Keep a notebook or a notes file open, and it is polite to check first in a meeting with someone more senior: メモを取ってもよろしいでしょうか。 Useful things to record:
- Names and roles, with how to read each name. A simple seating sketch helps.
- In-house words and abbreviations. Every company has its own, and they are rarely in a dictionary.
- Step-by-step procedures, such as expense claims, booking rooms or the phone system.
- Who to report to about what, and how: in person, by email or in chat.
What onboarding usually looks like
Onboarding varies a lot. New graduates who join in spring often go through group training (研修, kenshū) before joining their team. Mid-career hires are more often placed in their team straight away and learn on the job, sometimes called OJT, with a mentor or a nominated colleague to help.
In the first days you can expect paperwork with HR, setting up your computer and accounts, and possibly ordering business cards. The documents and procedures depend on your company and your situation, so follow HR’s instructions and ask if anything is unclear. Many teams also take a new member out to lunch or hold a welcome party; joining is a good way to get to know people.
Prepare with a native tutor
A little practice before day one makes a big difference. A Hanabuddies tutor can help you write and rehearse your self-introduction, practise the greetings and polite questions until they feel natural, and talk through situations that worry you. Lessons are online and focused on conversation, so you can arrive ready to speak.