How to write a business email in Japanese
Japanese business emails follow a fixed structure, and readers notice when a part is missing. Once you know the six parts and a handful of set phrases, most everyday emails almost write themselves.
The six parts of a business email
- Addressee (宛名, atena). The company name, department and the person’s name with 様 (sama), each on its own line: 株式会社〇〇 営業部 山田様. Write the company name in full, not as (株). If you are writing to a department rather than a person, use 御中 (onchū) instead of 様.
- Opening greeting. To someone outside your company, start with いつもお世話になっております。 (itsumo osewa ni natte orimasu). For a first contact, use 初めてご連絡いたします。 (hajimete gorenraku itashimasu) instead. Inside your company, お疲れ様です。 (otsukaresama desu) is usual.
- Introducing yourself (名乗り, nanori). Your company and name: 〇〇株式会社のスミスです。 Keep it to one line.
- Main text (本文, honbun). Say why you are writing first, then the details. A short lead-in such as 〇〇の件でご連絡いたしました。 (I’m writing about …) helps.
- Closing (結び, musubi). Almost every email ends with よろしくお願いいたします。 or, more formally, 何卒よろしくお願い申し上げます。 (nanitozo yoroshiku onegai mōshiagemasu).
- Signature (署名, shomei). Your name, company, department, phone number and email address, often between simple divider lines.
The subject line matters too. Make it specific, such as 【ご確認のお願い】5月10日打ち合わせ資料 (Request for review: materials for the 10 May meeting). When replying, keep the original subject so the thread stays together.
Set phrases worth learning
| Japanese | Say it | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 添付の資料をご確認ください。 | tenpu no shiryō o gokakunin kudasai | Please see the attached document. |
| ご確認いただけますでしょうか。 | gokakunin itadakemasu deshō ka | A softer way to ask someone to check something. |
| お手数をおかけしますが、 | otesū o okake shimasu ga | Before a request that takes the reader’s time: “Sorry for the trouble, but…” |
| ご返信いただけますと幸いです。 | gohenshin itadakemasu to saiwai desu | I would be grateful for a reply. |
| ご不明な点がございましたら、お知らせください。 | gofumei na ten ga gozaimashitara, oshirase kudasai | Please let me know if anything is unclear. |
| ご連絡が遅くなり、申し訳ございません。 | gorenraku ga osoku nari, mōshiwake gozaimasen | Sorry for the late reply. Put it right after your name. |
A short example
Here is a simple email asking a client to check a document. Notice the line breaks: Japanese business emails use short lines and a blank line between each part.
株式会社さくら商事
営業部 山田様
いつもお世話になっております。
ABCテクノロジーのスミスです。
5月10日の打ち合わせ資料をお送りいたします。
お手数をおかけしますが、5月8日（金）までにご確認いただけますでしょうか。
ご不明な点がございましたら、お知らせください。
何卒よろしくお願い申し上げます。
――――――――――
ABCテクノロジー株式会社
営業部 ジョン・スミス
電話：03-XXXX-XXXX
メール：smith@example.com
――――――――――
In English, roughly: “Thank you for your continued support. This is Smith from ABC Technology. I’m sending the materials for the meeting on 10 May. Sorry for the trouble, but could you check them by Friday 8 May? Please let me know if anything is unclear. Thank you very much.”
Common mistakes
- Using 様 and 御中 together. Use one: 御中 for a company or department, 様 for a person.
- Getting names wrong. Check the kanji of the person’s name and the exact company name, including whether 株式会社 comes before or after it. A wrong name is the error people notice most.
- Writing 御社 in an email. 御社 (onsha) is for speaking. In writing, “your company” is 貴社 (kisha).
- Using first names. Use the family name with 様, even if the person signs with their first name in English.
- One long block of text. Break lines at natural pauses and leave blank lines between parts. Long, unbroken paragraphs are hard to read on screen.
- Skipping the opening greeting because it feels empty. To a Japanese reader, going straight to the request can feel abrupt.
- Exclamation marks and emoji. Keep them out of business email unless the other person uses them first.
Get feedback on real emails
Templates help, but every email has its own situation: a polite refusal, a reminder, an apology. Writing real emails and having a native speaker check the tone and keigo is the quickest way to build confidence. A Hanabuddies tutor can work through emails from your own job with you, and our team can also translate important messages between Japanese and English.