Giving a Wedding Speech with Japanese Guests: Structure, Words to Avoid and Translation
If you’re giving a speech at a wedding with Japanese guests, you can either give part or all of it in Japanese yourself, or have your English speech translated so Japanese guests can follow. Either way, a Japanese wedding speech follows a familiar shape: congratulations, who you are, a short story about the couple, warm wishes, and a closing. It also avoids certain “unlucky” words linked to separation or repetition. A native speaker can translate or check your speech and coach you to say a few lines in Japanese, which guests always remember. Here’s how to do it.
Who gives speeches at a Japanese wedding
- Guest speeches (祝辞, shukuji) from a boss, a teacher or a close friend.
- The toast (乾杯の挨拶, kanpai no aisatsu), a short speech ending in “kanpai”.
- The groom’s or couple’s thank-you (謝辞, shaji) near the end.
- A family speech from a parent on behalf of both families.
In international weddings, the format is often mixed. What matters is that both sides of the family feel included.
The usual structure
- Congratulations to the couple and both families: ご結婚おめでとうございます.
- Introduce yourself and how you know the couple.
- One short story that shows who they are. Keep it kind, and skip in-jokes guests won’t get.
- Wishes or advice for their life together.
- A closing, often wishing them lasting happiness: 末永くお幸せに (suenagaku oshiawase ni).
Three minutes is a comfortable length. Japanese guests are used to speeches that are warm but not too long.
Words to avoid: imi-kotoba
At weddings, Japanese speakers avoid 忌み言葉 (imi-kotoba), words that suggest separation or ending, and repeated words that suggest something happening again, such as a second marriage. Examples:
- Separation and ending: 切れる (cut), 別れる (part), 離れる (leave), 終わる (end), 壊れる (break).
- Repetition: 重ね重ね, たびたび, 再び.
Even an innocent closing like “finally” becomes 結びに rather than 終わりに. This is exactly the kind of thing a native check catches in a translated speech.
Three ways to handle the language
| Option | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| A few lines in Japanese | Open and close in Japanese, give the rest in English | Beginners; guests love the effort |
| Translated handout or screen | Speak in English while the Japanese text is shown or printed | Long or emotional speeches |
| Fully bilingual | Alternate short parts in each language | Confident speakers with time to practise |
Practising your Japanese lines
- Get the script in kana and romaji, with long vowels marked.
- Listen to a native recording and copy the rhythm, not just the sounds.
- Practise the bow at the start and end, and look at the guests, not the paper.
- Start early. Two or three weeks of short daily practice is enough for a minute of Japanese.
If it’s your own wedding or your partner’s family, see also meeting your Japanese partner’s family and learning Japanese for your partner.
How Hanabuddies can help
We translate wedding speeches between English and Japanese with the right tone and without unlucky words, check speeches you’ve written yourself, and coach you online to deliver your Japanese lines with confidence. We can also interpret live, over video for family conversations before the big day, or in person at the wedding itself (you cover travel expenses). Tell us the date and your role at the wedding, and we’ll suggest what fits.