How to Reply to Japanese Customer Reviews: Structure and Phrases

The best way to reply to a Japanese customer review is politely, promptly and in Japanese: thank the customer first, apologise sincerely for any problem without making excuses, explain briefly what you will do, and close with a set phrase inviting them back. Japanese customers and readers notice the tone of a business’s replies, and a calm, respectful answer to a critical review often impresses future customers more than the review itself puts them off.

The structure of a good reply

Thanks: この度はご利用いただき、誠にありがとうございます。
Acknowledge the specific point they raised, good or bad.
Apologise if needed: ご不便をおかけし、大変申し訳ございませんでした。
What you’ll do, briefly and concretely.
Closing: またのご利用を心よりお待ちしております。

Replying to positive reviews

Thank them warmly and mention something specific from their review, so it doesn’t look like a template: スタッフの対応をお褒めいただき、大変うれしく思います。 (We’re delighted you were pleased with our staff.) Keep it short.

Replying to negative reviews

Don’t argue or blame the customer, even if they’re partly wrong. Thank them for the feedback.
Apologise for their experience, and explain facts gently if needed.
Move details to a private channel: 詳しいお話をお伺いできれば幸いです。
Avoid casual language, emoji and exclamation marks.

For levels of apology in Japanese, see thank you and sorry in Japanese.

Where Japanese customers leave reviews

Depending on your business, that may be Google Maps, travel and booking sites, app stores, Amazon Japan or Rakuten, and restaurant sites. Each has its own tone, but the polite structure above works everywhere. See product listings for Japan and app store listings for Japan.

Reading reviews in Japanese

Japanese reviews are often indirect: a two-star review may sound polite but still be a serious complaint. Phrases like 少し気になりました (it bothered me a little) usually point to a real problem. Machine translation can miss this nuance; see machine translation for Japanese.

Build a set of reply templates

A small library of reviewed Japanese templates for common situations (thanks, delay, product fault, staff praise) lets your team reply quickly and consistently. Adapt each one with a specific detail before posting. Our guide to customer support for Japanese customers covers support emails too.

How Hanabuddies can help

We translate Japanese reviews so you understand the real message, write natural Japanese replies, and build a set of reply templates for your team. A native tutor can also train staff who reply to Japanese customers regularly.