How to Write Meeting Minutes (Gijiroku) in Japanese
Japanese meeting minutes (議事録, gijiroku) follow a fixed format: date and time, place, attendees, agenda, a summary of discussion, decisions (決定事項), action items with owner and deadline (ToDo or 今後の対応), and the next meeting. Write in short bullet points, often ending in a noun or the plain である style rather than です・ます, and focus on what was decided, not who said what. Send them the same day if you can, and ask attendees to point out corrections.
The standard format
| Section | Japanese | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| Title | 件名 | Meeting name and date, e.g. ○○プロジェクト定例会議 議事録 |
| Date and time | 日時 | 2026年11月5日（木）10:00〜11:00 |
| Place | 場所 | Room name, or オンライン |
| Attendees | 出席者 | By company, then seniority, with （敬称略） to omit honorifics |
| Agenda | 議題 | Numbered items |
| Discussion | 内容 | Short points under each agenda item |
| Decisions | 決定事項 | What was agreed |
| Action items | 今後の対応 / ToDo | Task, owner (担当), deadline (期限) |
| Next meeting | 次回 | Date and topics |
A short example
■ 決定事項
・新サイトの公開日は12月1日とする。
・英語版は第2段階で対応。
■ 今後の対応
・デザイン案の修正（担当：田中、期限：11/12）
・英語版の見積もり取得（担当：スミス、期限：11/15）
■ 次回
11月19日（木）10:00〜 進捗確認
Style and useful phrases
- Be concise. Use bullets and noun endings: 公開日を決定。 rather than full sentences.
- Plain style. 〜とする (“will be”), 〜で合意 (“agreed on”), 〜を検討 (“to consider”) and 〜は継続審議 (“to be discussed further”) are standard.
- Mark open questions. 要確認 (“needs checking”) and 保留 (“on hold”).
- Stay neutral. Summarise views (〜との意見があった) rather than quoting people word for word, unless your team prefers it.
- Use names consistently. Write surnames only in the body once the attendee list gives full names.
Sending the minutes
Send them by email or chat soon after the meeting with a short note such as 本日の会議の議事録をお送りします。修正点がございましたら、○日までにご連絡ください。 (“Here are the minutes from today’s meeting. Please let me know of any corrections by the …th.”) See Japanese business email and chat messages at work.
Tips for non-native writers
- Take notes in whatever language is fastest, then write the minutes right after the meeting while it’s fresh.
- Keep a template and a list of phrases your team uses.
- Check numbers, dates and names twice; these are the errors people notice.
- Ask a colleague to check your first few sets of minutes. See also writing reports in Japanese and hōrensō.
How Hanabuddies can help
Our native Japanese tutors teach business Japanese one-to-one online, in English. We can review your real minutes, reports and emails, build a template for your team, and practise the listening and note-taking that make minutes easier to write. We can also translate minutes between English and Japanese.