Situation
Tanaka is a junior employee at a Japanese company who needs to send a formal business email to a client. He approaches his more experienced colleague Yamada for advice on proper email conventions, key phrases, and professional etiquette.
Japanese business emails follow a rigid structure that differs significantly from casual writing. Subject lines, opening greetings, attachment mentions, and closing phrases each have their own expected formulas — and getting them wrong can leave a poor impression on clients or partners.
Dialogue
田中: すみません、山田さん。取引先にメールを送らなければならないんですが、少し手伝っていただけますか。
Tanaka: Sumimasen, Yamada-san. Torihikisaki ni mēru wo okuranakerebanaranai n desu ga, sukoshi tetsudatte itadakemasu ka.
Tanaka: Excuse me, Yamada-san. I need to send an email to a business client, but could you help me a little?
山田: もちろんですよ。どんな内容のメールですか。
Yamada: Mochiron desu yo. Donna naiyō no mēru desu ka.
Yamada: Of course! What kind of email is it?
田中: 先週の会議の議事録を送るためのメールです。それに、次回の打ち合わせの日程も確認したいと思っています。
Tanaka: Senshū no kaigi no gijiroku wo okuru tame no mēru desu. Sore ni, jikai no uchiawase no nittei mo kakunin shitai to omotteimasu.
Tanaka: It is an email to send the minutes from last week's meeting. I would also like to confirm the schedule for our next meeting.
山田: なるほど。ビジネスメールの場合、件名をわかりやすく書くことが大切ですよ。例えば、「先週の会議議事録および次回打ち合わせ日程について」などはどうでしょうか。
Yamada: Naruhodo. Bijinesu mēru no baai, kenmei wo wakariyasuku kaku koto ga taisetsu desu yo. Tatoeba, "Senshū no kaigi gijiroku oyobi jikai uchiawase nittei ni tsuite" nado wa dō deshō ka.
Yamada: I see. In the case of business emails, it is important to write the subject line clearly. For example, how about a subject like "Regarding last week's meeting minutes and the next meeting schedule"?
田中: それはいいですね。本文はどう書けばいいですか。
Tanaka: Sore wa ii desu ne. Honbun wa dō kakeba ii desu ka.
Tanaka: That sounds good. How should I write the body of the email?
山田: まず、「お世話になっております」という挨拶から始めるのが一般的です。それから用件を丁寧に書きます。
Yamada: Mazu, "Osewa ni natte orimasu" to iu aisatsu kara hajimeru no ga ippanteki desu. Sorekara yōken wo teinei ni kakimasu.
Yamada: First, it is common practice to start with the greeting "Thank you for your continued support." After that, you write the matter at hand politely.
田中: 「お世話になっております」は必ず使わなければなりませんか。
Tanaka: "Osewa ni natte orimasu" wa kanarazu tsukawanakereba narimasen ka.
Tanaka: Do I absolutely have to use "Thank you for your continued support"?
山田: ビジネスメールでは慣習的に使われていますので、使ったほうがいいと思います。初めてメールを送る場合は「初めてご連絡いたします」と書くこともできますよ。
Yamada: Bijinesu mēru dewa kanshūteki ni tsukawarete imasu no de, tsukatta hō ga ii to omoimasu. Hajimete mēru wo okuru baai wa "Hajimete go-renraku itashimasu" to kaku koto mo dekimasu yo.
Yamada: Since it is conventionally used in business emails, I think it is better to use it. If it is the first time you are emailing someone, you can also write "I am contacting you for the first time."
田中: わかりました。議事録を添付する場合、何か特別に書く必要がありますか。
Tanaka: Wakarimashita. Gijiroku wo tenpu suru baai, nani ka tokubetsu ni kaku hitsuyō ga arimasu ka.
Tanaka: I understand. If I am attaching the meeting minutes, is there anything special I need to write?
山田: 「添付ファイルをご確認ください」と書けばいいですよ。また、ファイルの内容についても簡単に説明するといいでしょう。
Yamada: "Tenpu fairu wo go-kakunin kudasai" to kakeba ii desu yo. Mata, fairu no naiyō ni tsuite mo kantan ni setsumei suru to ii deshō.
Yamada: You can write "Please check the attached file." Also, it would be good to briefly explain the content of the file.
田中: 次回の打ち合わせの日程を確認したい場合はどうすればいいですか。
Tanaka: Jikai no uchiawase no nittei wo kakunin shitai baai wa dō sureba ii desu ka.
Tanaka: What should I do if I want to confirm the schedule for our next meeting?
山田: 「ご都合のよい日程をお知らせいただけますでしょうか」と丁寧にお願いするのがいいですよ。返信の締め切りも入れると、相手も返信しやすいと思います。
Yamada: "Go-tsugō no yoi nittei wo oshirase itadakemasu deshō ka" to teinei ni onegai suru no ga ii desu yo. Henshin no shimekiri mo ireru to, aite mo henshin shiyasui to omoimasu.
Yamada: It is good to politely ask "Could you please let us know a convenient date?" Adding a reply deadline will also make it easier for the other party to respond.
田中: そうですね。メールの最後はどのように締めくくればいいですか。
Tanaka: Sō desu ne. Mēru no saigo wa dono yō ni shimekukireba ii desu ka.
Tanaka: That is true. How should I close the email at the end?
山田: 「よろしくお願いいたします」や「ご返信をお待ちしております」などがよく使われます。相手との関係によって少し変えることもできますよ。
Yamada: "Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu" ya "Go-henshin wo omachi shite orimasu" nado ga yoku tsukawaremasu. Aite to no kankei ni yotte sukoshi kaeru koto mo dekimasu yo.
Yamada: Phrases like "Thank you for your kind attention" and "I look forward to your reply" are often used. You can also change them slightly depending on your relationship with the other party.
Key Vocabulary
お世話になっております
osewa ni natte orimasu
— Thank you for your continued support (standard business email greeting)
取引先
torihikisaki
— business client; trading partner
議事録
gijiroku
— meeting minutes; minutes of a meeting
打ち合わせ
uchiawase
— meeting; conference; prior consultation
件名
kenmei
— subject line (of an email)
本文
honbun
— body text; main text of an email or document
挨拶
aisatsu
— greeting; salutation
用件
yōken
— business matter; main point; purpose
添付
tenpu
— attachment; attaching (a file)
返信
henshin
— reply; response (to a message or email)
締め切り
shimekiri
— deadline; closing date
都合
tsugō
— convenience; circumstances; availability
丁寧
teinei
— polite; careful; courteous
連絡
renraku
— contact; communication; getting in touch
慣習
kanshū
— custom; convention; established practice
Grammar Notes
- ～なければならない (nakereba naranai) — This pattern conveys strong obligation or necessity, meaning "must" or "have to." Example from dialogue: 取引先にメールを送らなければならない (I must send an email to the business client). The plain negative form of a verb is used before なければ.
- ～ていただけますか (te itadakemasu ka) — A polite way to request a favor from someone of equal or higher status, meaning "Could you please...?" It uses the humble receiving verb いただく to show respect. Example: 手伝っていただけますか (Could you help me?).
- ～のが一般的です (no ga ippanteki desu) — This phrase describes what is considered standard or common practice in a given context. Example: 挨拶から始めるのが一般的です (It is common practice to start with a greeting). Useful for explaining social and professional norms.
- ～によって (ni yotte) — Something varies depending on a particular factor or condition — "depending on" or "according to." Example: 相手との関係によって少し変えることもできます (You can change it slightly depending on your relationship with the other party).
- ～たほうがいい (ta hō ga ii) — The go-to pattern for giving advice or making a recommendation, meaning "It would be better to..." or "You should...." The verb is in its past tense form before ほうがいい. Example: 使ったほうがいいと思います (I think it would be better to use it).
- ～こともできる (koto mo dekiru) — This pattern indicates that something is also possible or that an additional option exists, meaning "can also do" or "it is also possible to...." The addition of も adds nuance of "in addition." Example: 書くこともできますよ (You can also write it that way).
Cultural Notes
Business email culture in Japan is highly formalized and follows a strict structural pattern. Two fixed opening phrases cover almost every situation: お世話になっております (osewa ni natte orimasu, roughly "Thank you for your continued support") is the default for established contacts. For a first-ever email, 初めてご連絡いたします (hajimete go-renraku itashimasu, "I am contacting you for the first time") takes its place. Skipping this opening entirely can come across as blunt or impolite, even for short, informal internal emails. Japanese professionals also tend to close emails with set phrases such as よろしくお願いいたします (yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) or ご返信をお待ちしております (go-henshin wo omachi shite orimasu, "I look forward to your reply").
The level of formality in a Japanese business email reflects the broader cultural values of hierarchy and respect (敬語 keigo). Humble language (謙譲語 kenjō-go), such as いたします and ております, is used to refer to one's own actions, while honorific language (尊敬語 sonkei-go) is used when referring to the actions or status of the recipient. Even small choices — like using ください versus いただけますでしょうか for a request — signal very different levels of deference. When uncertain about the right register, defaulting to more formal language is the safer choice. Shift toward a warmer, less formal tone only after a comfortable working relationship has developed.
Practice
Try these activities to get more out of the conversation:
- Role-play both roles: Practice as Tanaka, asking questions about each part of a business email — subject line, opening, body, attachments, scheduling, and closing. Then switch and play Yamada, explaining email conventions using phrases like ～のが一般的です and ～たほうがいいと思います.
- Substitution drill 1 — Change the recipient: Replace 取引先 (business client) with 上司 (jōshi, your manager), 同僚 (dōryō, a colleague), or 他部署の方 (ta busho no kata, someone from another department), and adjust the level of formality in your language accordingly.
- Substitution drill 2 — Change the attached document: Replace 議事録 (meeting minutes) with 報告書 (hōkokusho, a report), 提案書 (teiansho, a proposal), or 資料 (shiryō, reference materials), and practice explaining the attached content in one or two sentences.
- Variation scenario: Write an actual practice email from start to finish using all the advice from the dialogue. Begin with お世話になっております, state the purpose of your email, mention the attached file, politely ask for a convenient meeting date, include a reply deadline, and close with よろしくお願いいたします. Then compare your email with a partner and discuss whether the level of formality is appropriate.