When we work with Japanese customers, we need to become familiar with exchanging information that is related to work via email. Business emails have different expressions compared to spoken communication. Based on my learning and experiences, I would like to introduce some basic tips for writing work-related emails in Japanese.

1. Changing perspective from "myself" to "customers"

We should consider the perspective of customers when we write emails. By doing that, the content of the email will not make customers feel burdened, and they will likely appreciate and trust us more. Then, customers will act more promptly, and work can proceed more smoothly.

If we write emails selfishly and insensitively, it may make customers feel hesitant and uncomfortable, potentially hindering the smooth progress of work.

Example:

    • Bad writing:
      本日午後は不在ですので、早急にご対応ください。
    • Good writing:
      お忙しい所恐縮ですが、本日午後は不在ですので、
      早急にご対応頂けますと幸いです。

 

2. Should respond to emails within 24 hours

When we respond to emails within 24 hours, customers will perceive us as working promptly, thus building trust in us. However, if customers doesn't receive a response from you within 2 or 3 days, they may become worried and lose trust in us.

In particular, in the following cases, customers may expect us to respond as soon as possible, not just within 24 hours:

  • When we receive important information
  • When we receive a request
  • When we reveive documents as attachments

…

If it takes a few days to confirm or consider after receiving an email, we should reply to the email as follows:

Example:

    • メールを拝見いたしました。本件は確認中です。
      10月1日（金）までにご回答いたします。

 

In cases where the content of customers' email is simply information, announcements, etc., and we just want to let them know that we have read the email, you should reply to the email as follows:

Example:

    • メールの内容は承知いたしました。
      問題や質問等がございましたら、またご連絡いたしました。

 

3. The title of the email should reflect the content clearly at the first glance

The title is the opening of the email and also the most crucial part because through the title, customers can easily understand the content without opening the email. Therefore, we need to highlight our message in the email title so that customers can take action immediately after reading it.

Before writing the email title, you need to determine the following points (if any):

  • What the email is about
  • The time of the issue
  • Our intention
  • What we want the customers to do
  • The urgency of the issue

Example:

    • 【サーバ再起動のお知らせ】 Aフォルダ、Bフォルダなどでアクセスしずらい状況の発生
    • 【ご連絡】弊社体制変更について（2024/1/1～）
    • 【至急】ツールの故障修正のお願い

 

4. The way to write the recipient's name in the email

In business emails, we must write the recipient's name in the first line to help them identify that the email is addressed to them. If the recipient's name is not written, the email may be considered as spam email.

The usual way to write the recipient's name in the email is as follows:

[Company Name] + [Department Name] + [Full Name/First Name] + [Job Position/様/さん]

Or

[Company Name] + [Department Name] + [Job Position] + [Full Name/First Name] + [様/さん]

 

In the following cases, the way of writing the recipient's name may vary to be appropriate:

  •  If the recipient is external to the company, it is recommended to write the company name and the full name.

Example:

    • ○○株式会社
      第1営業部部長
      山田太郎様

 

  • If the recipient is an internal member of the company, we can omit the [Company Name], and can use only the [First Name]

Example:

    • 人事部 部長　山田様
    • 第１営業部 課長　上田様

 

  • If we are close with the recipient, we can omit the [Department Name] and can use "さん".

Example:

    • 人事部　山田さん
    • 上田さん

 

  • Do not add "様" after [Job Position] because [Job Position] itself is already a respectful form of address.

Example:

    • NG: 第１営業部　上田課長様
    • OK: 第１営業部　上田課長

 

  •  When there are about 2 or 3 recipients, you can write recipient’s names horizontally or vertically. However, if there are multiple recipients with different job positions, it is better to write the one with the highest position first.

Example:

    • 上田様、山田様、山本様

 

  • In the case of CC, it should be written as follows:

Example:

    • 上田様
      CC: 山田様、山本様

 

  • When sending emails to multiple companies, the recipient's names must be separated according to each company. The order of writing the company name should be based on the relevance to the content of the email.

Example:

    • ○○株式会社　山田様、山本様
    • □□株式会社　上田様

 

  • If you want to send to all recipients in the list, you can use "各位", but do not write it as "各位様".

Example:

    • 関係者各位
    • 人事部各位

 

5. Write your answer in an easy-to-understand manner using quotations effectively

When replying to emails for customers, quoting the original message will make it easier to understand and effectively convey our message.

Example:

Customer：

セキュリティ講習会について、
下記に候補日をあげますので、可能日のご回答をお願いいたします。

①    10月1日（月）9:00-17:00の間
②    10月2日（火）9:00-11:00の間
③    10月3日（水）14:00-15:00

You：

セキュリティ講習会について、弊社では以下の日付で参加可能でございます。
ご調整よろしくお願いいたします。
>②    10月2日（火）9:00-11:00の間

Customer：

ご返事ありがとうございます。

>セキュリティ講習会について、弊社では以下の日付で参加可能でございます。
>ご調整よろしくお願いいたします。
>>②    10月2日（火）9:00-11:00の間
→承知いたしました。10月2日（火）10時-11時でお願いいたします。

 

Conclusion

Here are some tips I've learned from working with Japanese customers. If there are any shortcomings, please feel free to leave a comment so I can learn more from you all. There are still some other tips related to writing business emails for Japanese customers, so please stay tuned for the next part.

 

References

https://next.rikunabi.com/journal/20170401_s10/
Image source: https://pixabay.com/vectors/email-newsletter-email-marketing-3249062/
Book: メール文章力の基本　大切だけど、だれも教えてくれない77のルール - 藤田 英時