Ready-to-send Japanese business emails and the set phrases they are built from —
each with a plain-English note on when to use it and why. Click any
phrase to copy it, or copy a whole template and fill in the 【brackets】.
Written to be real, sendable business Japanese — no textbook stiffness, no accidental
double keigo.
Everything runs in your browser. Copying happens on your device — nothing you copy is
sent anywhere.
👋 Openers & Greetings
8
The first line of almost every Japanese business email is a set greeting — not the actual message. Skipping it reads as cold or blunt, so pick one of these and start with it every time.
🙏 Closings & Sign-offs
6
Japanese emails almost always end with a set closing line before the signature — the equivalent of “Best regards.” These are your reliable defaults, from neutral to very formal.
💬 Requests & Cushion Words
10
Japanese softens requests with “cushion words” (クッション言葉) — a short apologetic or deferential phrase placed before the ask. Leading with one is what makes a request sound polite rather than demanding.
🌸 Thanks, Replies & Apologies
7
Short, high-frequency phrases for saying thank you, acknowledging a request, and apologizing. Getting the level of politeness right here matters — these appear in almost every exchange.
📧 Full Email Templates
10
Complete emails from greeting to signature. Copy the body, then replace every
【bracketed】 placeholder with your own details. The subject line
(件名) is shown above each one.
First-contact email to someone who has never heard from you. Introduce yourself and your company, apologize for the sudden contact, state your purpose briefly, and ask for their consideration — never push for a yes. End with a full signature block.
When to use: Cold outreach and introductions. The structure is fixed: recipient’s company/name → 初めてご連絡いたします → your name and company → 突然のご連絡失礼いたします → your purpose → a soft ask → ご検討のほど. Keep the pitch short; the politeness scaffolding around it is what earns a reply.
Ask for a meeting and offer several concrete time slots, while also inviting the other person to propose their own if none fit. Offering options (and a fallback) is the polite, low-friction way to schedule in Japanese.
When to use: Setting up a meeting or call. Always propose specific candidate dates rather than asking an open “when are you free?”, and add the fallback line so the other side can suggest alternatives. Close with お手数をおかけしますが as a cushion.
Apologize sincerely for needing to move a scheduled meeting, take responsibility (“my circumstances”), then propose new dates. The apology comes before the request, and again at the end.
When to use: When you have to move a meeting you already agreed to. Lead with 大変申し訳ございませんが, own it as your side’s problem (こちらの都合で), and offer fresh options. Avoid over-explaining the reason — やむを得ない事情 (“unavoidable circumstances”) is usually enough.
A short same-day thank-you after a meeting or call. Thank them for their time, mention what was useful, say what happens next, and note that this is a quick message sent just to say thanks.
When to use: Send the same day, ideally within a few hours of a meeting. Sending a prompt お礼メール is expected and leaves a good impression. Keep it brief — 取り急ぎ signals you didn’t wait to write something long.
Ask for more time on a deadline. Acknowledge the original due date, show you are already working hard on it, give a brief reason, propose a specific new date, and apologize for the inconvenience.
When to use: When you can’t make an agreed deadline. Ask before the deadline passes, not after. Show effort (鋭意進めております), give a concrete new date rather than a vague “a bit longer,” and frame it as a request (…可能でしょうか), not a notification.
Report and apologize for a mistake you made. Apologize up front, state clearly what was wrong and what is correct, provide the fix, ask them to replace the old version, and close with a full apology plus a note that it won’t happen again.
When to use: When you sent something wrong (wrong figure, wrong file, wrong date). Apologize first and directly, then give the correction plainly — don’t bury it in excuses. Ending with 今後このようなことのないよう… (a promise to prevent recurrence) is expected in a business apology.
Turn down an offer or invitation without burning the bridge. Thank them first, say you considered it, decline gently (“will pass this time”), apologize for not meeting expectations, and leave the door open for the future.
When to use: Declining a proposal, quote, or invitation. Japanese business rarely says a flat “no” — 見送らせていただきます (“we’ll pass / hold off this time”) is the standard soft refusal. Thank them, apologize for not meeting their hopes, and invite future contact so the relationship stays warm.
Chase a reply you’re still waiting on, without sounding accusatory. Reference the earlier email, add “in case it crossed with your reply, apologies,” restate the request politely, and give a soft deadline.
When to use: Following up when there’s been no response. The key softeners are 念のため (“just to be sure”) and 行き違いでしたら申し訳ございません (“apologies if this crossed with your reply”), which let you nudge without blaming. Marking the subject （再送） (“resent”) is common and clear.
Let a client or partner know in advance that you’ll be away. State the dates, name who will cover for you and how to reach them, and apologize for any inconvenience.
When to use: Telling outside contacts about upcoming leave. The important part is giving a cover contact (代理担当者) so nothing stalls while you’re out. 私事で恐縮ですが (“this is a personal matter, but…”) is the polite way to introduce your own leave.
A farewell email to an outside contact when you leave a company. Announce your last day, thank them warmly for the relationship, introduce your successor, and close with a wish for the recipient’s company to prosper.
When to use: Sent to clients and partners near your last day. Naming your 後任 (successor) and handing over cleanly is essential. The closing 末筆ながら…ご発展をお祈り申し上げます (“in closing, I wish your company continued success”) is the set formal farewell line.
Nothing matches your search. Try a simpler word like "apology", "meeting", "thank you" or "reminder".
How a Japanese business email is structured
Japanese business email follows a fixed running order, and the greeting and
self-introduction come before the actual message — the opposite of the typical
English email that opens straight with the point. From top to bottom:
Recipient (宛名) — company name, then department, then the person’s name followed by 様. e.g. 株式会社〇〇 営業部 田中様.
Greeting (挨拶) — a set opener like お世話になっております. Not a real sentence about anything; it just signals “hello.”
Naming yourself (名乗り) — 株式会社〇〇の△△です. You identify your company and name early, before the content.
Body (本文) — the actual message. Requests are preceded by a cushion word (恐れ入りますが…).
Closing (結び) — a set sign-off such as よろしくお願いいたします.
Signature (署名) — company, name, and contact details, usually inside a bordered block.
Two habits surprise most English speakers. First, you re-write the greeting
(お世話になっております) on every email, even replies in the same
thread. Second, you name yourself at the top of every message, not just the first — the
reader should never have to scroll to the signature to know who is writing.
How polite? A quick guide to keigo levels
Business email sits on a base of teineigo (the です・ます polite
form). On top of that you add:
Humble form (謙譲語 / kenjougo) for your own actions toward the reader — いたします、申し上げます、伺います. It lowers you.
Respectful form (尊敬語 / sonkeigo) for the reader’s actions — ご確認いただく、おっしゃる、ご覧になる. It raises them.
The templates on this page already sit at the standard business level that is safe with
clients, vendors and seniors. A frequent mistake is double keigo — stacking two
honorific layers on one verb, like お伺いさせていただきます. One layer is
enough: 伺います or お伺いします. Also avoid
了解しました toward clients or seniors (it reads as casual); use
承知いたしました or かしこまりました instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does "osewa ni natte orimasu" mean, and why is it in every email?
お世話になっております (osewa ni natte orimasu) literally means something like "I am being taken care of by you," but in practice it carries almost no literal meaning — it is simply the standard greeting that opens a business email to anyone outside your own company. It works like "Hello" or "Hi," and Japanese writers include it at the top of nearly every message, including replies within the same thread. Do not try to translate it each time; treat it as a fixed opener. Inside your own company, the equivalent greeting to colleagues is お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu) instead.
How polite does my Japanese email need to be? What keigo level should I use?
For most business email, aim for teineigo (です・ます polite form) as the base, with kenjougo (humble expressions about your own actions, such as いたします and 申し上げます) when you act toward the reader, and sonkeigo (respectful expressions about the reader, such as ご確認いただく) when referring to what they do. The templates here already sit at this standard business level, which is safe with clients, vendors, and seniors. A common beginner mistake is doubling up honorifics (double keigo), for example お伺いさせていただきます — one layer is enough (伺います or お伺いします). When unsure, err slightly more polite for clients and slightly plainer for close colleagues.
What is the standard structure of a Japanese business email?
A Japanese business email follows a fixed order: (1) the recipient — company name, department, then the person’s name with 様; (2) a greeting such as お世話になっております; (3) you name yourself and your company (名乗り); (4) the main message; (5) a closing line such as よろしくお願いいたします; and (6) your signature block. The greeting and the self-introduction come before the actual content — unlike a typical English email, which often opens straight with the point. Cushion words (softening phrases like 恐れ入りますが) are placed just before any request.
Related tools
Furigana Generator — paste any template above into it to add
reading hints (furigana) over every kanji, so you can read your email aloud.
Kanji & Kana to Romaji — convert a phrase into Hepburn
romaji if you want to know exactly how it sounds.