E-mail Etiquette
Business e-mails are considered to be one of the most important means of communication in the Japanese business scene. The basic form of a Japanese business mail is divided into 5 parts.
① Subject
Make sure that the subject states clearly your objective. The receiver is also likely to receive many e-mails so make the subject easy to search.
② Address of Recipient
Do not forget to fill out the company name, department, and position title. Do be careful not to abbreviate the kanji, “株士会社(kabushikigaisha)” or “corporation” to “株(kabu)” which means, “stocks”.
③ Greeting
Don’t forget to put greetings such as “Itsumo osewa ni natteorimasu” or “Hajimemashite”, try to match the greeting to the person or organization you are sending the e-mail to.
④ Body/Content
Be concise as possible by first stating the main purpose of the mail. Your recipient might receive other e-mails aside from the e-mail you sent, so it is best not to send them an e-mail that is difficult to comprehend. Make sure that your recipient will easily understand the purpose of your mail.
⑤ Signature
Affix your name, affiliation, and contact details at the end of the mail so that the recipient can easily identify the sender.
Avoid using decorations that are too flashy in your e-mail since it is inappropriate for business. Writing e-mails may be difficult at first, but you can practice more with the help and advice from your superior and colleagues.
