Writing Emails That Sound Like You, Only Politer

Start with the weather, not the request

In English, you often begin an email with the point. In Japanese, you begin with a greeting that has almost no information in it. That is the point.

拝啓（はいけい） — a formal opening, like "Dear" in a letter, but only used in very formal mail. For most work emails, you skip it and start with the recipient's name plus 様（さま）.

Then a seasonal line. In June, you might write:

> 梅雨（つゆ）の折（おり）、いかがお過ごしでしょうか。 > During the rainy season, how have you been?

If you do not know the season, use a simpler version:

> お世話（せわ）になっております。 > Thank you for your continued support.

That line works almost all year. It is not a lie. It is a handshake.

The middle: make the ask small and clear

After the greeting, state your name if the reader might not know you:

> 田中（たなか）と申（もう）します。 > My name is Tanaka.

申します（もうします） is the humble form of 言います. You use it when introducing yourself to someone above you. If you are writing to a colleague you know, です is fine.

Then the request. The safest pattern is:

> 〜していただけますでしょうか。 > Would you be able to do ~?

For example:

> 資料（しりょう）を送（おく）っていただけますでしょうか。 > Would you be able to send the documents?

That is polite without being stiff. If you need to apologise for the ask, put it before the request:

> お忙（いそが）しいところ恐（おそ）れ入（い）りますが、〜 > I am sorry to bother you when you are busy, but ~

恐れ入ります（おそれいります） is a set phrase. You do not need to break it down. Just know it softens whatever comes next.

Close with a small bow

End with a line that thanks the reader for their time, then your name.

> よろしくお願（ねが）いいたします。 > Thank you for your consideration.

> 田中（たなか）

If it is a formal letter rather than an email, you add 敬具（けいぐ） after the closing line. In email, it is usually dropped.

A full short email might look like this:

> 山田（やまだ）様（さま） > > お世話（せわ）になっております。田中（たなか）です。 > > お忙（いそが）しいところ恐（おそ）れ入（い）りますが、来週（らいしゅう）の打（う）ち合（あ）わせの資料（しりょう）を送（おく）っていただけますでしょうか。 > > よろしくお願（ねが）いいたします。 > > 田中（たなか）

That is twelve lines. It does the job.

What not to do

Do not translate an English email word for word. "Hey" becomes 拝啓 if you are not careful, and that sounds like a wedding invitation. "Thanks" at the top becomes ありがとう which is too casual for a first contact. "Best" becomes 敬具 which belongs on paper, not in Gmail.

The rule is simple: open with a greeting that asks after the reader, state your business in the middle, close with a thank-you and your name. The politeness lives in the frame, not in every word.

If you remember yesterday's lesson about school — お世話になっております is the email version of お世話になりました. Same root, different tense. You are thanking them for ongoing support, not past help.

One more thing: if you are writing to someone in your city or anywhere else, the structure does not change. The season might. In your country, you might not have a rainy season, but you can still write 季節（きせつ）の変（か）わり目（め） — the change of seasons — and it works.

A note on length

Short is polite. A long email in Japanese can feel like you are making the reader work. Three short paragraphs is plenty. If you need to explain something complicated, attach a file and keep the email to five lines.

The goal is not to sound like a keigo textbook. The goal is to sound like a person who took thirty extra seconds to be considerate. That is all formal writing is.