Intercultural communication Japan – How do you write a letter or e-mail to Japanese people?

The tone makes the music – and the style makes the e-mail

For Germans, writing a letter or an e-mail in Japanese is often a fine art that requires a certain level of understanding. It is not about the language. It is about writing the letter or e-mail in such a way that the message is received according to the intention of the German author. This is where the German way of expressing oneself sometimes differs greatly from the Japanese way. It is not simply a matter of Japanese salutations or a correct Japanese greeting. These things are of course also important. What is more important is how the facts are presented and “packaged”. This is where the German approach differs significantly from the Japanese. It is not for nothing that the topic of intercultural communication plays a major role in intercultural training in Japan.

Suggestions – not a substitute for a comprehensive guide or intercultural training Japan

The tips and hints mentioned here are intended to illustrate the differences between writing emails in Japan and Germany. There are, of course, plenty of other tips on the Internet. People who would like to take a serious look at the sometimes complicated differences in rules between Japan and Germany are strongly advised to attend an intercultural training course in Japan. Here, the intercultural communication between Japan and Germany is discussed in detail. Knowledge from the literature is certainly valuable, but ultimately it is about applying it. You can also read hundreds of books on how to drive a car – but when you sit behind the wheel for the first time, you will start to sweat.

What Germans value

Germans value as few words as possible. The more direct the communication, the better. Flowery expressions are seen as unnecessarily time-consuming. You should get to the point if possible. If negative points are raised, such as delays or problems, these are named so that no misunderstandings arise. Mind you, this is about the matter at hand.

What the Japanese prefer

The Japanese “tick” a little differently. The top priority is harmony (jap.: Wa), which must be maintained between business partners. What could disturb this harmony? First of all, negative expressions. Instead, the Japanese prefer positive or affirmative expressions. It is also a good idea to point out the advantages that the Japanese business partner will enjoy if they comply with your requests or concerns. The subjunctive also plays an important role, as it helps to package the message in such a way that the recipient is not directly confronted.

Communication in English – another hurdle

Another handicap on both sides can be that the English language is generally used in intercultural communication with Japan. If they are professional in English – all the better. However, it is often the case that your Japanese business partner only speaks limited English. But be careful! This does not automatically mean that they write poorly in English. The author experienced this himself when he had to attend an English course at an American university. The class was at the highest level offered and one should have expected all 12 participants, 2 of whom were Japanese, to be able to express themselves fluently. Surprisingly, this was not the case. One Japanese had enormous difficulty following and participating in the course. And when he said something, or rather had to say something, he did so with the typical Japanese intonation. Everyone wondered how this man had managed to get to the highest level of the course. The answer: the test to classify the students was exclusively written due to the number of students. And the Japanese man’s written expression was very good!

Japanese salutations – or would you prefer German or English?

It goes without saying that the correct form of address should be used, as politeness dictates. However, as in Germany, it depends on the relationship you have with the addressee. Have you known each other for a long time, is it an official exchange of letters or emails, is the relationship good or do you want to improve it? It can be complicated, as the correct form of address depends on many factors. What they all have in common is that a syllable is added to the surname. The syllable -san means “master”. There are also a number of suffixes, but these are of secondary importance in business correspondence, unless you really want to get everything super-correct. But remember: as a foreigner, no Japanese person will expect you to know Japanese etiquette inside out. So before you do something wrong, and this can easily happen, it is better to remain authentic and follow the standard international polite phrases.

If you are writing in German, it is usually sufficient to use the surname and academic title, i.e. Sehr geehrte(r) Herr/Frau Dr. Yamamoto. Always use the highest academic degree. If you already know the addressee or know that he/she does not value a formal form of address, you can omit the academic degree.

In English, you should proceed accordingly, i.e. Dear Mr./Ms. Yamamoto.

Useful phrases

Often derided as “filler words” in Germany, these suggestions can help to make it clear to the Japanese in a polite way what you want, especially at the beginning of the e-mail:

“May I ask you …”
“Would it be possible for you to …”
“Would you mind …”
“Please let me know …”
“Please let me know …”
“May I come to your consultation on … at …?”
“Would you have time to …”
“Would you mind …” etc.

Intercultural communication Japan – An example illustrates what is meant

If everything is going well, there are certainly no formulation problems. Writing a letter or email only becomes a challenge when it comes to negative issues, such as a reminder: a customer in Japan fails to deliver the agreed specification for a product. The responsible department in Germany wants to send a reminder before the agreed schedule is disrupted.

In Germany, it would be valid to write the following information:

“If you do not send us the specification by xx.xx.xx, we will have to adjust the schedule accordingly.”

If the letter or e-mail (which is much more likely in today’s world) goes to Japan, you could use the following wording:

If you send us the specification by xx.xx.xx, we will start immediately with xxxxxx (planned action), so that xxxxxx (here should be the benefit or advantage, such as faster delivery or similar). If you need more time to send us the specification, we would kindly ask you to let us know. We would then be happy to adjust the schedule and discuss the next steps with you.

Here is an English proposal for the above-mentioned situation:

If you could send us the specification by nn.nn.nn, we will immediately proceed with xxxxxx (planned action) so that xxxxx (juicy benefits of your customer). In case it might take more time for the delivery of the specifications, please kindly let us know. We would like to discuss with you about the possibility of adjusting the timeline and further steps accordingly.

Another example of an elegant formulation

Another example could be: A Japanese customer has not yet stated their expectations for a project. Once again, the schedule is at stake.

A direct German formulation that leaves no doubt about the urgency would be:

Please send us your expectations by xx.xx.xx. Otherwise we will be late with the project.”

When dealing with a Japanese business partner, it would be better to use the following wording:

We would like to ask you to send us your expectations by xx.xx.xx so that xxxxxx (here again the benefit or advantage for the business partner). If your information arrives after the deadline mentioned, we will try to xxxxxx (here you should write what you can do to show your creativity and efforts), but there may be difficulties with xxxxx (anything that needs to be postponed to make the consequences politely clear to the business partner). Please let us know if there is anything we can do to assist you with this project.

Here again an English proposal for the formulation of the facts:

May we ask you to (or please) send us your request by nn.nn.nn so that (the juicy benefit for your customer – same reason as above). In case your requests arrives after nn.nn.nn. we would still try to xxxx (anything you CAN do at that point – to show your effort and creativity), however it might be difficult to xxxxx (any actions that would need to be pushed later due to a delay – to be clear for your customer to see what kind of impact it would make in a polite way). Please feel free to let us know if there is anything we can assist you with this project.

Take your time

The above examples make it clear that you must or should take the time to create an appropriate formulation. What is usually perceived as a waste of time and “beating around the bush” in Germany is part and parcel of doing business in Japan. The extra effort is therefore a good investment in order to maintain a good and stable business relationship.

The conclusion

The same applies here as for the salutation. Of course, a polite phrase is part of it. You can write “Yours sincerely” or, more personally if you know each other, “Best regards”. The Japanese equivalent is “Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu” and means “I ask you kindly”. Another highly respectful expression would be shimasu itashimasu, for customers or special persons of respect. In English, “Best regards” would be a good ending. The German “Ihr” or “Ihre” should only be used if you know each other well and expect a quick response.