What an inquiry email needs
An inquiry is a request for information from someone who has no obligation to you yet, so clarity and courtesy both matter. The goal is an email that the recipient can answer without having to write back to ask what you mean.
Japanese inquiry emails are usually short. Five to ten lines is typical, and anything longer is best organised with numbered questions.
- A subject line with the topic and the word inquiry.
- The organisation and the person in charge.
- A one-line introduction of who you are.
- The question, specific enough to answer.
- A polite request for a reply.
- Your name and contact details.
Subject line and addressing an unknown person
The subject line states the topic followed by ni tsuite no o-toiawase, an inquiry about. The address block names the organisation on one line and the person in charge on the next.
If this is your first contact, a short apology for writing unannounced is customary before you introduce yourself.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 留学生の入学手続きについてのお問い合わせ | Ryūgakusei no nyūgaku tetsuzuki ni tsuite no o-toiawase | Inquiry about admission procedures for international students |
| 株式会社さくら | Kabushiki-gaisha Sakura | Sakura Co., Ltd. |
| ご担当者様 | Go-tantōsha-sama | To the person in charge |
| 突然のご連絡失礼いたします。 | Totsuzen no go-renraku shitsurei itashimasu. | Please excuse this unexpected message. |
| マリア・ロペスと申します。 | Maria Ropesu to mōshimasu. | My name is Maria Lopez. |
Stating your question clearly
Say why you are writing in one sentence, then ask the question. If there is more than one, number them, because a numbered list makes it easy for the reader to answer each one and for you to see what is still unanswered.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 貴社のウェブサイトを拝見し、ご連絡いたしました。 | Kisha no webusaito o haiken shi, go-renraku itashimashita. | I am writing after seeing your company's website. |
| 来年4月入学のコースについて、お伺いしたいことがございます。 | Rainen shigatsu nyūgaku no kōsu ni tsuite, o-ukagai shitai koto ga gozaimasu. | I have some questions about the course starting next April. |
| 以下の2点について教えていただけますでしょうか。 | Ika no niten ni tsuite oshiete itadakemasu deshō ka. | Could you please tell me about the following two points? |
| 1. 出願の締め切りはいつでしょうか。 | Ichi. Shutsugan no shimekiri wa itsu deshō ka. | 1. When is the application deadline? |
| 2. 必要な書類を教えてください。 | Ni. Hitsuyō na shorui o oshiete kudasai. | 2. Please tell me which documents are required. |
Polite request forms, from standard to formal
The core of an inquiry is a request to be told something. These forms go from standard polite to formal; for most inquiries, the middle two are ideal.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 教えていただけますか。 | Oshiete itadakemasu ka. | Could you tell me? Polite |
| 教えていただけますでしょうか。 | Oshiete itadakemasu deshō ka. | Could you possibly tell me? More polite |
| ご教示いただけますと幸いです。 | Go-kyōji itadakemasu to saiwai desu. | I would be grateful for your guidance. Formal, written |
| ご確認のほど、よろしくお願いいたします。 | Go-kakunin no hodo, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. | Thank you in advance for checking this. |
Closing and signature
Thank the reader for their trouble and sign with your full name, and an email address and phone number if a reply by phone would help. If you are writing from outside Japan, mention your time zone or country so a phone call is not attempted at midnight.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お手数をおかけしますが、ご回答いただけますと幸いです。 | O-tesū o okake shimasu ga, go-kaitō itadakemasu to saiwai desu. | I am sorry for the trouble, but I would be grateful for a reply. |
| どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。 | Dōzo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. | Thank you very much. |
Following up when nobody replies
Messages do get lost in spam filters and busy inboxes. After a few business days, send a short follow-up that refers to your first email and allows for the possibility that a reply crossed with yours.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 先日お送りしたお問い合わせについて、再度ご連絡いたしました。 | Senjitsu o-okuri shita o-toiawase ni tsuite, saido go-renraku itashimashita. | I am writing again about the inquiry I sent the other day. |
| その後、いかがでしょうか。 | Sono go, ikaga deshō ka. | How are things progressing? |
| 行き違いでしたら、申し訳ございません。 | Ikichigai deshitara, mōshiwake gozaimasen. | If our messages have crossed, please accept my apologies. |
A complete inquiry, line by line
Here is a full, short inquiry to a language school. It uses only the phrases above and would be read as clear and properly polite.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| さくら日本語学校 ご担当者様 | Sakura Nihongo Gakkō go-tantōsha-sama | To the person in charge, Sakura Japanese School |
| 突然のご連絡失礼いたします。 | Totsuzen no go-renraku shitsurei itashimasu. | Please excuse this unexpected message. |
| マリア・ロペスと申します。 | Maria Ropesu to mōshimasu. | My name is Maria Lopez. |
| 来年4月入学のコースについて、お伺いしたいことがございます。 | Rainen shigatsu nyūgaku no kōsu ni tsuite, o-ukagai shitai koto ga gozaimasu. | I have some questions about the course starting next April. |
| 出願の締め切りと必要な書類を教えていただけますでしょうか。 | Shutsugan no shimekiri to hitsuyō na shorui o oshiete itadakemasu deshō ka. | Could you please tell me the application deadline and the required documents? |
| お手数をおかけしますが、どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。 | O-tesū o okake shimasu ga, dōzo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. | I am sorry for the trouble, and thank you very much. |
The spoken version of an inquiry uses much of the same language. Unihongo's Reserve a Restaurant by Phone mission is good practice for asking clearly and politely when the other person is waiting for your answer.