When a letter still beats an email
For most purposes Japanese correspondence has moved to email and messaging. Letters remain in the places where formality and effort are part of the message: thanking someone for a significant favour, formal notices and business greetings, and writing to people who expect a letter, including many older people.
Because the frame is fixed, a letter is less difficult than it looks. Most of the language in the opening and closing is set phrases; your own words go in the middle.
The parts of a formal letter
Each part has a job, and they always appear in the same order.
| Part | What it does | Example in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Opening word | Signals the level of formality | Haikei for a standard formal letter |
| Seasonal greeting | Acknowledges the time of year | A set phrase for the current month |
| Wellbeing line | Asks after or wishes well to the reader | A wish that the reader is in good health |
| Main content | Says what the letter is for | Introduced with sate, meaning now then |
| Closing line | Wraps up and wishes the reader well | A wish for good health or future support |
| Closing word | Matches the opening word | Keigu to close a letter opened with haikei |
| Date and names | Records when and from whom | Date, sender, then recipient |
Opening and closing words come in pairs
The opening word decides the closing word. Mixing pairs is a noticeable error, so choose the pair first.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 拝啓 | haikei | Standard formal opening |
| 敬具 | keigu | Closing that matches haikei |
| 謹啓 | kinkei | More formal opening, for very respectful letters |
| 謹白 | kinpaku | Closing that matches kinkei |
| 前略 | zenryaku | Opening that omits the seasonal greeting |
| 草々 | sōsō | Closing that matches zenryaku |
| 拝復 | haifuku | Opening for a reply to a letter |
| かしこ | kashiko | A traditional closing used mainly by women, fitting many openings |
Seasonal greetings by month
The seasonal greeting follows the opening word. Formal letters often use set phrases ending in no kō, meaning the season of, while warmer letters use a plain sentence about the weather.
Match the phrase to when the letter will arrive, not when you start writing it.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 新春の候 | shinshun no kō | January: the season of the new spring |
| 春暖の候 | shundan no kō | April: the season of spring warmth |
| 新緑の候 | shinryoku no kō | May: the season of fresh green leaves |
| 盛夏の候 | seika no kō | July and August: the height of summer |
| 秋冷の候 | shūrei no kō | October: the season of autumn cool |
| 師走の候 | shiwasu no kō | December: the busy last month of the year |
| 暑い日が続いておりますが | Atsui hi ga tsuzuite orimasu ga | As the hot days continue: a softer alternative |
Asking after the reader and turning to the point
After the seasonal greeting comes a line expressing hope that the reader is well. Personal letters address the person or their family; business letters address the company's prosperity.
The main content then begins with sate, which works like now then or turning to the matter at hand.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 皆様にはお健やかにお過ごしのことと存じます。 | Minasama ni wa o-sukoyaka ni o-sugoshi no koto to zonjimasu. | I trust that you are all keeping well. |
| 貴社ますますご清栄のこととお慶び申し上げます。 | Kisha masumasu go-seiei no koto to o-yorokobi mōshiagemasu. | We are pleased to hear of your company's continued prosperity. |
| さて、 | Sate, | Now then: introduces the main content |
| 先日は大変お世話になりました。 | Senjitsu wa taihen o-sewa ni narimashita. | Thank you very much for your help the other day. |
Closing lines, date and names
The closing line wraps up the letter, often with a wish for the reader's health or continued goodwill, before the closing word.
In a vertical letter, the date comes after the closing word, a little down from the top. Your name follows near the bottom of the page, and the recipient's name comes last, near the top, followed by sama or another title.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 末筆ながら、皆様のご健康をお祈り申し上げます。 | Mappitsu nagara, minasama no go-kenkō o o-inori mōshiagemasu. | In closing, I wish you all good health. |
| まずは略儀ながら書中にてお礼申し上げます。 | Mazu wa ryakugi nagara shochū nite o-rei mōshiagemasu. | Please accept my thanks by letter for now. |
| 今後ともよろしくお願い申し上げます。 | Kongo tomo yoroshiku onegai mōshiagemasu. | I look forward to your continued support. |
| 山田太郎様 | Yamada Tarō-sama | The recipient's name with sama |
Letters of condolence are the main exception to this structure. They skip the opening word and the seasonal greeting and go straight to expressing sympathy.
Letter or email, and saying it aloud
If you are unsure whether a situation calls for a letter, the safest approach is to send a prompt email and follow it with a letter for anything involving significant thanks or a formal relationship.
Many of these phrases also appear in formal speech, especially speeches and greetings at events. Practising the spoken versions with your AI Sensei in Unihongo's 3D classroom, or in the Speech at a Farewell Party mission, makes the written forms feel familiar rather than memorised.