Conclusion first
The most important convention is that the conclusion comes at the top. A reader should know the outcome from the first line and read the rest only if they want the detail.
This runs against the habit of building an argument towards a conclusion, which is how many people are taught to write. In a Japanese business report that structure reads as evasive or disorganised.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 結論から申し上げます。 | Ketsuron kara mōshiagemasu. | To give the conclusion first. |
| 結論として、導入は可能である。 | Ketsuron to shite, dōnyū wa kanō de aru. | In conclusion, introduction is feasible. |
| 以下、詳細を述べる。 | Ika, shōsai o noberu. | The details follow below. |
| 調査の結果、問題は確認されなかった。 | Chōsa no kekka, mondai wa kakunin sarenakatta. | The investigation confirmed no problems. |
| 現時点では判断できない。 | Genjiten de wa handan dekinai. | At present a judgement cannot be made. |
| 結論は次のとおりである。 | Ketsuron wa tsugi no tōri de aru. | The conclusion is as follows. |
The standard sections
Reports follow a conventional order, and using it means the reader knows where to find each thing without being told.
Not every report needs every section, but the order is fixed when they do appear.
| Section | Japanese | Contains |
|---|---|---|
| Conclusion | 結論 | The outcome, first |
| Background | 背景 | Why this was investigated |
| Method | 調査方法 | What was done |
| Findings | 調査結果 | Facts only |
| Analysis | 考察 | Interpretation, labelled |
| Proposal | 提案 | What should happen next |
Findings and analysis are separate sections for a reason. Mixing them is the single most common criticism of a report written by someone new.
Fact and opinion, kept apart
Japanese business writing expects a clear line between what was observed and what the writer concludes from it. Marking that line explicitly is not pedantry; it is what makes a report trustworthy.
Marker phrases do the work, and using them consistently signals that you understand the convention.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 事実として、 | Jijitsu to shite, | As a matter of fact, |
| データによれば、 | Dēta ni yoreba, | According to the data, |
| 以上は事実である。 | Ijō wa jijitsu de aru. | The above are facts. |
| 以下は私見である。 | Ika wa shiken de aru. | The following is my own view. |
| と考えられる。 | to kangaerareru. | It is thought that. (inference) |
| と推測される。 | to suisoku sareru. | It is surmised that. (weaker) |
The last two are the standard hedges for analysis. They mark a statement as inference rather than observation without weakening it.
The written style
Reports use the plain written style rather than the polite conversational style. Writing a report in desu and masu endings reads as a message rather than a document and is one of the clearest markers of an inexperienced writer.
Sentences are also shorter and more noun-heavy than in speech, which is convenient for a learner: short declarative sentences are exactly what the genre wants.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 問題が確認された。 | Mondai ga kakunin sareta. | A problem was confirmed. (report style) |
| 問題が確認されました。 | Mondai ga kakunin saremashita. | Same content, message style |
| 対応が必要である。 | Taiō ga hitsuyō de aru. | A response is necessary. |
| 原因は不明である。 | Gen'in wa fumei de aru. | The cause is unknown. |
| 改善の余地がある。 | Kaizen no yochi ga aru. | There is room for improvement. |
| 継続して監視する。 | Keizoku shite kanshi suru. | Monitoring will continue. |
Numbers and evidence
Reports are expected to be specific. Vague quantifiers weaken a report considerably, and replacing them with figures is the fastest way to improve one.
Where a figure is uncertain, say so explicitly rather than hedging the whole sentence.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 前月比で十五パーセント増加した。 | Zengetsu-hi de jūgo pāsento zōka shita. | Increased fifteen per cent on the previous month. |
| 三件の報告があった。 | Sanken no hōkoku ga atta. | There were three reports. |
| 概算である。 | Gaisan de aru. | This is an estimate. |
| 数値は暫定である。 | Sūchi wa zantei de aru. | The figures are provisional. |
| 詳細は別紙のとおり。 | Shōsai wa besshi no tōri. | Details are as per the attachment. |
| 出典は末尾に記載。 | Shutten wa matsubi ni kisai. | Sources are listed at the end. |
Before you send it
Two checks catch most problems. First, does the opening line state the conclusion? Second, can a reader tell which statements are facts and which are yours?
The third is style consistency: a report that starts in plain style and drifts into polite endings is a common slip and an obvious one to a Japanese reader.
- The first line states the conclusion.
- Facts and analysis are in separate sections or clearly marked.
- The style is consistent throughout, with no polite endings mixed in.
- Every number has a source or is labelled as an estimate.
- It fits on one page unless there is a reason it cannot.