Japanese Self-Introduction (Jikoshoukai): Script, Phrases, and Examples

A self-introduction is the first thing anyone says in Japanese, and the one you will repeat hundreds of times. Here is how to get it right.

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Illustration with the kanji for self-introduction and a speech bubble saying hajimemashite
What you need to know

Japanese Self-Introduction (Jikoshoukai): Script, Phrases, and Examples

In Japan, a self-introduction, or jikoshoukai (自己紹介), follows a predictable pattern that you can learn in an afternoon. This guide walks through the five parts of a natural introduction, gives you phrases at both polite and casual levels, shows three complete examples, and lists the mistakes learners make most often. Because the structure is so predictable, it is also the ideal first conversation to practise out loud until it feels automatic.

Every jikoshoukai follows the same five-part structure

Polite forms work everywhere; casual forms are for friends and classmates

Full example scripts for a beginner, a student, and a working professional

The five mistakes that make introductions sound unnatural

Why the self-introduction matters so much

Japanese social life runs on group membership. When you join anything new, from a language class to a company department to a hiking club, you are expected to stand up and give a short jikoshoukai. Because everyone does it, everyone knows the format, and a smooth introduction signals that you understand how things work.

For learners the introduction is a gift: it is the one conversation you can fully prepare for. Getting it fluent gives you a confident opening in every new situation and a bank of sentences about yourself that you will reuse constantly.

The five-part structure

  • Opening greeting: hajimemashite (nice to meet you).
  • Name: your name followed by desu, or to moushimasu for a more formal tone.
  • Where you are from and, if useful, where you live now.
  • What you do: student, job, field of study, or why you are learning Japanese.
  • A hobby or a goal, then the closing phrase yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

That is the whole thing. A beginner version takes about fifteen seconds. Adding one extra sentence to each part gives you a one-minute introduction that works in a business setting.

Essential phrases

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
はじめまして。Hajimemashite.Nice to meet you. (used only the first time you meet)
田中です。Tanaka desu.I am Tanaka. (standard polite)
田中と申します。Tanaka to moushimasu.My name is Tanaka. (humble, for business and formal settings)
アメリカから来ました。Amerika kara kimashita.I came from America.
カナダ出身です。Kanada shusshin desu.I am from Canada.
今、東京に住んでいます。Ima, Tōkyō ni sunde imasu.I live in Tokyo now.
大学生です。Daigakusei desu.I am a university student.
会社員です。Kaishain desu.I am a company employee.
エンジニアをしています。Enjinia o shite imasu.I work as an engineer.
日本語を勉強しています。Nihongo o benkyō shite imasu.I am studying Japanese.
趣味は料理です。Shumi wa ryōri desu.My hobby is cooking.
趣味は音楽を聞くことです。Shumi wa ongaku o kiku koto desu.My hobby is listening to music.
日本の文化に興味があります。Nihon no bunka ni kyōmi ga arimasu.I am interested in Japanese culture.
どうぞよろしくお願いします。Dōzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.I look forward to getting to know you. (closing)

Example 1: a beginner introduction

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
はじめまして。エマです。Hajimemashite. Ema desu.Nice to meet you. I am Emma.
イギリスから来ました。Igirisu kara kimashita.I came from the UK.
日本語を勉強しています。Nihongo o benkyō shite imasu.I am studying Japanese.
趣味は映画です。Shumi wa eiga desu.My hobby is movies.
どうぞよろしくお願いします。Dōzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Please treat me kindly.

Five sentences, all in polite form, and nothing you cannot memorise in a day. Notice there is no watashi wa anywhere. The topic is obviously you, so Japanese leaves it out.

Example 2: a student introduction with detail

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
はじめまして。リュウ・ミンです。Hajimemashite. Ryū Min desu.Nice to meet you. I am Liu Min.
上海出身で、今は大阪大学で経済を勉強しています。Shanhai shusshin de, ima wa Ōsaka daigaku de keizai o benkyō shite imasu.I am from Shanghai, and I am currently studying economics at Osaka University.
日本に来て半年です。Nihon ni kite hantoshi desu.It has been half a year since I came to Japan.
休みの日はよくラーメンを食べに行きます。Yasumi no hi wa yoku rāmen o tabe ni ikimasu.On my days off I often go out for ramen.
おすすめの店があったら教えてください。Osusume no mise ga attara oshiete kudasai.If you have a recommended shop, please tell me.
よろしくお願いします。Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.I look forward to getting to know you.

The final request is a small trick: it invites the listener to respond, turning a speech into the start of a conversation.

Example 3: a business introduction

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
はじめまして。ABC株式会社の佐藤と申します。Hajimemashite. ABC kabushiki-gaisha no Satō to moushimasu.Nice to meet you. My name is Sato from ABC Corporation.
マーケティングを担当しております。Māketingu o tantō shite orimasu.I am in charge of marketing.
日本語はまだ勉強中ですので、ゆっくり話していただけると助かります。Nihongo wa mada benkyō-chū desu node, yukkuri hanashite itadakeru to tasukarimasu.I am still studying Japanese, so it would help if you could speak slowly.
本日はどうぞよろしくお願いいたします。Honjitsu wa dōzo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.Thank you in advance for today.

Business introductions use humble verbs such as moushimasu and shite orimasu, lead with the company name, and end with the extra-polite onegai itashimasu. The sentence asking people to speak slowly is worth memorising; it is polite, honest, and makes the rest of the meeting easier.

Five mistakes to avoid

  • Adding san to your own name. Honorifics are for other people only.
  • Starting every sentence with watashi wa. Drop it once the topic is clear.
  • Mixing casual and polite forms. Choose desu and masu throughout unless you are clearly among friends.
  • Translating an English introduction word for word. Japanese introductions are shorter and follow the fixed order above.
  • Forgetting the closing phrase. Ending without yoroshiku onegaishimasu feels abrupt, like hanging up without saying goodbye.

How to practise until it is automatic

Write your introduction, then say it aloud ten times without looking. Next, record yourself and listen for hesitation. Then practise the questions that usually follow: Where in your country are you from? How long have you studied Japanese? Why did you start? What do you do on weekends?

The Self Introduction topic on Unihongo is built for exactly this. Your AI Sensei listens to your introduction, asks natural follow-up questions, and shows corrections afterwards so you can tighten the sentences you will say most often. Do it three days in a row and the introduction stops being a speech and becomes something you simply say.

Key points

A practical way to improve

Write your own introduction using the template, then say it aloud until you can deliver it without reading. Next, practise the follow-up questions people are likely to ask, because the introduction is only the opening move in a real conversation.

  1. 1

    Choose one clear goal

    Focus each session on a situation or skill you can actually use.

  2. 2

    Practice actively

    Say complete answers aloud instead of only reading or recognizing Japanese.

  3. 3

    Review and repeat

    Keep useful corrections and revisit the same skill until it feels natural.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is jikoshoukai?

Jikoshoukai (自己紹介) means self-introduction. It is a short, structured speech Japanese people give when they join a class, a company, a club, or meet a new group, typically covering your name, where you are from, what you do, and a hobby or goal, and ending with yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

Should I say watashi wa before my name?

In a self-introduction you can drop watashi wa entirely. Saying your name followed by desu or to moushimasu is natural. Starting every sentence with watashi wa sounds stiff and is one of the most common learner habits.

Do I add san to my own name?

No. San is an honorific used for other people. Introducing yourself as Tanaka-san sounds strange to Japanese ears. Use your family name or full name with desu or to moushimasu.

What does yoroshiku onegaishimasu mean in a self-introduction?

It has no direct English equivalent. At the end of an introduction it means something like I look forward to working with you or please treat me kindly. Every introduction ends with it, so learn it as a fixed phrase.

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