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Dear Mr. Goro Tanaka,
Nihon Company
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(1) ニホン社
(1) nihon sha
(1) Nihon Company
(2) 田中五郎様
(2) tanaka goro sama
Dear (2) Mr. Goro Tanaka.
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(1): If the email is for business, including the company name sounds more formal and polite. Please note the company name comes before person's name in Japan.
(2): If you know the recipient's name, use it with the suffix "様" (-sama). In a person's name, too, order is reversed: the family name precedes the first name. Since the family name is more important in Japanese society, many websites only show the family names of contact people. In this case, just add "様" to the family name:
田中様 tanaka sama Dear Mr. Tanaka
If the contact name is not given at all (this is often the case in Japan), use the following:
ご担当者様 go tantōsha sama Someone who are in charge
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Hi. I'm John Smith.
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はじめまして。
hajime mashite.
How do you do?
(3) ジョン・スミスと申します。
(3) jon sumisu to mōshi masu.
My name is (3) John Smith.
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(3): This is how this name is pronounced in Japanese. Replace it with your name transcribed in the Japanese katakana alphabet. See this link for the katakana conversion table. For popular names, you can get them instantly converted with the Google translation tool (https://translate.google.com/). You may think, then why not translate all these messages with this Google gizmo? You can do if you like, of course, but I simply wouldn't recommend it. If machines can do it right, I wouldn't have put up this page!
It's a typical way to start your email. If it's for business, your company name should be combined with your name, like "I'm XXX of YYY company" since (strangely) the company name can represent who you are in Japanese business society. See the next example.
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Hello.
I'm John Smith at XXX Corporation.
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はじめまして、(4) XXX社のジョン・スミスと申します。
hajime mashite, (4) XXX sha no jon sumisu to mōshi masu.
How do you do? I'm John Smith at (4) XXX Corporation.
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(4): Insert your company name. Transcribe it in katakana by using the conversion table. You may want to include your job title or what you're doing at your company, use the next sample:
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Hello.
I'm John Smith and working an engineer at XXX Corporation.
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はじめまして、XXX社で(5) エンジニアを務めておりますジョン・スミスと申します。
hajime mashite, XXX sha de (5) enjinia wo tsutomete orimasu jon sumisu to mōshi masu.
How do you do? I'm John Smith and working as (5) an engineer at XXX Corporation.
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(3): Insert your job. Use the Job/Occupation List to find your job.
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Hello.
I'm John Smith and a caterer in New York.
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はじめまして、(6) ニューヨークで(7) ケータリング業を営んでおりますジョン・スミスと申します。
hajime mashite, (6) nyū yōku de (7) kētaringu gyō wo itonande orimasu jon sumisu to mōshi masu.
How do you do? I'm John Smith and running the (7) catering business in (6) New York.
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Try this sample, if you are self-employed and running your own business.
(4): Just add where you are based. Transcription of major cities in the world may be available with the Google tool. If you can't, use the conversion table.
(5): Insert your business. Use the Job/Occupation List to find your business.
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Hello.
I'm John Smith and a professor at YYY University.
(or)
I'm John Smith and teaching at YYY University.
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はじめまして、(8) YYY大学で(9) 教授を務めておりますジョン・スミスと申します。
hajime mashite, (8) YYY daigaku de (9) kyōju wo tsutomete orimasu jon sumisu to mōshi masu.
How do you do? I'm John Smith and (9) a professor at (8) YYY University.
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はじめまして、(8) YYY大学で教鞭をとっておりますジョン・スミスと申します。
hajime mashite, (6) YYY daigaku de kyōben wo totte orimasu jon sumisu to mōshi masu.
How do you do? I'm John Smith and teaching at (8) YYY University.
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If you are a teacher, professor or other teaching job, you can say like the above.
(8): How to write your university or school name in Japanese:
YYY (Proper noun, e.g. New York) + University = YYY (Transcribe in katakana) + 大学 (daigaku)
YYY (Proper noun, e.g. New York) + School = YYY (Transcribe in katakana) + 学校 (school)
(9): Insert your title. Use the Job/Occupation List to find it.
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