メールと文書Emails and Documents
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Open and close a formal email using standard Japanese business and institutional formulas.
- State a request in writing using softened, polite forms rather than a direct command.
- Attach or refer to a document clearly and confirm that the recipient has what they need.
- Write a short apology appropriate to a scheduling problem, mistake, or delay.
- Confirm a plan, date, or piece of information in writing and ask the reader to check it.
- Recognize noun-heavy written style in short business and institutional notices.
- Complete listening, speaking, reading, and writing tasks built around a formal email exchange.
Communication Scenario
After her presentation at the volunteer meeting, Emma has been asked to help the community center coordinate a small repair project for the recycling collection point. She needs to email the building manager, 佐藤さん, to request permission to use a storage room, attach a simple floor plan, apologize for the short notice, and confirm the date of the work. This chapter's Practical Performance Task asks you to write and respond to a short formal email exchange of your own, using a request, an attachment reference, an apology, and a confirmation.
- The writer opens the email with a standard greeting appropriate to a business or institutional relationship.
- The writer states a request using a softened, polite request pattern.
- The writer refers to an attached document and apologizes for any inconvenience.
- The writer confirms a date or detail and closes the email with a standard closing formula.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary supports writing and reading emails, attachments, requests, apologies, confirmations, applications, and short reports in practical and workplace-adjacent settings.
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 文書 | ぶんしょ | document |
| 添付 | てんぷ | attachment (of a file) |
| 依頼 | いらい | request (formal) |
| 確認 | かくにん | confirmation; checking |
| 申し込み | もうしこみ | application; sign-up |
| 報告 | ほうこく | report (act of reporting) |
| 件名 | けんめい | subject line (of an email) |
| 締め切り | しめきり | deadline |
| お詫び | おわび | apology (polite noun) |
| お世話になる | おせわになる | to be indebted to / to receive someone's help (formulaic) |
These items recur in the model dialogue, email passages, and assessment tasks below, combined with this chapter's formal-writing and request-softening grammar.
れんしゅう — Practice: Choose four words from the table above and write one sentence for each describing an email or document you might send at work, school, or in a community setting.
Script and Kanji Focus
This chapter introduces kanji for document, attachment, request, and confirmation. Furigana continues to be reduced, following the Furigana / Reading-Support Matrix; it remains available for names and any unscheduled readings.
Formal emails and documents often string several kanji compounds together as noun phrases rather than full sentences, for example 添付資料ご確認のほどよろしくお願いいたします. Read these phrases by first identifying each noun compound (添付資料, ご確認) and then supplying the missing verbs and particles mentally, the same expansion strategy you used for presentation slides in Chapter 12.
Kanji from this chapter, such as 文書, 添付, 依頼, and 確認, will continue to appear in Chapter 16's specialized and institutional readings, so treat them as durable vocabulary rather than words limited to email.
れんしゅう — Practice: Write the readings for 文書, 添付, 依頼, and 確認 from memory. Then write one sentence using 添付 together with 確認.
Pronunciation and Listening Focus
Formal opening and closing formulas such as いつもお世話になっております and よろしくお願いいたします are usually spoken as single, smoothly connected phrases rather than word by word. When these formulas are read aloud, for example at the start of a phone call or voicemail that follows up on a written request, keep the phrase together and avoid pausing in the middle of it.
- いつもお世話になっております。 (いつもおせわになっております。): one connected phrase, slight pause after it.
- よろしくお願いいたします。: keep お願いいたします together as a single closing unit.
Practice reading the Reading Assessment email aloud as if leaving a short voicemail confirming its contents, keeping each formulaic phrase connected.
Grammar: Formal Formulas and Softened Requests
This chapter authorizes standard opening and closing formulas, よろしくお願いいたします and related set forms, softened request patterns, and recognition of noun-heavy written style, building on the polite and formal-register systems developed since Chapter 6.
Opening and closing formulas
Purpose: to begin and end a formal email in a way that is recognizable and appropriate, without composing an entirely original greeting each time.
- いつもお世話になっております。Thank you for your continued support. (formulaic email opener)お世話になる, formulaic, used regardless of literal meaning
- 〇〇コミュニティセンターのエマです。This is Emma from the [Name] Community Center.self-identification following the opener
- よろしくお願いいたします。Thank you in advance. (standard closing)お願いいたします, more formal than お願いします
Softened requests
Purpose: to ask for something in writing without sounding like a direct command, appropriate to a relationship with distance or formality.
- 来週までにご確認いただけますか。Could you please check this by next week?ご＋noun＋いただけますか, polite request frame
- 恐れ入りますが、倉庫の使用について確認していただけないでしょうか。I'm sorry to trouble you, but could you possibly confirm about using the storage room?恐れ入りますが softens the request; 〜ていただけないでしょうか is more indirect than 〜ていただけますか
- お手数ですが、添付の文書をご確認ください。Sorry for the trouble, but please check the attached document.お手数ですが as a softening phrase before a request
Referring to an attachment
Purpose: to tell the reader that a document is attached and to direct their attention to it clearly.
- 簡単な図面を添付いたしました。I have attached a simple floor plan.添付いたしました, humble past form of 添付する
- 詳しい内容は添付の文書をご覧ください。Please see the attached document for the details.添付の文書 as a noun phrase referring to the file
Apologizing in writing
Purpose: to apologize briefly for short notice, an inconvenience, or a delay, without over-explaining.
- 急なご連絡になり、申し訳ございません。I'm very sorry for the sudden message.申し訳ございません, more formal than すみません
- ご不便をおかけして、お詫び申し上げます。I apologize for the inconvenience.お詫び申し上げます, formal written apology formula
Confirming a plan or detail
Purpose: to state a plan or piece of information clearly and invite the reader to check it, rather than assuming it is already understood.
- 作業は来週の水曜日に行う予定です。ご都合はいかがでしょうか。The work is planned for next Wednesday. How does that work for you?ご都合はいかがでしょうか, formal way to ask about availability
- 以上の内容でよろしければ、ご返信をお願いいたします。If the above is acceptable, please reply.以上の内容で〜, formal closing confirmation frame
Grammar Practice
- Rewrite 確認してください。 as a more softened request using 〜ていただけますか.
- Complete 恐れ入りますが、＿＿＿＿＿していただけないでしょうか。 with a request of your choice.
- Write one sentence referring to an attached document, following the pattern of 簡単な図面を添付いたしました。
- Write a short apology for short notice, following the pattern of 急なご連絡になり、申し訳ございません。
- Write a closing pair of sentences confirming a plan and inviting a reply, following the pattern of 以上の内容でよろしければ、ご返信をお願いいたします。
Model Dialogue
Setting: Emma discusses her draft email with her supervisor, 田中さん, before sending it to the building manager, 佐藤さん.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What opening formula does Emma use, and what does she state about herself?
- What does Emma attach to the email, and how does she refer to it?
- Why does 田中さん suggest that Emma include an apology?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Opening and closing. Write an opening formula with self-identification and a closing formula for an email to a school office, a workplace supervisor, and a public institution.
タスク２ — Softening a request. Given a direct request such as 部屋を貸してください。, rewrite it as a softened request using 〜ていただけますか or 〜ていただけないでしょうか.
タスク３ — Attachment reference. Given a document (a form, a schedule, a report), write one sentence referring to it as an attachment.
タスク４ — Apology practice. Write two short apologies: one for short notice, and one for a delay in replying.
タスク５ — Building a short email. Using the Building Block pattern from the Grammar section, write a short formal email that includes an opening, a softened request, an attachment reference, an apology, and a confirmation with a closing.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a clear, moderate pace, as if leaving a voicemail that confirms an email's contents.
きくタスク — A short confirmation voicemail
いつもお世話になっております。コミュニティセンターのエマです。先ほどメールで倉庫の使用についてお願いいたしました。図面も添付いたしましたので、ご確認いただけますか。作業は来週の水曜日に行う予定です。急なご連絡になり、申し訳ございません。よろしくお願いいたします。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Identify (1) who is speaking and where she works, (2) what she is requesting, (3) what she has attached, (4) the planned date of the work, and (5) the apology she includes.
This script combines opening and closing formulas, a softened request, an attachment reference, and an apology, assessing this chapter's listening comprehension cumulatively with Chapter 6's basic keigo.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Quick transformation prompts
- 「確認してください。」を、もっと丁寧な依頼の文にしてください。
- 「恐れ入りますが、＿＿＿＿＿していただけないでしょうか。」を完成させてください。
- 「急なご連絡になり、＿＿＿＿＿。」を完成させてください。
コミュニケーションタスク — Reading an email aloud and confirming by phone
With a partner, one person reads aloud the short email they wrote in Guided Practice Task 5, as if leaving a phone message summarizing it. The listener should note the request, the attachment, and the confirmed date, then repeat them back to check for accuracy.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: A rehearsed confirmation call
Choose the Listening Practice passage above, the Reading Assessment email below, or your own email from Guided Practice. Prepare and record a thirty-to-sixty-second spoken summary confirming its request, attachment, apology, and date. Listen back and check that each formal formula stays connected as a single phrase.
Reading Practice
Read the following short formal email, then answer the questions below.
佐藤様
いつもお世話になっております。コミュニティセンターのエマです。
恐れ入りますが、来月の分別収集所の修理のため、地下の倉庫を一日お借りできないでしょうか。詳しい内容は添付の文書をご確認ください。簡単な図面も添付いたしました。
急なお願いになり、申し訳ございません。作業は来週の水曜日に行う予定です。ご都合はいかがでしょうか。
以上の内容でよろしければ、ご返信をお願いいたします。よろしくお願いいたします。
エマ
This email combines opening and closing formulas, a softened request, an attachment reference, an apology, and a confirmation, assessing this chapter's reading comprehension cumulatively with Chapter 6's basic keigo.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What is the subject line of the email, and what does it tell you about the email's purpose?
- What is Emma requesting, and how is the request softened?
- What has Emma attached, and how does she refer to it?
- What apology does Emma include, and why?
- What does Emma ask 佐藤さん to do at the end of the email?
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will draft the written portion of your Practical Performance Task: a short formal email exchange based on a request, attachment, apology, and confirmation of your choice.
- Choose a scenario in which you need to make a request of an institution, workplace, or organization, real or invented for practice.
- Write your opening using いつもお世話になっております and a self-identification.
- State your request using a softened pattern such as 〜ていただけますか or 恐れ入りますが〜.
- Refer to an attachment relevant to your request, even if invented for practice.
- Include a brief apology if your request involves short notice or inconvenience.
- Confirm a date or detail and invite a reply.
- Close your email using よろしくお願いいたします, then revise your draft using the checklist below.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- My email opens with いつもお世話になっております and identifies me clearly.
- My request uses a softened pattern rather than a direct command.
- My email refers to an attachment clearly, using 添付 or a related phrase.
- My email includes an apology appropriate to the situation, if needed.
- My email confirms a date or detail and invites a reply.
- My email closes with よろしくお願いいたします or a similarly appropriate formula.
Culture and Communication
Formulas such as いつもお世話になっております and よろしくお願いいたします appear at the start and end of many Japanese business and institutional emails, regardless of whether the writer and reader have an ongoing relationship. Using these formulas signals that the writer understands professional convention; omitting them in a formal context can read as abrupt, even when the surrounding request is polite.
The exact wording of opening and closing formulas can vary somewhat by workplace, generation, and communication platform. Some workplaces use shorter formulas in internal chat tools than in emails to outside organizations, and younger colleagues may use somewhat less elaborate formulas with each other than with senior staff or outside contacts. Treat this chapter's formulas as a reliable, widely used default rather than the only acceptable wording.
Many languages soften written requests using indirect phrasing, conditional forms, or apologetic openers rather than direct imperatives. Comparing how your own language turns "check this" into a more indirect request can help clarify why Japanese so consistently pairs a request with a softening phrase such as 恐れ入りますが or お手数ですが.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Beginning a formal email directly with the request, such as *倉庫を貸してください。, without any opening formula or self-identification.
Correction: いつもお世話になっております。コミュニティセンターのエマです。 — open with a standard formula and identify yourself before making a request.
Error: *確認してください。 used alone in a formal email to someone outside a close working relationship.
Correction: ご確認いただけますか。 or 恐れ入りますが、ご確認していただけないでしょうか。 — soften the request appropriately to the relationship and setting.
Error: Attaching a file to an email without any sentence telling the reader that something is attached or what it contains.
Correction: 簡単な図面を添付いたしました。 — always state clearly in the body of the email that a document is attached and what it is.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Use 文書, 添付, 依頼, 確認, and 報告 each in one original sentence about an email or document.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write the readings for all four new kanji words in the Script and Kanji Focus section from memory, then check them against that section.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Complete the five Grammar Practice items above, if you have not already done so.
2. Explain, in your own words, the difference in politeness between 確認してください and 確認していただけないでしょうか, and give one original example of each.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at the email in the Reading Practice section. Write two sentences summarizing its request and its confirmed date, using at least one formula from this chapter.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your email following the Writing Workshop steps, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Record or deliver your rehearsed confirmation summary, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
メールと文書 — Writing and confirming a short formal email exchange
Using a request scenario of your choice, real or invented for practice, complete all four components below.
- Email draft: Write a formal email of at least six sentences, following the Writing Workshop steps, including an opening formula, a softened request, an attachment reference, an apology, and a confirmation with a closing.
- Reply draft: Write a short reply to your own email, as if from the recipient, confirming the date and thanking the writer.
- Spoken confirmation: With a partner, instructor, or recording, deliver a thirty-to-sixty-second spoken summary confirming the contents of your email, as if leaving a phone message.
- Peer or self-audit: Exchange your email with a partner, or review your own after a break, and check specifically that the opening and closing formulas, the softened request, the attachment reference, and the confirmed date are all present.
Assessment focus: correct and natural use of opening and closing formulas; appropriately softened request language; a clear attachment reference; an apology suited to the situation; a clearly confirmed date or detail; and comprehensible spoken delivery of the summary.
Answer Key
Core Vocabulary and Script Review
Open-ended; check readings and sentences against the Core Vocabulary table and the Script and Kanji Focus section above.
Grammar Practice
- Model answer: ご確認いただけますか。
- Open-ended; model answer: 恐れ入りますが、日程を変更していただけないでしょうか。
- Model answer: 申込書を添付いたしました。
- Model answer: 急なご連絡になり、申し訳ございません。
- Model answer: 以上の内容でよろしければ、ご返信をお願いいたします。
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Emma uses いつもお世話になっております and identifies herself as being from the community center.
- Emma attaches a floor plan and refers to it with 添付いたしました.
- 田中さん suggests an apology because the request is sudden (急なお願い).
Listening Practice — Model summary
Emma, from the community center, left a voicemail confirming an email in which she requested use of the storage room. She mentioned that she attached a floor plan and asked for confirmation. The work is planned for next Wednesday. She apologized for the short notice of her request.
Reading Practice — Comprehension
- The subject line concerns using the storage room and indicates that the email contains a request.
- Emma is requesting to borrow the underground storage room for one day; the request is softened with 恐れ入りますが and 〜できないでしょうか.
- Emma attaches a document with details and a simple floor plan, referring to them as 添付の文書 and 図面.
- Emma apologizes for the suddenness of the request (急なお願い), because she is asking with relatively short notice.
- Emma asks 佐藤さん to reply if the contents of the email are acceptable.
Chapter Review — Sections A and B
Open-ended; check against the Core Vocabulary and Script and Kanji Focus sections above.
Chapter Review — Section C
Open-ended for item 1; see Grammar Practice guidance above. For item 2, a correct explanation notes that 確認してください is a plain polite request suitable among close colleagues or in casual workplace contexts, while 確認していただけないでしょうか is a more indirect, formal request appropriate to a reader with social distance, such as an outside institution or a supervisor.
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: 恐れ入りますが、倉庫の使用についてお願いいたしました。作業は来週の水曜日に行う予定です。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)
Chapter Review — Sections E and F, and Practical Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate the written email and reply against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate the spoken confirmation and peer or self-audit against the assessment focus listed under the Practical Performance Task.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can open and close a formal email appropriately, soften a written request, refer clearly to an attachment, apologize briefly for an inconvenience, and confirm a plan or detail in writing. This continues Unit III, 情報と表現, and prepares you to move from practical formal writing into longer narrative reading.