公式文書と通知Official Documents and Notices
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Read a public notice, policy statement, or set of guidelines and identify its purpose, scope, conditions, and required actions.
- Recognize the written-style patterns 〜にあたり, 〜ものとする, and 〜こと in official documents and understand the function each performs.
- Distinguish formal written style from the spoken keigo introduced in Chapter 6, and explain why the two differ in a notice, application, or set of rules.
- Read a simple application form and identify what information it requests and how it should be completed.
- Interpret the structure of a numbered set of guidelines or rules, including headings, numbered items, and the closing note or contact information.
- Write a short official-style notice or set of guidelines using appropriate formal nominalization and layout conventions.
- Ask a colleague or institution a clarifying question about a notice or application in appropriately formal spoken Japanese.
- Complete a task that combines reading an official document with producing a related written or spoken response.
Communication Scenario
Following the planning meeting in Chapter 7, Emma's organization has decided to move forward with the autumn recycling awareness event. Before the event can proceed, the office must issue an internal notice announcing the date and asking staff to submit a simple participation form, and Emma has been asked to help post an updated set of building guidelines for volunteers who will be staffing the event. She also needs to read the organization's existing notice board to understand how such documents are normally written, since her own drafts will be reviewed by 田中さん before posting. This chapter gives Emma the tools she needs: reading and writing formal notices, understanding regulation-style language such as 〜ものとする and 〜こと, completing and explaining a simple application form, and asking clarifying questions about official documents without sounding uncertain or careless.
- The learner reads an internal notice and identifies its purpose, date, and required action.
- The learner reads a short set of numbered guidelines and explains what each rule requires.
- The learner reads and completes a simple application form.
- The learner writes a short notice or set of guidelines using this chapter's formal written patterns.
- The learner asks a clarifying question about a document in appropriately formal spoken Japanese.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary supports policies, guidelines, public notices, applications, rules, and announcements. All items below are active for production.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 通知 | つうち | notice, notification | noun; often with 〜を出す "to issue a notice" |
| 方針 | ほうしん | policy, guiding direction | noun; broader than a single rule |
| 規則 | きそく | rule, regulation | noun; often listed as numbered items |
| 申請する | しんせいする | to apply, to submit an application | する-verb; used with a form or document as object |
| 対象 | たいしょう | eligible party, subject, target | noun; often with 〜とする "to designate as eligible" |
| 適用する | てきようする | to apply (a rule), to put into effect | する-verb; distinct from 申請する |
| 遵守する | じゅんしゅする | to comply with, to observe (a rule) | する-verb; formal register, common in guidelines |
| 記入する | きにゅうする | to fill in, to enter (on a form) | する-verb; used for completing application forms |
| 問い合わせ | といあわせ | inquiry | noun; often appears at the end of a notice with contact information |
| 締め切り | しめきり | deadline | noun; recycled from earlier volumes in a formal document context |
All items above are productive at this chapter's level. 締め切り is recycled from an earlier volume in the new context of official documents.
れんしゅう — Practice: Write one original sentence using each vocabulary item above, in a context involving a notice, a policy, a set of rules, or an application form.
Script and Orthography Focus
This chapter's script focus is high-density kanji, headings, numbering, official layout, and legal-adjacent caution when reading or drafting formal documents.
Official notices and guidelines are typically denser in kanji than conversational writing and rely heavily on layout to organize meaning: a title, a short statement of purpose, numbered items, and a closing line with contact information or a deadline. Learners should scan this structure first — title, numbered items, closing line — before reading every sentence closely, since the layout itself often answers "what is this document for" and "what do I need to do." Furigana appears only on 通知, 方針, 規則, and 申請 the first time each appears, matching this volume's exceptional-furigana policy.
Numbered items in official documents commonly use full-width numerals with a period, such as 一、 or １．, depending on the organization's house style; this chapter uses Arabic numerals with a period for consistency with earlier chapters' numbering conventions.
れんしゅう — Practice: Before reading the guidelines passage in Reading Practice, scan only the title and the numbered headings and predict, in English, what topic each numbered item is likely to cover.
Pronunciation and Listening Focus
When a formal written notice is read aloud, such as at the start of a meeting or over an office announcement system, the reader typically uses a flatter, more even intonation than in conversation, with clear pauses at each numbered item and at the closing line. This differs from the trailing, invitational intonation of a hedged proposal from Chapter 7; a notice is being reported, not negotiated. In this chapter's Listening Practice, listen for these clear item-by-item pauses as a signal of formal read-aloud style.
Continue maintaining mora timing, vowel length, moraic ん, and phrase-level intonation as in previous chapters. No new pitch-accent notation is introduced in this chapter.
Grammar: Official Written Style
This chapter activates written-style grammar recognition for 〜にあたり, 〜ものとする, 〜こと, and formal nominalization, building on the operational keigo and negotiation language from Chapters 6 and 7.
Marking a formal occasion with 〜にあたり
Purpose: to introduce the circumstance or occasion for an announcement in a formal, written register, roughly corresponding to "on the occasion of ___" or "in ___-ing."
Stating a regulation with 〜ものとする
Purpose: to state a rule, policy, or provision in an impersonal, regulatory way, without naming who is responsible for enforcing it.
Listing requirements with 〜こと
Purpose: to state a required action as a numbered item in a list of rules or guidelines, without a full sentence-final predicate.
Formal nominalization and document structure
A typical internal notice or set of guidelines follows a predictable order: a title naming the document, a short opening statement (often using 〜にあたり or a similarly formal opening), a numbered list of items (often ending in 〜こと or a regulatory 〜ものとする), and a closing line giving a deadline, a contact person, or an inquiries address, frequently introduced with 問い合わせ. Recognizing this structure helps a reader locate the purpose, the requirements, and the necessary follow-up action even in a document with unfamiliar vocabulary.
Grammar Practice
- Identify the function of 〜にあたり in the following sentence and explain it in English: 新しい規則を導入するにあたり、説明会を行います。
- Rewrite the following spoken instruction as a numbered rule using 〜こと: 申請書を必ず記入してください。
- Identify whether the following sentence is a formal regulatory statement or a direct spoken request, and explain how you know: 対象となる方は、事前に申請するものとする。
- Draft one opening line and one numbered rule for a short notice about a volunteer sign-up deadline, following the models above.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Emma has just read a draft notice posted on the office board and asks 田中さん a clarifying question about it.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What problem does Emma identify in the draft notice?
- What written-style pattern from this chapter appears in the sentence Emma quotes from the notice?
- What two changes does 田中さん agree to make to the notice by the end of the conversation?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Structure hunt. Given a short official notice (provided by your instructor or drawn from the Reading Practice passage below), label its title, opening statement, numbered items, and closing line.
タスク２ — Pattern spotting. Underline every instance of 〜にあたり, 〜ものとする, and 〜こと in the Reading Practice passage and state the function of each.
タスク３ — Form walkthrough. Working with a partner, take turns explaining aloud, in plain conversational Japanese, what each field on a simple application form is asking for.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a natural, even pace, pausing clearly between numbered items.
きくタスク — An office announcement read aloud
お知らせいたします。秋のリサイクル啓発イベントを開催するにあたり、参加を希望する職員は、次の点にご注意ください。一、参加申請書は来月十日までに提出すること。二、当日は担当者の指示に従うこと。三、不明な点がある場合は、総務課までお問い合わせください。以上です。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Identify (1) the occasion the announcement introduces, (2) the deadline mentioned, (3) the two numbered requirements, and (4) where to direct further questions.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Explaining a rule aloud
- この規則は、＿＿＿＿＿という意味です。
- この通知によると、締め切りは＿＿＿＿＿です。
- ご不明な点がございましたら、＿＿＿＿＿までお問い合わせください。
コミュニケーションタスク — Explaining a notice to a colleague
In pairs, one partner reads a short notice silently and then explains its purpose, requirements, and deadline aloud to the other partner in plain conversational Japanese, as if the other partner had not seen the notice. The listening partner should ask at least one clarifying question, using a formal turn-taking signal from Chapter 6 or 7.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Recorded clarifying question
Record a 20–30 second turn as if speaking to a supervisor about a notice you have just read: politely signal that you have a question, quote or paraphrase the unclear point, and ask what it means or when the deadline is. Listen back and check that your question sounds polite and specific rather than vague.
Reading Practice
Read the following notice and application form, then answer the questions below. Furigana is provided only on the first occurrence of each new chapter kanji compound.
秋のリサイクル啓発イベント ボランティア募集について
通知：秋のリサイクル啓発イベントを開催するにあたり、当日運営を手伝ってくださるボランティアを募集いたします。対象となる方は、当団体の会員で、当日十時から十六時まで参加できる方です。
参加を希望する方は、次の規則を遵守すること。
１．参加申請書は来月十日までに提出すること。
２．当日は係員の指示に従うこと。
３．欠席する場合は、必ず事前に連絡すること。
ご不明な点がございましたら、問い合わせ先（総務課）までご連絡ください。
参加申請書（記入例）
氏名：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
会員番号：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
参加可能時間：＿＿時 〜 ＿＿時
連絡先（電話番号またはメールアドレス）：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
備考：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What occasion does the notice's opening statement introduce, and which pattern from this chapter introduces it?
- Who is eligible to volunteer, according to the notice?
- List the three numbered requirements and restate each in your own words in English.
- What five pieces of information does the application form ask a volunteer to provide?
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will write a short internal notice announcing an activity and stating two or three requirements, following the layout modeled above.
- Write a title naming the notice, following the modeled layout.
- Write an opening statement introducing the occasion for the notice, using 〜にあたり or a similarly formal opening.
- State who is eligible or affected, using 対象 and related vocabulary.
- Write two or three numbered requirements, using 〜こと to close each item.
- Write a closing line giving a deadline and an inquiries contact, using 締め切り and 問い合わせ.
- Audit your notice for accurate vocabulary, correct kanji, consistent formal written register, and a clear, complete structure.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- My notice has a clear title.
- The opening statement clearly introduces the occasion for the notice.
- Eligibility or scope is clearly stated.
- I have written at least two numbered requirements using 〜こと.
- The closing line includes a deadline and a contact point for inquiries.
- I have checked kanji, particles, formal written predicate forms, and register consistency throughout.
Culture and Communication
Learners who have just built strong control of spoken keigo in Chapter 6 sometimes expect a written notice to sound the same way. In practice, formal written Japanese used in notices, guidelines, and regulations favors impersonal, standing statements — patterns like 〜ものとする and 〜こと — over the interpersonal politeness markers used in speech. This is not a contradiction: spoken keigo manages a relationship between specific speakers in the moment, while written regulatory style states a rule that applies regardless of who is reading it. Both are part of an educated adult's control of Japanese, and professional contexts typically require both.
The exact layout, numbering style, and level of formality used in a notice can vary by organization, industry, and even individual department, and some workplaces increasingly post informal digital notices alongside or instead of traditional printed ones. The patterns in this chapter are broadly usable defaults for general institutional notices, not the only acceptable format.
〜にあたり, 〜ものとする, and 〜こと are introduced here mainly as reading targets. Learners should focus first on recognizing these patterns confidently in authentic-style notices; controlled production in a guided writing task, as in this chapter's Writing Workshop, is sufficient at this stage. Full independent production of regulatory prose is developed further across later chapters of this unit.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: １．申請書を締め切りまでに提出してください。 used as a numbered item in a formal notice.
Correction: １．申請書は締め切りまでに提出すること。 — numbered rules in a formal notice normally close with こと rather than a spoken request form.
Error: この規則を申請する, intending to say that a rule is being applied or put into effect.
Correction: この規則を適用する。 — 申請する means "to apply" in the sense of submitting a request or application (a person applies for something); 適用する means "to apply" in the sense of putting a rule into effect.
Error: A drafted notice that states requirements but gives the reader no way to ask a question or confirm details.
Correction: Close the notice with a line such as ご不明な点がございましたら、問い合わせ先までご連絡ください。 — official notices normally tell the reader where to direct questions.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Write one original sentence for each vocabulary item in the Core Vocabulary table, applied to a notice, a policy, a set of rules, or an application form.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write the readings for 通知, 方針, 規則, and 申請 from memory, then check them against this chapter.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Explain, in your own words, the difference between a numbered rule ending in こと and the same requirement expressed as a spoken request with 〜てください.
2. Identify 〜にあたり, 〜ものとする, and 〜こと in one sentence each drawn from the Reading Practice passage, and explain the function of each.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at the notice and application form in Reading Practice. Summarize, in English, the notice's purpose, eligibility, requirements, and closing information, and list what the application form asks for.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your notice following the Writing Workshop steps, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Present or record the clarifying-question task from Speaking Practice, as part of the Practical Performance Task below.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
公式文書と通知 — Reading and writing an official notice
Complete both parts below to demonstrate control of this chapter's systems.
- Written notice: Write a short internal notice (following the Writing Workshop steps) announcing an activity, stating eligibility, listing at least two numbered requirements with 〜こと, and closing with a deadline and inquiries contact. Audit it using the Writing Workshop checklist before submitting.
- Spoken clarifying exchange: Participate in a one-to-two minute simulated exchange with a partner or instructor in which you have read a notice and ask at least one polite, specific clarifying question about its content, following the model in the Model Dialogue and Speaking Practice sections.
Assessment focus: accurate recognition and controlled use of 〜にあたり, 〜ものとする, and 〜こと; clear, complete notice structure; correctly used chapter vocabulary; consistent formal written register distinct from conversational keigo; a specific and politely phrased clarifying question; and comprehensible pronunciation with even, formal read-aloud prosody where relevant.
Answer Key
Vocabulary and Script Review
Open-ended for original sentences; check readings for 通知 (つうち), 方針 (ほうしん), 規則 (きそく), and 申請 (しんせい) against this chapter.
Grammar Practice
Model answers: (1) 〜にあたり introduces the occasion for the announcement — "in introducing the new rule, we will hold an information session." (2) 申請書は必ず記入すること。 (3) It is a formal regulatory statement, identifiable by 〜ものとする, which states a standing provision rather than making a direct request of a specific listener. (4) Model opening line: ボランティアを募集するにあたり、以下の点をご確認ください。 Model numbered rule: 参加を希望する方は、来月五日までに申し込むこと。
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Emma notices that the deadline date is missing from the notice, even though the text refers to "the deadline."
- The quoted sentence uses 〜こと to close a numbered requirement (申請書は締め切りまでに提出すること).
- 田中さん agrees to add the missing deadline date and to include a contact point for inquiries.
Listening Practice — Model summary
The announcement introduces the occasion of the autumn recycling awareness event; the deadline mentioned is the tenth of next month; the two numbered requirements are submitting the application form by the deadline and following staff instructions on the day of the event; further questions should be directed to the general affairs section (総務課).
Reading Practice — Comprehension
- The opening statement introduces the occasion of holding the autumn recycling awareness event, using 〜にあたり.
- Eligible volunteers are members of the organization who can participate from ten in the morning to four in the afternoon on the day of the event.
- The three requirements are: submit the participation application form by the tenth of next month; follow staff instructions on the day of the event; and contact the organizers in advance if unable to attend.
- The application form asks for name, member number, available participation hours, contact information (phone or email), and remarks.
Chapter Review — Sections A and B
Open-ended; check against the Core Vocabulary and Script and Orthography Focus sections above.
Chapter Review — Section C
See the grammar explanations and model answers above.
Chapter Review — Section D
See the Reading Practice comprehension answers above.
Chapter Review — Sections E and F, and Practical Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate the written notice against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate the spoken clarifying exchange 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 read a public notice, policy, or set of guidelines and identify its purpose, eligibility, and requirements; recognize 〜にあたり, 〜ものとする, and 〜こと in official writing; read and complete a simple application form; write a short official-style notice; and ask a clarifying question about a document in appropriately formal spoken Japanese. Chapter 9 turns to formal presentations, building on this chapter's institutional register control to prepare and deliver advanced oral presentations and handle audience questions.