AboutTai Yamanaka Expertise I can answer questions regarding Japanese business culture, business etiquette, corporate society, as well as provide know-how on how to research industries, corporations and communicate with business contacts.
Experience I have over 20 years of experience working in Japanese corporations as well as for American corporations doing business with Japan. I have served as a representative as well as a go-between for American and other corporations with Japanese businesses, industry and scholarly associations as well as government agencies
Expert: Tai Yamanaka Date: 11/15/2007 Subject: Opening greeting to a high level Japanese businessman
Question QUESTION: I am looking for the proper greeting or opening to a very high level japanes businessman for an email.
Thank you,
Ben
ANSWER: Hello Ben,
Thank you for your question.
The short answer is that there is no special way for addressing high level Japanese businessmen if you are writing in English. Just be polite ("Dear Sir" is just as good as any other form of address) and since English is probably not his native language, use short, clear sentences and do not use contractions.
If you were writing in Japanese, there are all sorts of conventions about what to say first, such as the particular greeting of the season, how to express appreciation for your business relationship and the form in which the recipient should be addressed, and so forth, but these formalities apply only if you are using Japanese.
In English, there are no equivalent conventions or stylistic forms, and those conventions would sound awfully strange, if used in translation.
So the solution is to be as polite and proper as you can be, using the English language.
I hope this helps.
Please let me know if I can help with other questions.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi I do have one last question. In regards the opening Dear___ Would I use the last name as in Mr.____? I have both first and last names and would be likley to use the last name
Thanks again!
Answer Hello Ben,
Thank you for your follow-up question.
Yes, you should use the last name of the recipient in the opening address.
In fact, in a Japanese business setting, you would never, ever use a person's first name. And in normal, daily communication, you would not use the personal name, since you would address others using their titles (e.g., Mr Director, Mr Manager, etc.)
It is only in foreign corporations operating in Japan, and in multinational corporations that the use of first names is tolerated at all in a business setting.
So to repeat, if you are going to address the Japanese businessman, use his last name. Do not use his first name at all.
I hope this helps.
Please let me know if I can help with other questions.
