How to Close a Formal Japanese Email: Sincerely and Best Regards in Business Writing
Learn to end formal Japanese emails correctly with closings like yoroshiku onegai itashimasu, keigu, and kashikomarimashita, plus the name line that follows them.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
Japanese formal emails do not end the way English ones do. There is no single word that works like "Sincerely." Instead, a closing is a short set phrase placed after your main message and before your signature, and its choice depends on who receives the email and what you are asking them to do. This lesson covers only endings: the closing line, the signature order, and the fixed phrases that appear after your name. You will learn which closing fits a request, a reply, an apology, or a notification, and how to avoid the most common error of translating "Best regards" word for word.
By the end, you can…
- choose an appropriate Japanese closing line for a request, a reply, or a notification email.
- write the closing and signature block in the correct order for a formal Japanese email.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
よろしくお願いいたします。
Thank you for your consideration. / I look forward to your kind response.
Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
The default polite closing when you are asking the reader to do something or are awaiting a reply. Safe for external business email.
何卒よろしくお願い申し上げます。
I humbly ask for your kind consideration.
Nanishozo yoroshiku onegai mōshiagemasu.
A more formal, humble variant of the above. Use in first-contact emails or with senior external contacts.
敬具
Sincerely yours / Yours respectfully
Keigu
A formal letter-style closing. It pairs with 拝啓 (haikei) at the start; in email it is often used alone before the signature.
取り急ぎお礼まで。
A quick note of thanks for now.
Toriisogi orei made.
Used when sending a fast acknowledgment or brief thanks without a full reply. Signals that a longer response may follow.
今後ともよろしくお願いいたします。
I look forward to your continued support.
Kongo tomo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
A closing for ongoing relationships, such as after a meeting or at the end of a project update.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Most formal Japanese emails end with a closing line, then your company and name. A typical ending looks like this: 以上、よろしくお願いいたします。 (Ijō, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. — That is all; thank you for your consideration.) The word 以上 (ijō) means "that is all" and marks the end of the body. After it, write your affiliation and name, for example 株式会社サンプル 営業部 田中太郎 (Kabushiki gaisha Sanpuru Eigyōbu Tanaka Tarō). The recipient's name, such as 山田様 (Yamada-sama), usually appears at the top of the email, not at the end.
When to use it
Match the closing to the email's purpose. If you need a reply or an action, use よろしくお願いいたします (yoroshiku onegai itashimasu). If you are replying to a request and confirming, use かしこまりました。よろしくお願いいたします。 (Kashikomarimashita. Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. — Understood. Thank you.) For a brief acknowledgment, 取り急ぎお礼まで (toriisogi orei made) is appropriate. For a formal letter-style tone, 敬具 (keigu) can replace the closing line. Avoid casual endings such as よろしく (yoroshiku) alone in business email; they read as too informal.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
お世話になっております。資料を確認しました。
Thank you for your continued support. I have checked the documents.Osewa ni natte orimasu. Shiryō o kakunin shimashita.ご確認ありがとうございます。修正点はございますか。
Thank you for checking. Are there any points to correct?Go-kakunin arigatō gozaimasu. Shūseiten wa gozaimasu ka.はい、2ページ目に一点ございます。以上、よろしくお願いいたします。
Yes, there is one point on page two. That is all; thank you for your consideration.Hai, ni-pēji-me ni itten gozaimasu. Ijō, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.承知いたしました。確認してご連絡いたします。
Understood. I will check and get back to you.Shōchi itashimashita. Kakunin shite go-renraku itashimasu.A little context goes a long way
Japanese business email closings carry politeness information that English "Best regards" does not. The choice between よろしくお願いいたします and 何卒よろしくお願い申し上げます signals your relationship and the weight of your request. In many companies, internal email may use a shorter closing, while external email keeps the full form. When in doubt, the longer polite form is safer with clients and senior colleagues.
One thing to watch for
Translating "Best regards" as 最高の敬意を込めて (saikō no keii o komete) or ending with よろしく alone.
Try this instead: Use a fixed set phrase such as よろしくお願いいたします (yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) or 敬具 (keigu). For example, end a request email with 以上、よろしくお願いいたします。 (Ijō, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.) rather than a literal translation of an English closing.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are emailing a client to ask them to review a proposal. Which closing line fits best?
Show a sample answer
よろしくお願いいたします。 (Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.)
This closing is the standard polite way to ask for the reader's action or response. 何卒よろしくお願い申し上げます。 is also acceptable and more formal, but よろしく alone would be too casual.
2You are sending a quick thank-you note and will write a fuller reply later. Which closing signals this?
Show a sample answer
取り急ぎお礼まで。 (Toriisogi orei made.)
This phrase means "a quick note of thanks for now" and signals that a longer response may follow. A full closing like よろしくお願いいたします is not wrong, but it does not convey the same brevity.
3In a formal email, where does your name go relative to the closing line?
Show a sample answer
After the closing line, in the signature block.
The closing line ends the body, and your affiliation and name follow it. The recipient's name appears at the top of the email, not after the closing.
End formal Japanese emails with a set closing line such as よろしくお願いいたします or 敬具, then add your company and name. Choose the closing based on whether you are requesting, replying, or thanking, and avoid literal translations of English closings.
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