How to address someone you don't know in a letter/email?

John Lemon · 16 Mar 2005

A friend of mine works for a photographer who's always been interested in Japanese art and who would like to get in touch with a few Japanese photographers. To cut a long story short, I'm now supposed to assist my friend's boss in finding him a Japanese photographer or two to collaborate with.

Eventually, it occured to me that I may need to write a whole bunch of emails to achieve this, and that I've never sent mail in Japanese to someone I wasn't friends with.

How would you address a photographer/photography studio in email, and what should I use as a closing line? Lots of thanks in advance.

epigene · 16 Mar 2005

Hello, John!

I looked for samples that would be useful for you but couldn't find the perfect one. This one (in Japanese only) should be useful in selecting what to write as opening and closing remarks.

http://itp.ne.jp/contents/business/tool/business.html#sakusei

I'm sure you're going to write that you're not a native Japanese speaker in the email. In that case, you don't have to worry much. I suggest you can even write parts of the email in English if you're afraid you may invite misunderstanding.

Hope it helps!

John Lemon · 16 Mar 2005

Thanks a lot, I googled a bit but couldn't find any useful examples. It might very well have been because I searched in English.
Thanks a lot again.

John Lemon · 16 Mar 2005

Hmm, this is pretty tough, is there an example of a complete letter?

Is "拝啓、(お名前)様へ" a correct way of addressing your reader?
Ooops, guess the "he" isn't needed.

GaijinPunch · 16 Mar 2005

拝啓 is just an opening to a (business) letter. I think 敬具 is what you use at the end, but it's been a while. IIRC, 拝啓 and it's counterpart take up a whole line to themselves. Epigene -- great link. Need to bookmark that one!

John Lemon · 16 Mar 2005

Hmm, I see. Actually, I was supposed to turn up today (they called me only yesterday!), but I think I'm gonna phone them and tell them I need another week to work on my business email/letter skills.

http://paintedover.com/uploads/show.php?loc=16&f=businesskanji.gif

Hmm, what's this kanji? It's awfully tiny, I'm having serious difficulties figuring it out.

epigene · 16 Mar 2005

John,

The small word you posted reads "yorokobi."

I'm posting sample format and text for you. It may not be exactly what you want but should be useful. I'll think you can develop the letter from here.

Sample format:

Sample text:

ご紹介のお願い

突然のお手紙を差し上げる無礼をお許しください。

さて、私どもは＿(description of the person you represent)__

真に突然勝手なお願いで恐縮でございますが、協力していただける写真家、スタジオをご存知でしたら、ご紹介いただきたく、お願い申しあげるしだいでございます。

もちろんご紹介いただきましたら、ご迷惑をおかけするようなことは一切ないことをお約束いたします。よろしくご高配のほどお願い申しあげます。

敬具

epigene · 17 Mar 2005

Sorry, John. I was in a hurry when I posted last and didn't explain.

You can use the sample format up to 敬具（けいぐ）
The section below that is used when you have a list of information items or attachments for the letter.

From the top:
Number code for the letter (optional)
Date
Name & address of the recipient (email can also be added here)
Name & address of the sender (email also)
INSERT SAMPLE TEXT FROM HERE->
Subject
Greeting (a special one apologizing that you are emailing without any introduction from another party)
Paragraph starting with "sate": This is the part that you write what you want to say.
2nd paragraph: Request for introduction to a photographer or studio willing to cooperate. (Very formal)
3rd paragraph: Promise of not causing any trouble to the recipient and request again for cooperation. (Very formal)
Closing
(No need to write your name/address here because the info is placed above the body of the letter.)

Business letters use very formal phrases and expressions. If there are any questions, please post. I'll try to answer when I can. I hope others will help, too!

John Lemon · 20 Mar 2005

Thanks a lot, epigene, I think I'm going to try and write a "fake" letter for practice. The site you linked to is really useful, except for the fact that they put up so many examples as graphics with awfully tiny kanji and kana.

John Lemon · 2 Apr 2005

Alright, I finally met up with the photographer guy. He liked your suggestion, epigene, his only complaint was that it wasn't specific enough a request.

He then let me know exactly what he had in mind, which I then translated into Japanese.
Personally I think I did a pretty good job (thanks to the awesome power of Yahoo!辞書 - 国語・英和・和英および専門辞書の検索サービス), but feel free to bash it.
The most important thing is that he's trying to be hired by Japanese advertising companies and photography agencies rather than looking for photography studios to collaborate with. Here's the part between the opening and the closing sentences, there are two versions, one for advertising companies and one for photography agencies. They only differ in the bolded sentences, though.

The version for photography agencies:

さっき, 日本の取引関係を探して、日本貿易振興機構のジェトロの協力のお陰で、当代理店のウエブサイトを見つけました。
私の職業は広告写真家で、色々な有名なドイツの会社や広告取次店などのために仕事をした経験が１５年ございます。
撮影や実業などの経験を積むために、当代理店の協力をいただいて欲しいです。
もしかすると私の撮影のスタイルが当代理店のお客の代理をすればよろしいですか。
本仕事がだいたいわかるために、本ウエブサイトをごらんになって見るよう正式にご依頼してさしあげます:

それに、必要なら、本ポートフォリオを送って差し上げましょう。日本で仕事が出来るとよろしいと思って、このEメールからのお返事を楽しみにしています。

For marketing companies:
さっき, 日本の取引関係を探して、日本貿易振興機構のジェトロの協力のお陰で、当社のウエブサイトを見つけました。
私の職業は広告写真家で、色々な有名なドイツの会社や広告取次店などのために仕事をした経験が１５年ございます。
撮影や実業などの経験を積むために、当会社の協力をいただいて欲しいです。
もしかすると私の撮影のスタイルを当社の仕事をに組み入れることがお出来になりませんか。
本仕事をがだいたいわかるために、本ウエブサイトをごらんになって見るよう正式にご依頼してさしあげます:

それに、必要なら、本ポートフォリオを送って差し上げましょう。日本で仕事が出来るとよろしいと思って、このEメールからのお返事を楽しみにしています。

Whaddaya think?

John Lemon · 3 Apr 2005

Trying a bump.

epigene · 3 Apr 2005

John,

I'd love to help you now, but I'm busy for the next 24 hours. I'll post then, unless someone else volunteers to help you earlier...

John Lemon · 3 Apr 2005

Hey, epigene, don't sweat it, that's okay. I'll hand it in on Wednesday, then. I can have a co-worker, who doesn't have an Internet connection at home which means I can't email her on weekends, look at it for me tomorrow. I was hoping someone here could have a look at my translation during the weekend so I could hand it in on Monday, but I was told to let Mr. Photographer know if I can't make it until Monday, which I'll be doing now. I don't think he'll eat me. Thanks for what you taught me so far, again!

epigene · 5 Apr 2005

John,

I've come up with the following. The two are very similar.
About the part in bold, I couldn't get exactly what you meant by: もしかすると私の撮影のスタイルが当代理店のお客の代理をすればよろしいですか。

In mine, the difference between the two is (1) asking for cooperation in assignments in the first one and (2) asking whether whether the photographer can be considered for projects, based on the photography style (and taste) shown on the website.

The version for photography agencies:

ご紹介のお願い

突然のメールを差し上げる無礼をお許しください。

さて、私は広告写真家で、色々なドイツの有名企業、広告代理店などと仕事をした１５年のキャリアがございます。現在、日本での取引先・パートナーを探しており、日本貿易振興機構（ジェトロ）の協力を得て、貴社ウエブサイトを紹介していただきました。

真に突然で勝手なお願いで恐縮でございますが、私は、日本企業との撮影実績や実務経験を積みたく、是非貴社のご協力、ご支援をお願いしたいのです。

なお、私の撮影スタイル、テイストが、貴社や、貴社のお客様に合うかは、以下ウエブサイトをご覧いただければと思っております:

必要であれば、私のポートフォリオをお送りします。日本での仕事のチャンス拡大にご協力をいただきたく、ご高配のほどお願い申しあげます。

敬具

For marketing companies:

ご紹介のお願い

突然のメールを差し上げる無礼をお許しください。

さて、私は広告写真家で、色々なドイツの有名企業、広告代理店などと仕事をした１５年のキャリアがございます。現在、日本での取引先・パートナーを探しており、日本貿易振興機構（ジェトロ）の協力を得て、貴社ウエブサイトを紹介していただきました。

真に突然で勝手なお願いで恐縮でございますが、私は、日本企業との撮影実績や実務経験を積みたく、是非貴社のご協力、ご支援をお願いしたいのです。

私の撮影スタイル、テイストを貴社のプロジェクトに組み入れることが出来るでしょうか？
貴社や、貴社のお客様に合うかは、以下ウエブサイトをご覧いただければと思っております:

必要であれば、私のポートフォリオをお送りします。日本での仕事のチャンス拡大にご協力をいただきたく、ご高配のほどお願い申しあげます。

敬具

All comments & suggestions are welcome!

How to address someone you don't know in a letter/email?

John Lemon

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epigene

相変わらず不束者です

John Lemon

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John Lemon

先輩

GaijinPunch

遠いから行きません

John Lemon

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epigene

相変わらず不束者です

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

John Lemon

先輩

John Lemon

先輩

John Lemon

先輩

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

John Lemon

先輩

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

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