You will come across many opportunities to introduce yourself—whether meeting someone for the first time, at work, school, or your child’s school or daycare. I believe you would want to at least handle your first introduction in Japanese. Self-introductions can be simple if you remember a few key phrases. Challenge yourself to introduce yourself in Japanese!

Here are some of the simplest self-introductions:

①はじめまして。(Hajimemashite)

②スティーブンダニエルです。(Steven Daniel desu)

ダンと呼んでください。(Dan to yondekudasai)

③カナダから来ました。(Canada kara kimashita)

④去年、日本へ来ました。(Kyonen nihon e kimashita)

⑤どうぞよろしくお願いします。(Dozo yoroshiku onegai shimasu)

はじめまして（Hajimemashite）
– “Nice to meet you.”

In casual settings, you can also say “こんにちは” (Konnichiwa). If you are introducing yourself in front of a large group of people, it’s good to address them with “みなさん” (Minasan).

みなさん　はじめまして（Minasan　Hajimemashite）
– “Nice to meet you, everyone”

a.スティーブン・ダニエルです。（Steven Daniel desu）

– “I am Daniel Steven.”

“-desu” is the simplest way to introduce your name.

b.スティーブン・ダニエルと申します。（Steven Daniel to moushimasu）

 – “My name is Daniel Steven”

“-to moushimasu” is a more polite way to address yourself, mainly used at work, when introducing yourself to others at different companies, or in job interviews.

c.ダンと呼んでください。（Dan to yonde kudasai）

 – “Please call me Dan”

“-to yonde kudasai” is the phrase you use when telling others your nickname or how you would like them to call you. If your name is long or difficult to pronounce, you can introduce your nickname along with your full name. Additionally, it doesn’t have to be a nickname; you can also use this phrase to let people know whether you’d prefer them to call you by your first name or last name.

There is one thing you need to pay attention to: you don’t want to put “-san” (Mr./Ms.) after your own name. For example, “Steven Daniel-san desu.” This honorific is meant to be used for someone else’s name.

a.カナダから来ました。（Canada kara kimashita）

– “I came from Canada.”

“-kara kimashita” is the most basic way to say where you’re from.

b.カナダから参りました。（Canada kara mairimashita）

– “I came from Canada.”

“-kara mairimashita” is the formal version of “-kara kimashita,” mainly used in job interviews or business settings.

c.カナダ出身です。（Canada shussin desu）

– “I am from Canada.”

d.出身はカナダです。（Shusshin wa Canada desu）

 – “I am from Canada.”

These two sentences mean the same as “I came from ＿＿,” but “出身”(shusshin) is used here, meaning where you’re originally from.

e.カナダ人です。(Canada jin desu)

– “I am Canadian.”

“Country name + 人 (jin)” refers to someone’s nationality. For example, 日本人 (Nihon jin) means a Japanese person, イタリア人 (Itaria jin) means an Italian person, and ブラジル人 (Burajiru jin) means a Brazilian person.

It is common to mention when you came to Japan or how long you have been in Japan when introducing yourself, or you might be asked about it by others.

a.去年、日本へ来ました。(Kyonen Nihon e kimashita)

– “I came to Japan last year.”

“＿＿, Nihon e kimashita.” You can fill in the blank with when you came to Japan, such as “去年” (last year), “今年” (this year), or “＿年前” (＿ years ago).

b.日本に10年います。(Nihon ni 10nen imasu)

– “I have been in Japan for 10 years.”

“Name of location + ni + how long + imasu.”

This structure is used to describe how long you’ve been in a certain location. 

a.どうぞよろしくおねがいします。（Douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu）

– “Please take care of it, I look forward to working with you.”

b.おせわになります。よろしくおねがいします。（Osewa ni narimasu.Yoroshiku onegaisimasu）

– “Thank you for your support, I look forward to working with you.”

c.仲良くしてください。（Nakayoku shitekudasai）

This phrase is used when you wish to build a good relationship or get along with the person you just introduced yourself to.

In Japanese self-introductions, it’s common not to mention your age. 

If you’re asked and prefer not to say, you can answer with:

a.秘密です。(Himitsu desu)

– “It’s a secret.”

b.内緒です。(Naisho desu）

 – “It’s confidential.”

I believe that sharing a bit about your hobbies or family can help the listener become more engaged and interested in you.

a.趣味は写真と登山です。（Syumi wa shasin to tozan desu）

– “My hobbies are photography and mountain climbing.”

“Shumi wa ＿＿ desu” translates to “My hobby is ＿＿.”

b.ラーメンが好きです。(Ramen ga sukidesu)

– “I like Ramen”

“＿＿ ga sukidesu.”, meaning “I like ＿＿”

“大好きです” (daisuki desu) means “I love ＿＿” and shows stronger affection than “好きです” (suki desu).

a.新宿に住んでいます。(Shinjuku ni sundeimasu)

– “I live in Shinjuku.”

“Name of location + ni + sundeimasu” is used to describe where you live.

b.新宿で働いています。(Shinjuku de hataraiteimasu)

– “I work in Shinjuku.”

“Name of location or your company + de + hataraiteimasu” refers to where or  at which company you work.

a.家族は4人です。(Kazoku wa yonin desu)

– “My family has four people.”

b.4人家族です。(Yonin Kazoku desu)

 – “I have a family of four.”

c.こどもが2人います。(Kodomo ga hutari imasu)

 – “I have two children.”

d.独身です。(Dokushin desu)

– “I am single.”

Below are some phrases that can be used for your self-introduction when joining a new company. In addition to the basic introduction, it is important to mention your department and aspirations. Please remember to conclude with a polite closing phrase, as outlined below.

a.このたびＡ社に入社しました田中です。(Konotabi Asha ni nyusya shimashita Tanaka desu)

– “I am Tanaka, who has recently joined Company A.”

b.営業部の田中です。(Eigyoubu  no tanaka desu)

– “I am Tanaka from the Sales Department.”

“Department / position + no + your name + desu.”

 c.このたび営業部に配属になりました。(Konotabi eigyoubu ni haizoku ni narimasita)

– “I have been assigned to the Sales Department.”

You will talk about your plans, goals, and determinations—something you want to achieve at this company or in your new role.

a.いっしょうけんめいがんばります。(Issyo kenmei ganbarimasu)

– “I will do my best.”

b.早く仕事に慣れるようにがんばります。(Hayaku shigoto ni nareruyouni ganbarimasu)

 – “I will do my best to get used to the job as quickly as possible.”

c.ご迷惑をかけないように仕事をしたいと思います。(Gomeiwaku wo kakenaiyouni shigoto wo shitaito omoimasu)

– “I will work hard to avoid causing any trouble.”

a.これからお世話になります。(Korekara osewa ni narimasu)

– “I look forward to working with you and will be relying on your support from now on.”

b.今後ともよろしくお願い申し上げます。 (Kongo tomo yoroshiku onegai moushiagemasu)

– “I sincerely hope for your continued support in the future.”

c.ご指導よろしくお願い申し上げます。(Goshido  yoroshiku onegai moushiagemasu)

– “I humbly ask for your guidance.”

Add the following topics, in addition to your basic self-introduction, when having a job interview:

① Your previous work or education history

② Why you came to Japan

③ Why you want to work for this company

④ Your Japanese language proficiency and learning history 

Today, we will introduce: ① Your previous work or education history and ④ Your Japanese language proficiency and learning history.

a.国で3年間ITエンジニアの仕事をしました。(Kuni de sannenkan  IT engineer　no shigoto wo shimashita)

 – “I worked as an IT engineer for three years in my home country.”

“Where + de + for how long + what work +wo +shiteimashita”

b.以前はY商事で営業の仕事をしていました。(Izen wa Yshoji de eigyou no shigoto wo shiteimashita)

 – “I used to work in sales at Y Corporation.”

“以前” (izen) means “in the past” or “formerly.”

c.今年、A大学を卒業しました。(Kotoshi Adaigaku wo sotugyo shimasita)

 – “I graduated from A University this year.”

a.JLPTのN3を持っています。(JLPT no N3 wo motteimasu)

–  “I have JLPT N3 certification.”

Both “name of qualification + wo + motteimasu” and “name of qualification + ga 

+ arimasu” mean “I have a qualification.”

b.6か月、日本語を勉強しました。(Rokkagetu nihonngo wo benkyo shimasita)

– “I studied Japanese for 6 months.”

c.大学で日本語を勉強しました。(Daigaku de nihonngo wo benkyo shimashita)

– “I studied Japanese at university.”

 “Name of location or facility + de + ＿＿ shimashita” means “I did ＿＿ at [location/facility].”

d.運転免許を持っています。(Unten menkyo wo motteimasu.)

– “I have a driver’s license.”

You might encounter someone who shares the same hobbies as you or exchange various information by introducing yourself. If you’re not confident in introducing yourself in Japanese, memorize the phrases we’ve explored today and practice them out loud. We offer multiple classes for each language level, ensuring you master self-introductions ranging from beginner to business level. If you’re interested, we always welcome you to check out our actual classes.