TCJ Blog

When I speak to Japanese learners and ask, “What is the most difficult part of learning Japanese?” most of them say, “Keigo.” Interestingly, it’s not just Japanese learners who find honorifics challenging—even native speakers struggle with it. In fact, there are specialized textbooks on keigo specifically designed for business professionals. That’s why understanding how keigo works can give you a huge advantage in mastering Japanese. Let’s dive into the world of Japanese honorifics!

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!

When speaking Japanese, honorifics (敬称, keishō) are placed after names, such as -san, -sama, -kun, and -chan. Some of you may wonder, “Is this usage really correct?” There is a wide variety of honorifics, and using them properly is important. Today, we will explore some common Japanese honorifics and their usage—especially in business settings—in an easy and practical way!

The ultimate purpose of business is bringing benefits to yourself or your company. By using correct Japanese, let’s do delightful communication and think of nice ways to make a successful business.

The other day, I spoke with a Japanese language learner who owns a shop. They mentioned, “I'm really not good at answering the phone, so I have my Japanese part-time staff handle calls.” In fact, it seems that over half of Japanese people also feel uncomfortable using the phone for work. This time, let's introduce not only phone-related vocabulary but also phone etiquette and conversation phrases useful for handling calls in companies and work settings. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)