How to Introduce Yourself in Japanese: Jikoshoukai Scripts

How to introduce yourself in Japanese in 20 seconds

Here is a complete, natural self-introduction in Japanese, the jikoshoukai you will use for years. Everything on this page is an expansion of these five lines.

はじめまして。サラ・ミラーと申します。カナダのトロントから来ました。会社員で、マーケティングの仕事をしています。趣味は料理と旅行です。どうぞよろしくお願いします。

Hajimemashite. Sara Miraa to moushimasu. Kanada no Toronto kara kimashita. Kaishain de, maaketingu no shigoto wo shite imasu. Shumi wa ryouri to ryokou desu. Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Sarah Miller. I'm from Toronto, Canada. I'm a company employee and I work in marketing. My hobbies are cooking and travel. I look forward to getting to know you."

Every Japanese self-introduction has the same skeleton: hajimemashite, name, where you are from, what you do, a hobby or a personal note, yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Bow at the start and the end. That is the whole thing, and Japanese people will be visibly pleased that you know it.

Step 1: Hajimemashite, the opening

はじめまして (hajimemashite) means "for the first time" and functions as "nice to meet you" or "how do you do". It is only said at a first meeting, never again to the same person.

Pronunciation: hah-jee-meh-MAHSH-teh. The "i" in "shi" is almost silent, so it is five beats, not six. Do not stress the first syllable; keep the beats even.

Bow as you say it, or right after. A 15-degree nod is fine for a casual setting; 30 degrees for work.

Step 2: Your name

There are three levels, and choosing the right one is most of what makes an introduction sound appropriate.

Desu (dess) is the polite "am". To moushimasu (toh moh-shee-MAHS) is the humble form of "to be called", and it is what you use in any setting where you would wear a collar. Using to moushimasu in a job interview or when meeting your partner's parents is exactly right; using it with a friend of a friend at a bar sounds stiff.

Watashi wa ("as for me") is optional. In Japanese, the subject is dropped whenever it is obvious, and in a self-introduction it is obvious. "Watashi wa Sara desu" is correct; "Sara desu" is more natural.

Name order. Japanese people give the family name first. As a foreigner you can give your name in your own order, and most people will. If you want to be understood in a formal register, say the family name and mark it: "Miraa desu. Sara Miraa to moushimasu."

Say your name slowly, in Japanese syllables. "Sarah" becomes サラ (Sa-ra). "Michael" becomes マイケル (Ma-i-ke-ru). Japanese has no "L", no "V", no consonant clusters and no final consonants except N, so your name will be reshaped. Do the reshaping yourself; it makes you far easier to catch on the first try.

Asking their name back

• お名前は？ (Onamae wa?) "Your name?" Polite and short.
• お名前を伺ってもよろしいですか。(Onamae wo ukagatte mo yoroshii desu ka.) "May I ask your name?" Formal.

Step 3: Where you are from

〇〇から来ました (... kara kimashita) "I came from ...". This is the most natural way to say where you are from.

• カナダから来ました。(Kanada kara kimashita.) I'm from Canada.
• アメリカのシカゴから来ました。(Amerika no Shikago kara kimashita.) I'm from Chicago, in the US. Note the order: country no city.

〇〇出身です (... shusshin desu) "I'm originally from ...". Slightly more formal, and it stresses origin rather than travel, so it fits if you have lived in Japan for years.

• ロンドン出身です。(Rondon shusshin desu.) I'm originally from London.

〇〇に住んでいます (... ni sunde imasu) "I live in ...".

• 今は東京に住んでいます。(Ima wa Toukyou ni sunde imasu.) I live in Tokyo now.

Nationality is country + jin: カナダ人 (Kanadajin), アメリカ人 (Amerikajin), イギリス人 (Igirisujin, British), オーストラリア人 (Oosutorariajin). "カナダ人です" (Kanadajin desu) = "I'm Canadian". Country names you will need: アメリカ (America), イギリス (UK), カナダ, オーストラリア, ドイツ (Germany), フランス, スペイン, インド, ブラジル, 韓国 (Kankoku, Korea), 中国 (Chuugoku, China), フィリピン.

The question you will get: どちらからですか (Dochira kara desu ka), "Where are you from?", or the casual どこから来たの (Doko kara kita no).

Step 4: What you do

Job

• 会社員です。(Kaishain desu.) I'm a company employee. This is the standard, all-purpose answer in Japan and it is completely normal to leave it at that.
• 〇〇の仕事をしています。(... no shigoto wo shite imasu.) I do ... work. マーケティングの仕事をしています。(Marketing work.)
• 〇〇で働いています。(... de hataraite imasu.) I work at ... 銀行で働いています。(I work at a bank.)
• エンジニアです。(Enjinia desu.) I'm an engineer. 教師です。(Kyoushi desu.) I'm a teacher. 医者です。(Isha desu.) I'm a doctor. 看護師です。(Kangoshi desu.) I'm a nurse. デザイナーです。 (Dezainaa desu.) 学生です。(Gakusei desu.) I'm a student.
• 英語の先生をしています。(Eigo no sensei wo shite imasu.) I work as an English teacher. Very common for foreigners in Japan.

Student

• 大学生です。(Daigakusei desu.) I'm a university student.
• 〇〇大学の学生です。(... daigaku no gakusei desu.) I'm a student at ... University.
• 経済学を専攻しています。(Keizaigaku wo senkou shite imasu.) I'm majoring in economics.

Learning Japanese

• 日本語を勉強しています。(Nihongo wo benkyou shite imasu.) I'm studying Japanese.
• 日本語はまだ下手です。(Nihongo wa mada heta desu.) My Japanese is still poor. Japanese modesty; say it even if it is not true and everyone will like you more.
• 日本語を勉強して一年です。(Nihongo wo benkyou shite ichinen desu.) I've been studying Japanese for a year.

The question you will get: お仕事は何ですか (Oshigoto wa nan desu ka), "What is your job?", or the softer お仕事は？ (Oshigoto wa?).

Step 5: Hobbies and a personal note

This is the line that gives people something to ask you about, and in Japanese introductions it is almost expected.

趣味は〇〇です (Shumi wa ... desu) "My hobby is ..."

• 趣味は読書です。(Shumi wa dokusho desu.) My hobby is reading.
• 趣味は料理と旅行です。(Shumi wa ryouri to ryokou desu.) My hobbies are cooking and travel.
• 趣味はサッカーを見ることです。(Shumi wa sakkaa wo miru koto desu.) My hobby is watching football. (Verb + koto turns an activity into a noun.)

〇〇が好きです (... ga suki desu) "I like ..."

• 日本の映画が好きです。(Nihon no eiga ga suki desu.) I like Japanese films.
• ラーメンが大好きです。(Raamen ga daisuki desu.) I love ramen. Daisuki is "love" for things; do not use it for a person in a first introduction.

Why you are in Japan or interested in it

• 日本の文化に興味があります。(Nihon no bunka ni kyoumi ga arimasu.) I'm interested in Japanese culture.
• 仕事で日本に来ました。(Shigoto de Nihon ni kimashita.) I came to Japan for work.
• 来年日本に留学する予定です。(Rainen Nihon ni ryuugaku suru yotei desu.) I plan to study in Japan next year.

Common hobby words: 読書 (dokusho, reading), 音楽 (ongaku, music), 映画 (eiga, films), 料理 (ryouri, cooking), 旅行 (ryokou, travel), スポーツ (supootsu), サッカー (sakkaa), 野球 (yakyuu, baseball), ランニング (ranningu), ゲーム (geemu), アニメ (anime), 写真 (shashin, photography), 釣り (tsuri, fishing), 登山 (tozan, hiking), カラオケ (karaoke).

Step 6: Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, the closing

Every jikoshoukai ends with this, and there is no English equivalent. It means roughly "please treat me well" or "I look forward to our relationship", and it is the signal that you have finished.

Bow as you say it. The people listening will reply こちらこそ、よろしくお願いします (kochira koso, yoroshiku onegaishimasu), "the pleasure is ours".

Pronunciation: yoh-ROHSH-koo oh-neh-gai-shee-MAHS. The "u" in "shiku" and the final "su" are nearly silent.

Script: casual self-introduction (friends, classmates, language exchange)

はじめまして！サラです。カナダから来ました。今、東京で英語を教えています。日本語を勉強していますが、まだ下手なので、ゆっくり話してください。趣味はカラオケとラーメンを食べることです。よろしくお願いします！

Hajimemashite! Sara desu. Kanada kara kimashita. Ima, Toukyou de eigo wo oshiete imasu. Nihongo wo benkyou shite imasu ga, mada heta na node, yukkuri hanashite kudasai. Shumi wa karaoke to raamen wo taberu koto desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

"Hi, nice to meet you! I'm Sarah. I'm from Canada. I'm teaching English in Tokyo at the moment. I'm studying Japanese but I'm still bad at it, so please speak slowly. My hobbies are karaoke and eating ramen. Nice to meet you!"

The line "ゆっくり話してください" (please speak slowly) is worth memorising on its own; it will save you in every conversation for the first year.

Script: work self-introduction (first day, new team)

はじめまして。本日からマーケティング部に配属になりました、サラ・ミラーと申します。カナダのトロント出身です。前職では旅行会社でコンテンツの仕事をしておりました。日本語はまだ勉強中ですので、ご迷惑をおかけするかもしれませんが、一日も早く戦力になれるよう頑張ります。どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。

Hajimemashite. Honjitsu kara maaketingu-bu ni haizoku ni narimashita, Sara Miraa to moushimasu. Kanada no Toronto shusshin desu. Zenshoku de wa ryokou-gaisha de kontentsu no shigoto wo shite orimashita. Nihongo wa mada benkyou-chuu desu node, gomeiwaku wo okake suru kamo shiremasen ga, ichinichi mo hayaku senryoku ni nareru you ganbarimasu. Douzo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.

"How do you do. My name is Sarah Miller, and as of today I've been assigned to the marketing department. I'm originally from Toronto, Canada. In my previous job I did content work at a travel company. My Japanese is still a work in progress, so I may cause some inconvenience, but I'll do my best to become a useful member of the team as quickly as possible. I look forward to working with you."

The apology-in-advance ("I may cause inconvenience") and the promise to work hard ("ganbarimasu") are not optional in a Japanese workplace introduction. They are the two lines the room is waiting for, and leaving them out sounds arrogant even if you are excellent.

Script: formal self-introduction (meeting a partner's family, a homestay, an official)

はじめまして。サラ・ミラーと申します。カナダから参りました。現在は東京の会社で働いております。この度は温かく迎えていただき、ありがとうございます。日本の文化や習慣についてまだ知らないことが多いので、いろいろ教えていただければ嬉しいです。どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。

Hajimemashite. Sara Miraa to moushimasu. Kanada kara mairimashita. Genzai wa Toukyou no kaisha de hataraite orimasu. Kono tabi wa atatakaku mukaete itadaki, arigatou gozaimasu. Nihon no bunka ya shuukan ni tsuite mada shiranai koto ga ooi node, iroiro oshiete itadakereba ureshii desu. Douzo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.

"How do you do. My name is Sarah Miller. I have come from Canada. I currently work at a company in Tokyo. Thank you very much for welcoming me so warmly. There is still a lot I don't know about Japanese culture and customs, so I would be glad if you could teach me. I look forward to your kindness."

Note the humble verbs: mairimashita instead of kimashita (came), orimasu instead of imasu (am). These are keigo, the honorific register. You do not need to master keigo to introduce yourself, but these two swaps, plus to moushimasu, will make a formal introduction sound genuinely polished.

Introducing someone else

• こちらは友達のトムです。(Kochira wa tomodachi no Tomu desu.) This is my friend Tom.
• こちらは同僚の田中さんです。(Kochira wa douryou no Tanaka-san desu.) This is my colleague, Mr Tanaka.
• 妻のアナです。(Tsuma no Ana desu.) This is my wife, Ana. (Tsuma for your own wife, okusan for someone else's; otto or shujin for your own husband, goshujin for someone else's.)
• 紹介します。(Shoukai shimasu.) Let me introduce you. Formal: ご紹介します。(Goshoukai shimasu.)

Always add san to other people's names and never to your own. "Tanaka-san desu" for him; "Miraa desu" for yourself.

The bow and body language

• Bow at hajimemashite and again at yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Bend from the waist, back straight, eyes down, hands at your sides (men) or folded in front (women). Hold for a beat.
• 15 degrees for casual settings, 30 degrees for work and meeting elders, 45 degrees only for very formal occasions or apologies.
• Do not bow and shake hands at the same time unless the Japanese person offers a hand. In business with foreigners, many Japanese people will offer a handshake; take it, with a slight nod.
• Business cards (meishi) are exchanged right after the name, with two hands, card facing the receiver, and a bow. Read it, do not pocket it immediately, and never write on it in front of the giver.
• Do not point at yourself with your thumb. Japanese people point at their own nose with an index finger to mean "me", if they gesture at all.

Pronunciation traps in a Japanese self-introduction

Japanese pronunciation is not hard, but English habits sabotage it.

1. Even beats, no stress. Every syllable gets the same length and weight. "hajimemashite" is ha-ji-me-ma-shi-te, six even taps with the "i" in "shi" whispered. Stressing "MASH" English-style is the most common tell.
2. Pure vowels. a (ah), i (ee), u (oo), e (eh), o (oh). No diphthongs. "Kanada" is kah-nah-dah, not "Canada".
3. Long vowels matter. Toukyou has two long vowels: toh-oh-kyoh-oh. Shorten them and the word changes or disappears. Ryokou (travel), ryouri (cooking), kyoumi (interest) all have long vowels.
4. The R. Japanese R is a single tap between English R, L and D. "Ryouri" and "raamen" use it. An English R sounds foreign; an L is closer.
5. Silent U and I. Desu is "dess". Shimasu is "shee-mahs". Hajimemashite is "ha-ji-me-mash-te". The vowel is technically there but devoiced.
6. Double consonants. Kekkon (marriage), gakkou (school), yukkuri (slowly): hold the consonant for a beat, like a tiny pause.

Common mistakes when introducing yourself in Japanese

• Saying hajimemashite twice to the same person. It is for the first meeting only. Next time, konnichiwa or ohayou gozaimasu.
• Using san with your own name. "Sara-san desu" is a classic beginner error. Never honorify yourself.
• Watashi wa in every sentence. Drop it after the first sentence, or entirely.
• "Watashi no namae wa Sara desu." Grammatical, but it is the textbook line and sounds like one. "Sara desu" or "Sara to moushimasu".
• Skipping yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Without it, the introduction feels unfinished and the listeners do not know you are done.
• Bragging. "Nihongo ga jouzu desu" (my Japanese is good) is something only other people say about you. Say "mada heta desu" (still poor), and let them insist otherwise.
• Translating your job title literally. "Kaishain desu" (company employee) is perfectly acceptable and often preferred over a detailed title nobody needs.
• Stressing syllables. See above. Flat and even.
• Bowing while talking and walking. Stop, bow, then speak, or speak, then bow.

Practise it out loud before you need it

A jikoshoukai is the single most predictable thing you will ever say in Japanese, and that is exactly why it is worth drilling until it is automatic. The first time you say it to a real Japanese person, you want your mouth to already know the way.

1. Write your own version using the six steps. Keep it to six sentences.
2. Record it. Listen for stressed syllables and missing long vowels. Fix them.
3. Say it standing up, with the two bows, ten times.
4. Practise the questions coming back: Dochira kara desu ka? Oshigoto wa? Shumi wa nan desu ka? Answer each out loud five times.
5. Then do it with a partner that answers back. SPAIKING's AI speaking partner will play the colleague, the host family and the language-exchange friend, ask you the follow-up questions, and correct the English stress on hajimemashite and the short vowel in Toukyou as you say them. By the fourth run, it will sound like yours.