YOUR STEP-BY-STEP JIKOSHOUKAI GUIDELEARN

THE BASICS, PRACTICE, AND CREATE AN ADVANCED JAPANESE SELF-INTRODUCTION

OCTOBER 11, 2016 2838 WORDS WRITTEN BY MAMI SUZUKI ART BY AYA FRANCISCO
When you start learning Japanese or are visiting Japan for the first time, there are few words to learn
right away:
1. konnichiwa
2. arigatou
3. sumimasen
Once you've mastered those three, you need to learn your jikoshoukai.

SELF-INTRODUCTION

Jikoshoukai is the Japanese word for "self-introduction." In theory, this is similar to

how you would introduce yourself in your own culture. Say hello, say your name, and tell a little about
yourself. But in practice, there are cultural differences and set procedures you should stick to. You only
get one first impression, so it's important to learn how to do it right.
We'll start by teaching you the basic Japanese self-introduction, then cultural subtleties, and finally a
ton of extra grammar and vocabulary you can use to talk about yourself with your new Japanese
friends.

How to Jikoshoukai
o

Jikoshoukai Vocabulary

Writing Your Jikoshoukai

Jikoshoukai Etiquette
o

1. First Name and Family Name

2. Occupation

3. Don't Talk About Yourself Too Much

4. Bowing vs. Handshake

5. Holding Your Hands Behind Your Back

6. Don't Bow While Talking

Business Cards

Expanding the Basic Jikoshoukai

"Nice to Meet You"

Name

"Please Be Kind to Me"

Custom Jikoshoukai Modification

o

Where You Are From

Your School

Your Work

Where You Live

Hobbies and Proficiencies

Plans for the Future

Only the Beginning

HOW TO JIKOSHOUKAI
Going to Japan, but don't know Japanese? Don't worry. You can jikoshoukai. The Japanese self-intro
has a standard order and set phrases, so even beginners can meet and greet in Japanese.

JIKOSHOUKAI VOCABULARY

HOW DO YOU DO?

How do you do?

The set phrase hajimemashite either comes from the verb hajimeru , which

means "to start," or it's a shortened form of . Though etymologists aren't

sure of the word's true origin, hajimemashite implies beginning or doing something for the first time.
Most people think of it as saying "How do you do?" or "Nice to meet you."

TO BE CALLED

[name]

My name is [name].

The breakdown of this sentence is easier than it looks. It has three parts:
1.

- The first word means "I" or "me." It's followed by the particle which indicates
the topic of the sentence. In this case, is the topic.

2. [name] - Your name.

3. - One meaning of the verb is "to be called." It's paired with the
particle and conjugated to This is a polite phrase, so it's safe to use in almost any
situation.
When you put them all together, you get something along the lines of "I am called [name]" or "My
name is [name]."

PLEASE BE KIND TO ME

Please be kind to me.

The final piece of the puzzle is . It doesn't translate well to English, which is
why we wrote a whole article about it. In a self-intro situation, it means something like "Please be kind
to me." It's often translated as "Nice to meet you." This isn't technically correct, though it carries a
similar feeling.

WRITING YOUR JIKOSHOUKAI

Now that you've got the basic building blocks down, it's time to put it together. At its simplest, the
jikoshoukai sequence is:

(name)

How do you do? My name is (name). Please be kind to me.

See? Not so hard. When you're getting ready to meet Japanese people for the first time, write this out
and practice until it flows. If you're a beginner at Japanese, you don't need any more than this.

JIKOSHOUKAI ETIQUETTE

It's great to know the words to say when introducing yourself in Japanese, but how you say those
words will make or break your jikoshoukai.
There are cultural differences to be aware of. They're subtle, so if you miss them it probably won't be
counted against you. But paying attention to details like these can give you an extra social edge when
you first meet a new Japanese friend.

1. FIRST NAME AND FAMILY NAME

In English, people usually introduce themselves by their first names or full names. When you give your
full name, the first name comes first and the family name afterward.
In Japanese, people usually introduce themselves by their family names or full names. When they
introduce their full name, the family name comes first and the first name comes second.

2. OCCUPATION
REVEALING ONE OR TWO OF YOUR STRENGTHS IS FINE, BUT LISTING ALL YOUR AMAZING
ABILITIES WILL ANNOY OTHERS AND MAKE YOU SEEM OVER-CONFIDENT.
In English, when you asked what you do for work, you give a brief summary of your job, or the name of
your profession.

In Japan, it's common to answer only, " (I'm an office worker./I work for a
company./I'm a salaryman.)
However, if you introduce yourself to someone in a business setting, mention your company in your
self-intro. For example:

Tofugu

I'm Koichi from Tofugu.

This concept goes along with our next point

3. DON'T TALK ABOUT YOURSELF TOO MUCH

Japanese people sometimes say lightly self-deprecating things as a form of humility, but it's usually
followed by something positive (or the positivity is implied). For example:

I might have many flaws, but I'll do my best so please be kind to me.

You don't have to say anything like this (in fact, we advise you don't), but the point is this: Japanese
people usually keep their strengths on the down-low.
So try not to show off too much. Revealing one or two of your strengths is fine, but listing all your
amazing abilities will annoy others and make you seem over-confident.

4. BOWING VS. HANDSHAKE

In the West, if you're meeting someone one-on-one, you shake hands.
In Japan, don't move in for the handshake, especially if your status is the same or lower than the
person you're meeting. In Japan, handshakes are for equals, so if you try to shake hands with the
Emperor, it would be considered rude. Bow instead, and do so at the beginning and end of your
jikoshoukai.

5. HOLDING YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK

In Japan, holding your hands behind your back signals importance, so it may make you look full of
yourself. Put your hands in front of you (the left hand on top of the right), or put your hands beside you.

6. DON'T BOW WHILE TALKING

This is a no-no from our Japanese bowing guide. Do your bowing after giving your self-introduction.
Make sure to finish saying "yoroshiku onegaishimasu" and then bow.

BUSINESS CARDS

Business cards in Japan are called meishi , and are an important part of Japanese culture. Even
outside of the business world, Japanese people sometimes have personal meishi made (meishi means
"name card" after all).
We covered meishi etiquette in our article about Japanese work customs, but here are the rules again
in a jikoshoukai context.
ORIENT YOUR CARD TOWARD THE RECIPIENT. GIVE AND RECEIVE MEISHI WITH TWO
HANDS.
1. Put meishi in a carrying case: You can buy business card carrying cases online or at any
department store in Japan. If you don't have a case, you can carefully put the meishi in your
purse or wallet after you've received it. Just don't put it in your pocket.
2. Use two hands: Orient your card toward the recipient when presenting. Hold the top edge
with both hands. When they offer their card, accept it with two hands. Try not to cover any
words with your fingers either. Some Japanese people are taught that a meishi is the "face" of
the person giving it, so you don't want to cover theirs or your own.
3. When you and your new friend offer each other meishi at the same time: Present
your card with your right hand, while simultaneously receiving theirs with your left.
4. Read meishi you receive: Read the person's name and title on the card before you put it
away. Make sure to show interest in what they do. Act at least a little bit impressed with their
job title.
5. When exchanging meishi in a group, give to the most senior person first: Start by
giving your business card to the shachou, then fukushachou, and so on down the chain of
command.
6. Treat meishi with respect: Use common sense and treat meishi like you would a gift. Don't
toss or write on them.

EXPANDING THE BASIC JIKOSHOUKAI

Maybe you've been doing your Japanese self-intro for years, repeating the same three set phrases over
and over. Maybe you've read this guide before and have the basics down pat. You're ready to level up!
Below are example sentences you can mix into your standard jikoshoukai to give it more flavor, and
make your self-intro a memorable one.

"NICE TO MEET YOU"

Earlier we learned how to use (nice to meet you, how do you do). Here's a few ways to
add to this set phrase.

Hello. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, everyone.

Hello everyone. Nice to meet you.

NAME
For a formal situation, you should say both your first and last names. In a casual situation, it's
common to say only your family name for Japanese people.
If you're an English teacher on something like the JET Program, your school might want you to give
your first name when you introduce yourself to the students. Ask your supervisor what's appropriate
for the situation.
Below are several ways to introduce your name, organized by politeness in ascending order.

Casual:

My name is Michael, but most people call me Mike.

Polite:

I'm Michael.

Polite:

I'm Michael.

Very Formal:

I'm Michael.

Very Formal/Business:

Tofugu

I'm Michael from Tofugu.

"PLEASE BE KIND TO ME"

When you end your jikoshoukai, you'll use a phrase that means "Please be kind to me" or "Remember
me favorably." But once you've got a handle on the standard "yoroshiku onegaishimasu," you can move
on to more casual or more formal variations. Below we've organized them by politeness level in
ascending order.
Casual:

Please be kind to me.

Casual:

Please be kind to me.

Polite:

Please be kind to me.

Polite/Business:

Please be kind to me.

Polite/Business:

Please be kind to me.

Very Polite/Business:

Please be kind to me.

Formal/Business:

Please be kind to me.

Very Formal/Business:

Please be kind to me.

CUSTOM JIKOSHOUKAI MODIFICATION

From here we get into the fun stuff. After expanding on the initial three pieces of the Japanese selfintroduction, you can start adding information about yourself, short sentences that explain where
you're from, what you like to do, and so on.
These jikoshoukai modifications will help people get to know you faster when you first introduce
yourself. This is especially important as you start to make more Japanese friends, go on dates, or have
job interviews.

WHERE YOU ARE FROM

PERSON'S ORIGIN
Telling where you're from is always a good addition to a self-intro. Even if you don't use it during the
initial jikoshoukai, your new Japanese friend will probably ask you anyway, so memorizing a few of
these phrases is extra useful.

Two quick vocabulary usage notes: First, the word shusshin

mean's "person's origin," and
refers more to the place you were born or grew up than where you currently live. It's often used for
specific places like a city, state, or prefecture, rather than a country. For example, Mami was born in

Osaka, and now lives in Canada. But she spent most of her life in Nara, so she says "

" or "
"

Second, the verb mairu is a more humble form of kuru or iku . So when is

used to talk about where you came from in " ," it's much more humble, so
use it in appropriate situations.

I'm from America.

I'm from America.

I'm from America.

I'm from Portland, Oregon. Born and raised.

I was born in Osaka, but grew up in Tokyo.

I grew up in New York.

I grew up in the countryside.

I was born in Tokyo, but moved to Osaka when I was ten, and lived there until I entered
university, which is when I came to Nagoya.

My family moved a lot when I was little, so I'm not really from anywhere.

YOUR SCHOOL

UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE
School, from elementary up through university, is a big part of Japanese life. Be prepared to have
people ask alma mater and what you studied. Or cut them off at the pass by including the information
in your jikoshoukai.

I graduated from the department of the faculty of of University.

I'm a student of the department of the faculty of of University.

I'm a second year student of the department of the faculty of of University.

I studied East Asian history at Oregon university for two years.

YOUR WORK

COMPANY EMPLOYEE
Occupation is a common conversation topic when meeting someone new. If you're doing business in
Japan (or want to), you'd better learn at least one of these phrases.
A quick grammar usage note: some of these jikoshoukai example sentences use the continuous state
conjugation of suru which is shiteimasu . If you want to get extra polite with any of
these sentences, swap out with shiteorimasu . One easy switch and you're
ready to tell CEOs and presidents about your work situation.

Tofugu

I'm the chief editor of Tofugu.

I'm working in sales at Toyota.

I'm Satou, assigned to the accounts department.

I'm an office worker.

I'm an English teacher.

I teach English.

I'm going to teach English at this school.

I'm working at East Fugu Elementary School.

I'm working for East Fugu Elementary School.

WHERE YOU LIVE

TO LIVE, TO INHABIT
"You live around here?" is a common question no matter the culture. Be ready to answer questions
about your living situation with these sentences.

I live in Tokyo.

I live near Tokyo station.

I live in an apartment near Tokyo station.

HOBBIES AND PROFICIENCIES

HOBBY, PASTIME
Hobbies are super important part of life in Japan. Japanese junior high and high school students take
school club activities seriously (sometimes more than academics) and this passion often continues into
adult life. If you have a hobby, that is your "thing." Even if you don't think of your interests as
"hobbies," describe them as such anyway. It will help people understand you better. Alternatively, you
can say what you like and don't like.

[____]

My hobby is [____].

[____]

My hobby is to do [____]

[____]

My hobby is [____].

[____]

My hobby is to do [____]

[____]

I like [____]

[____]

I also like [____]

[____]

I don't like [____]

[____]

I like to do [____]

[____]

I'm good at [____].

[____]

I'm good at doing [____].

[____]

I'm not good at/I don't like [____](noun)

[____]

I'm not good at doing [____].

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

INTENTION, PLAN
What do you want to be when you grow up? What new skills are you trying to develop? What are you
going to eat for lunch tomorrow? Answer these questions and more with the example sentences below.
Grammar usage note: the noun tsumori is used to tell what you plan to do. It's most commonly
used in situations where you've already made up your mind. It's definite. Don't use it for instances
where you're kind of maybe thinking about something, but you're not sure yet.

[____]

I'm thinking about doing [____].

[____]

I'd like to do [____].

[____]

I'm thinking about doing [____].

[____]

My object is [____].

[____]

I'd like to challenge [____].

ONLY THE BEGINNING

Now you know what it takes to put together a stellar jikoshoukai in Japanese. Put the pieces together,
mind the cultural differences, and practice till its second nature.
With a solid self-intro on your side, you're poised to start your relationships right. Just don't forget
your business cards.