# What is the best way to close a polite formal letter in Japanese? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241 "2009-09-23T14:36:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/1 "2009-09-23T14:36:13Z")
I’m asking this for a friend who is entering a “win a trip to Japan” essay contest. She wants to use it for the cover letter. I know that “dozo” is a generically applicable “thank you” that I would assume would be appropriate, but not knowing anything about the Japanese language that isn’t remembered from SHOGUN I have no idea and googling brings up several things. (One site mentioned omedetou [best wishes], but another site says this is closer to saying ‘congratulations’.) Thanks for any help (and I’m at your mercy so please don’t give me the words for “I would like to borrow a small parrot for the boil on my butt”). PS- I don’t need the Japanese characters; the English transliteration is fine. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/2 "2009-09-23T15:51:14Z")
“yoroshiku onegaitashimasu” is a pretty standard closing line. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/3 "2009-09-23T16:18:46Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > “yoroshiku onegaitashimasu” is a pretty standard closing line. yoroshiku onega **i i** tashimasu ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/4 "2009-09-23T19:56:59Z")
What’s it mean, “Very truly yours” or “Death to the American imperialists”? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/5 "2009-09-23T20:05:50Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > What’s it mean, “Very truly yours” or “Death to the American imperialists”? yoroshiku = pleased to meet you, or, let’s get along together onegai = please itashimasu = polite form of “itasu”, a verb basically meaning “to do”. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/6 "2009-09-23T20:21:15Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > What’s it mean, “Very truly yours” or “Death to the American imperialists”? It’s a statement of a desire for future, pleasant relations. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/7 "2009-09-23T20:24:22Z")
Thanks, or yoroshiku onegai itashimasu, y’all. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/8 "2009-09-23T21:48:41Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > It’s a statement of a desire for future, pleasant relations. That sounds … provocative. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/9 "2009-09-23T22:06:41Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > That sounds … provocative. 😉 “Yoroshiku” is one of those fixed words that are conventionally used, in this case when meeting someone for the first time as well as when signing a letter. It’s similar to phrases like “Have a nice day” and “You’re welcome” in English: it’s said or written without really thinking very deeply about the meaning, because it’s said automatically by almost everyone in the context. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/10 "2009-09-23T22:53:16Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > “Yoroshiku” is one of those fixed words that are conventionally used, in this case when meeting someone for the first time as well as when signing a letter. It’s similar to phrases like “Have a nice day” and “You’re welcome” in English: it’s said or written without really thinking very deeply about the meaning, because it’s said automatically by almost everyone in the context. I get it. I was just having juvenile fun with **Sage Rat** ’s translation. Desiring future pleasant relations, Tom Tildrum ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/11 "2009-09-24T00:23:15Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Desiring future pleasant relations, > Tom Tildrum Have a nice day – or, Bonne journée, as they say north-east of here. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/12 "2009-09-24T01:33:12Z")
Yaiten omae no inu da yo, Sage Rat Note: Don’t use that. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-way-to-close-a-polite-formal-letter-in-japanese/511241/13 "2009-09-24T03:37:08Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > “Yoroshiku” is one of those fixed words that are conventionally used, in this case when meeting someone for the first time as well as when signing a letter. It’s similar to phrases like “Have a nice day” and “You’re welcome” in English: it’s said or written without really thinking very deeply about the meaning, because it’s said automatically by almost everyone in the context. Oh yeah? Well, I think Yoroshiku!