Your new employer has sent an email about your first day, and you need to know exactly where to go. Start with 初出勤日 (first workday), 集合時間 (meeting time) and 集合場所 (meeting point). Save the contact number before you travel. The office address alone may not tell you which entrance or reception desk to use.
Japanese words in a first-day email
| Japanese | Reading | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 入社日・初出勤日 | nyūsha-bi / hatsu-shukkin-bi | Employment start date / first day you report to work; confirm whether they are the same day. |
| 出社時間・始業時刻 | shussha jikan / shigyō jikoku | Time to come to the office / scheduled work start time; follow the precise instruction in the email. |
| 集合時間・集合場所 | shūgō jikan / shūgō basho | When and where to meet; this might be a lobby or another building. |
| 受付でお申し出ください | uketsuke de o-mōshide kudasai | Tell the reception desk why you are there. |
| 担当者・緊急連絡先 | tantōsha / kinkyū renraku-saki | Contact person / number to use if delayed or lost. |
| 持ち物・提出書類 | mochimono / teishutsu shorui | Items to bring / documents to hand in. |
| 服装・指定なし | fukusō / shitei nashi | Clothing / no specified dress requirement; ask if the workplace has safety or uniform rules. |
| オリエンテーション・研修 | orientēshon / kenshū | Orientation / training; the first day may focus on these rather than regular duties. |
| 昼食は各自でご用意ください | chūshoku wa kakuji de go-yōi kudasai | Bring or arrange your own lunch. |
| 返信不要 | henshin fuyō | No reply required. |
A first-day check in five steps
- Confirm the date and both times. The employment start date may differ from the day you physically visit the office, especially with a remote or shift role. If an email says 「9時集合、9時30分開始」, meet at 9:00; do not use 9:30 as your arrival time.
- Pin the exact meeting point. Check the building name, floor, entrance, reception desk, and whom to ask for. A company can have multiple offices. Save the address and directions where you can read them without an internet connection.
- Prepare only the requested items. The email might ask for identification, a bank account document, a notebook, or forms. Check whether it says 「持参」 (bring), 「事前提出」 (submit in advance), or 「当日提出」 (submit on the day). For form labels, see our new employee paperwork guide. Verify the sender before emailing personal documents.
- Check clothing and lunch. 「服装自由」 (free choice of clothing) does not explain safety equipment or role-specific dress. Ask the employer when it matters. A lunch instruction may mean bringing food, buying it nearby, or using a cafeteria; do not assume one exists.
- Save the day-of contact. If you are delayed, tell the contact person as soon as you can, with your estimated arrival time. Our absence and lateness guide has phrases for reporting a delay.
Short Japanese replies and questions
Confirm the instructions when a reply is requested:
ご案内ありがとうございます。
10月8日（木）9時に、［ビル名］1階の受付へ伺います。
当日はどうぞよろしくお願いいたします。
［氏名］
Replace the sample date, weekday, time and location with the actual instructions. If the email says 「返信不要」, you do not need to send this.
Ask about an unclear entrance or meeting point:
初出勤日のご案内をありがとうございます。
当日の集合場所について確認させてください。［ビル名］の何階の受付へ伺えばよろしいでしょうか。
よろしくお願いいたします。
［氏名］
If delayed on the day:
本日入社予定の［氏名］です。電車の遅延により、到着が9時15分頃になる見込みです。申し訳ございません。到着次第、受付へ伺います。
Use the contact route stated in the first-day instructions. For an imminent arrival, a phone call may reach the contact person more quickly than email.
Do not confuse logistics with employment terms
A welcome email tells you how to arrive; it may not contain your full employment terms. Compare the start date, workplace, hours and pay with the written conditions you received. Our working conditions notice guide explains those labels. Hello Work’s guidance for employers after selection also refers to presenting an employment contract or written notice of working conditions to hired applicants. If details differ, ask HR before relying on an assumption.
Once you start, the time clock app guide can help with clocking in and breaks. First-day procedures vary by company, role and work location, so use your employer’s latest instructions as the final source for where and when to report. For the forms and confirmations around this first day, see our new employee forms guide. The broader Working in Japan guide covers the full sequence.
