Your manager asks for a 日報 (nippō), a daily work report, before you finish the day. You do not need a long essay. State what you completed, what remains open, what help you need, and the next action with its date. Follow your workplace’s form and submission rules if it has them.
Common fields on a 日報 or 週報
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning / what to write |
|---|---|---|
| 日報・週報 | にっぽう・しゅうほう (nippō / shūhō) | Daily / weekly work report |
| 報告日・対象期間 | ほうこくび・たいしょうきかん (hōkokubi / taishō kikan) | Report date / period covered |
| 本日の業務・実施内容 | ほんじつのぎょうむ・じっしないよう (honjitsu no gyōmu / jisshi naiyō) | Tasks done today / work performed |
| 完了・対応済み | かんりょう・たいおうずみ (kanryō / taiō-zumi) | Completed / handled |
| 進行中・未完了 | しんこうちゅう・みかんりょう (shinkō-chū / mikanryō) | In progress / not yet complete |
| 進捗・達成状況 | しんちょく・たっせいじょうきょう (shinchoku / tassei jōkyō) | Progress / status against a goal |
| 課題・懸念事項 | かだい・けねんじこう (kadai / kenen jikō) | Issue / concern |
| 確認待ち・回答待ち | かくにんまち・かいとうまち (kakunin-machi / kaitō-machi) | Waiting for confirmation / an answer |
| 明日の予定・次の対応 | あしたのよてい・つぎのたいおう (ashita no yotei / tsugi no taiō) | Tomorrow’s plan / next action |
| 提出・下書き | ていしゅつ・したがき (teishutsu / shitagaki) | Submit / draft; saving a draft may not send it |
Turn a task list into a useful report
- Name the result, not just the activity. “Reviewed the document” leaves the reader guessing. Say “Reviewed the draft and sent three questions to the owner.” Add a link to the work item if your company uses one.
- Separate completed from open work. A task awaiting someone else’s reply belongs under 進行中 or 確認待ち, even if you finished your part. State who will act next and when you expect to check again.
- Raise a blocker plainly. Under 課題, give the specific decision or information you need. If the issue is urgent or affects a deadline, contact the appropriate person directly as well; a daily report may be read later.
- Write the next action and date. A short “tomorrow I will revise the file after approval” makes the status easier to hand over. If the date is uncertain, say so.
- Check recipients and submission status. Use the company’s template and channel. Do not paste personal, customer or confidential details into a report visible to a wider group; refer to the approved internal record instead.
A short example you can adapt
| Field | Example in Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 本日の業務 | 案内資料の初稿を作成し、担当者へ共有しました。 | Created the first draft of the information sheet and shared it with the owner. |
| 進行中 | 修正点について確認待ちです。 | Waiting for confirmation on revisions. |
| 課題 | 掲載日が未確定のため、担当者に確認しています。 | The publication date is undecided; I have asked the owner. |
| 次の対応 | 回答を受け次第、明日中に修正版を提出します。 | Once I receive the answer, I will submit the revised version by tomorrow. |
Change the nouns, owner and timing to match what actually happened. If there was no blocker, 特になし (toku ni nashi, “none in particular”) may fit your company’s form; do not use it when you are waiting on a decision that affects the work.
Short phrases when something is unclear
「日報の提出先と締切を教えていただけますか。」
Nippō no teishutsusaki to shimekiri o oshiete itadakemasu ka?
“Could you tell me where to submit the report and the deadline?”
「この件は確認待ちです。回答をいただき次第、対応します。」
Kono ken wa kakunin-machi desu. Kaitō o itadaki shidai, taiō shimasu.
“This item is awaiting confirmation. I will act as soon as I get a reply.”
A 日報 records a day’s work; a meeting record captures decisions and owners from a meeting. For a change of owner or an absence, make the next person and open tasks explicit using the handover notes guide. If you need to clarify an approval, the approval status guide explains 承認待ち and 差戻し.
