Universal
Cultural · Seasonal
You
明けましておめでとうございます。今年もよろしくお願いいたします。
あけましておめでとうございます。ことしもよろしくおねがいいたします。
Happy New Year! I look forward to another year with you.
Romaji: Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu. Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. / Reply Romaji: Kochira koso, kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
Reply
こちらこそ、今年もよろしくお願いいたします。
こちらこそ、ことしもよろしくおねがいいたします。
Likewise, I look forward to working with you this year too.
Gesture & etiquette
Bow at 15-30 degrees depending on the relationship (deeper for superiors). In business, the first meeting of the New Year also typically involves exchanging nengajō (New Year's postcards). Smile warmly — this is a joyful, optimistic greeting.
The complete New Year's greeting used from January 1 through mid-January. Both parts are said together as one set phrase. After mid-January, it sounds dated — switch to '遅ればせながら' (belatedly) if necessary. This greeting reaffirms ongoing relationships and is used extensively in business.