Letter of Invitation for a Japan Visa: How to Write the Purpose and Background
In short
- The Letter of Invitation is written by the person in Japan who invites the applicant.
- Names and addresses take a minute. The three boxes at the bottom (purpose, background, relationship) are what the embassy reads.
- One-word answers such as "Sightseeing" or "Visiting relatives" are not accepted by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines.
- Below: example wording for five common visits, the full field list, and an Excel worksheet with a completed sample.
Free Excel worksheet · no sign-up
Letter of Invitation (Shohei Riyusho)
Sheets: Guide, Fill in, Example · 11 KB · .xlsx (Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers)
Download the Excel fileContents
How to write the Letter of Invitation in one sentence
Write the Letter of Invitation so that a stranger could see what will happen in Japan, on which dates, and why you are the one inviting. That is all the three boxes at the bottom of the form ask for.
The Letter of Invitation (in Japanese Shohei Riyusho, 招へい理由書) is a one-page form from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA). The person in Japan fills it in. It sits next to the [Letter of Guarantee](/letter-of-guarantee-japan-visa/), which covers money, and the [Travel Itinerary](/japan-visa-itinerary/), which covers the days.
The three boxes that matter
The official form asks: "The purpose of inviting the above person(s) is as follows", then gives three boxes.
| Box | What the embassy wants to know | Too short | Clear enough |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Purpose of invitation | What the applicant will do in Japan, and when | Visiting relatives | To help my wife after the birth of our first child, due 2027/01/10. Stay from 2027/01/05 to 2027/01/26 at our home in Shinjuku. |
| (2) Background to invitation | Why this visit, why now, how it came about | She wants to see Japan | My wife has no family in Japan and I can take only one week of leave. Her mother cannot travel, so her sister offered to come. |
| (3) Relationship with visa applicant(s) | How you know each other and since when | Sister-in-law | The applicant is my wife's older sister. We met at our wedding in Manila in 2023 and talk by video call every month. |
The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines says: "A vague description such as 'Sightseeing', 'Visiting Relatives' or 'Friend' is not acceptable." The form itself says to use a separate sheet if the box is too small.
Example wording for common visits
These are starting points. Change the names, dates and details to what is true for you. Do not copy a reason that is not yours.
Visiting family for a birth
Purpose: To help my wife (the applicant's sister) for three weeks after the birth of our child, due on [date]. The applicant will stay at our home at [address].
Background: My wife's family all live in [country] and I cannot take long leave from work. The applicant has a nursing background and offered to help.
Attending a wedding
Purpose: To attend my wedding ceremony on [date] at [venue, city], and to stay with my family for [n] days.
Background: The applicant is my only brother. Our parents cannot travel, so he will represent my family at the ceremony. The wedding invitation card is attached.
Visiting a partner or fiancé(e)
Purpose: To meet my parents in [city] for the first time and spend [n] days together before we decide our wedding date.
Background: We met in [place] in [year] and have been in a relationship since then. I visited [country] three times; this is the first time the applicant will visit Japan.
Tourism with a friend who lives in Japan
Purpose: To travel with me to Kyoto and Osaka from [date] to [date] and stay at my apartment in Tokyo for the rest of the visit.
Background: The applicant and I were classmates at [school] from [year] to [year]. I moved to Japan for work in [year] and have invited her to see where I live.
A family member's graduation or school event
Purpose: To attend our son's graduation ceremony at [school] on [date].
Background: The applicant is our son's grandmother, who raised him until he was ten. The school's notice with the date of the ceremony is attached.
The other fields on the Letter of Invitation
| Section | Fields | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Date and To: | Year / Month / Day; "(Ambassador/Consul-General) of Japan in" | The city of the embassy or consulate |
| Inviting Person | Full name, address, telephone | If you are also the guarantor, the form lets you write "Same as guarantor" |
| Company contact | Full name, telephone, department | Only when a company or organization invites |
| Visa Applicant | Full name in the Latin alphabet, sex, number of additional applicants, date of birth, age, nationality, occupation | Exactly as in the passport. Several applicants: attach a list |
One thing not to attach: the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines says it cannot accept a copy of a My Number Card or a Japanese health insurance card.
Do you need a Letter of Invitation for a Japan visa?
It depends on your nationality and the purpose of the trip. Nationals of the countries on MOFA's visa exemption list do not need a visa for a short stay at all. For others, the list of documents is set by the embassy or consulate. Visiting family or friends usually involves the Letter of Invitation; a trip you pay for yourself as a tourist may not. Check the document list on the website of the embassy or consulate that handles your application.
Preview of the Excel file
This is the file itself, read back from the .xlsx. It opens on the completed example; the tabs switch sheets.
Sheet: Guide
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Letter of Invitation for a Japan Visa: worksheet and example |
| 2 | From Japan Forms (https://forms.syojin.com/letter-of-invitation-japan-visa/). Run by SYOJIN LLC, Tokyo. |
| 3 | |
| 4 | Sheets in this file |
| 5 | "Guide": this sheet. |
| 6 | "Fill in": the same fields as the official form, with what to write. Type your answers in the last column. |
| 7 | "Example": a completed example with made-up names. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | How to use it |
| 10 | 1. The inviting person (in Japan) drafts the answers on the "Fill in" sheet. |
| 11 | 2. If the inviting person is also the guarantor, the form lets you write "Same as guarantor" in the inviting person section. |
| 12 | 3. Spend most of the time on (1) Purpose, (2) Background and (3) Relationship. Write what will actually happen and why now, with dates. |
| 13 | 4. If the boxes on the form are too small, the form says to continue on a separate sheet of paper. |
| 14 | 5. Copy the answers onto the official form, print it and send it to the applicant with the other documents. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Common mistakes |
| 17 | One-word purposes. The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines says a vague description such as "Sightseeing", "Visiting Relatives" or "Friend" is not acceptable. |
| 18 | No proof for the reason. If the visit is for a birth, a wedding, a graduation or medical care, the embassy asks for a document that shows it (for example a medical certificate or the ceremony's invitation). |
| 19 | A stay longer than 30 days with no explanation. The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines asks for an explanation letter in that case. |
| 20 | Attaching a copy of a My Number Card or Japanese health insurance card. The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines says it cannot accept them. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | About this form |
| 23 | The Letter of Invitation (Shohei Riyusho, 招へい理由書) is where the person in Japan explains why they are inviting the visa applicant. Most of the form is names and addresses; the part that decides how it reads is the three boxes at the bottom: the purpose, the background, and the relationship. This file has every field on the official MOFA form, what to write, and a worked example of those three boxes. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | The official form |
| 26 | Letter of Invitation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (PDF): https://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000137089.pdf |
| 27 | |
| 28 | Before you use this file |
| 29 | This is a drafting aid, not an official document. Submit the form your embassy or consulate asks for. |
| 30 | Requirements differ by country and change without notice. Check the website of the Japanese embassy or consulate that handles your application before you submit. |
| 31 | You may edit, print and share this file. Please do not sell it. |
| 32 | |
| 33 | Sources |
| 34 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Letter of Invitation form (mofa.go.jp/files/000137089.pdf). |
| 35 | Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Important Note on the Document Submission (2025-04-07): items 1 and 7. |
| 36 | |
| 37 | Last checked |
| 38 | 2026-11-12 |
Sheet: Fill in
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Letter of Invitation (Shohei Riyusho) - worksheet | |||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | Date written | |||
| 4 | To: (Ambassador/Consul-General) of Japan in | |||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | Part of the form | Field | What to write | Your answer |
| 7 | Inviting Person | Full name / Address / Telephone | The person in Japan. If the same person is the guarantor, you may write "Same as guarantor". | |
| 8 | Company contact | Full name / Telephone / Department | Only when a company or organization is extending the invitation. | |
| 9 | Visa Applicant | Full name (in Latin alphabet), Male / Female | As in the passport. | |
| 10 | Visa Applicant | Number of additional applicants | Only when several people are invited. Attach a list. | |
| 11 | Visa Applicant | Date of birth / Age / Nationality / Occupation | As in the passport, and the current job. | |
| 12 | Purpose | (1) Purpose of invitation | What the applicant will do in Japan, with dates. Not one word. | |
| 13 | Purpose | (2) Background to invitation | Why this visit, why now, and how it came about. The form asks for detail. | |
| 14 | Purpose | (3) Relationship with visa applicant(s) | How you know each other, since when, and how you keep in touch. | |
| 15 | ||||
| 16 | ||||
Sheet: Example
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Letter of Invitation (Shohei Riyusho) - completed example | |||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | Date written | 2026/11/20 | ||
| 4 | To: (Ambassador/Consul-General) of Japan in | Manila | ||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | Part of the form | Field | What to write | Your answer |
| 7 | Inviting Person | Full name / Address / Telephone | The person in Japan. | Same as guarantor |
| 8 | Company contact | Full name / Telephone / Department | Only for a company. | N/A |
| 9 | Visa Applicant | Full name (in Latin alphabet), Male / Female | As in the passport. | SANTOS MARIA CRUZ, Female |
| 10 | Visa Applicant | Number of additional applicants | Only when several people are invited. | None |
| 11 | Visa Applicant | Date of birth / Age / Nationality / Occupation | As in the passport. | 1988/04/15, 38, Philippines, staff nurse |
| 12 | Purpose | (1) Purpose of invitation | What the applicant will do, with dates. | To help my wife (the applicant's younger sister) after the birth of our first child, due on 2027/01/10. The applicant will stay with us in Shinjuku from 2027/01/05 to 2027/01/26 and help with the baby and housework while my wife recovers. |
| 13 | Purpose | (2) Background to invitation | Why this visit, why now. | My wife has no family in Japan and I cannot take more than one week of leave. Her mother cannot travel because of her health, so her sister offered to come. A copy of the maternity record (Boshi-techo) page with the due date is attached. |
| 14 | Purpose | (3) Relationship with visa applicant(s) | How you know each other. | The applicant is my wife's older sister. I met her at our wedding in Manila in 2023 and we talk by video call every month. A copy of our marriage certificate is attached. |
Free Excel worksheet · no sign-up
Letter of Invitation (Shohei Riyusho)
Sheets: Guide, Fill in, Example · 11 KB · .xlsx (Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers)
Download the Excel fileSummary: writing the Letter of Invitation
The Letter of Invitation is the inviting person's explanation. Fill in the names from the passport, then write the purpose with dates, the background with the real reason, and the relationship with how long you have known each other. Attach a document that proves the reason when there is one.
To draft the three boxes before copying them onto the official form, download the Excel worksheet below. It has every field, what to write, and the completed example from this page. If you are also the guarantor, the [Letter of Guarantee](/letter-of-guarantee-japan-visa/) uses the same details, and the [Travel Itinerary](/japan-visa-itinerary/) should match the dates you give here.
Free Excel worksheet · no sign-up
Letter of Invitation (Shohei Riyusho)
Sheets: Guide, Fill in, Example · 11 KB · .xlsx (Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers)
Download the Excel file