How to Say Good Morning in Japanese: 16 Morning Greetings and Rituals

The Short Answer

The most common way to say good morning in Japanese is Ohayou gozaimasu (おはようございます, oh-hah-yoh goh-zah-ee-mahs). This polite form works with colleagues, strangers, elders, and anyone you want to show respect to. With friends and family, the shorter Ohayou (おはよう) is the standard casual version.

Japanese is spoken by approximately 125 million people, and according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs' 2023 National Language Survey, morning greetings are among the most culturally significant daily rituals in Japan. Unlike English, where "good morning" is a standalone phrase, Japanese mornings are built around an interconnected web of greetings, departure rituals, and group activities that define the rhythm of the day.

"The Japanese morning greeting is not simply a statement about the time of day. It is a declaration of readiness, an acknowledgment of shared effort, and a reaffirmation of one's place within the social group."

(Seiichi Makino, A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, The Japan Times, 1986)

This guide covers 16 essential Japanese morning greetings and expressions, from formal keigo to casual slang, plus the cultural rituals surrounding them. Each includes Japanese script, romaji pronunciation, and the cultural context you need to use it naturally.

Quick Reference: Japanese Morning Greetings at a Glance

The Core Morning Greetings

These are the essential good morning greetings you need to know. The choice between them depends entirely on your relationship with the listener and the social context, a concept central to Japanese communication.

おはようございます (Ohayou gozaimasu)

Ohayou gozaimasu is built from hayai (early), transformed into its polite form with the gozaimasu suffix. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs' 2023 survey, this greeting ranks among the top three most-used daily expressions in Japan. In offices, schools, and shops across the country, it is the sound that starts every morning.

The greeting is typically used from waking hours until around 10-11 AM, though the exact cutoff is flexible. What matters more than the clock is the context: if you are seeing someone for the first time that day, ohayou gozaimasu is always appropriate as a first greeting.

おはよう (Ohayou)

Simply dropping gozaimasu transforms the greeting from polite to casual. This is what you say to your roommate shuffling into the kitchen, your friend at school, or your sibling at the breakfast table. The difference between ohayou and ohayou gozaimasu is one of the first lessons in understanding Japanese keigo (politeness levels), and it applies to far more than just mornings.

If you have watched any anime or Japanese drama, you have heard ohayou countless times. It is usually the very first word spoken in morning scenes, often paired with a yawn or a stretch. Our guide to the best movies for learning Japanese features films rich with these authentic daily exchanges.

おはよっす (Ohayossu)

Ohayossu is a mashup of ohayou and ossu (the martial-arts-derived greeting). It carries a sporty, masculine energy and is common in school clubs, gym locker rooms, and among young male friends. While traditionally male, younger generations are loosening these gender associations.

You will hear ohayossu frequently in sports anime like Haikyuu!! and Slam Dunk, where teammates greet each other with this punchy morning slang before practice.

おはよ〜 (Ohayo~)

The elongated ohayo~ with its trailing wave mark adds a softer, friendlier feel. It is especially common in text messages on LINE (Japan's dominant messaging app) and among female friends greeting each other. In written form, you might also see it as おはよー or おはよぅ, each with a slightly different nuance of cuteness or sleepiness.

Morning Conversation Starters

Once the initial greeting is exchanged, these expressions keep the morning conversation flowing. They are the phrases that fill the space between "good morning" and the start of the day's activities.

よく眠れた？ (Yoku nemureta?)

Sleep is a common topic in Japanese morning conversations, partly because Japan has one of the shortest average sleep durations among developed nations. Asking yoku nemureta? is a genuine expression of concern, not just small talk. The polite equivalent, yoku nemuremashita ka? (よく眠れましたか？), works in more formal settings such as a ryokan (traditional inn).

朝ごはん食べた？ (Asagohan tabeta?)

The word asagohan literally translates to "morning rice," revealing how deeply rice is embedded in Japanese culture. Even if breakfast is toast and coffee, the word remains asagohan. This question is a staple of family mornings and frequently appears in anime when a parent calls a character down to the breakfast table.

今日もいい天気ですね (Kyou mo ii tenki desu ne)

Weather comments are universal ice-breakers, and Japan is no exception. Kyou mo ii tenki desu ne is the standard follow-up to ohayou gozaimasu with neighbors, shopkeepers, and acquaintances. The particle ne at the end softens the statement into a shared observation, inviting a nod or agreement in return.

今朝は寒いですね (Kesa wa samui desu ne)

Japanese culture places extraordinary value on seasonal awareness, known as kisetsukan (季節感). Mentioning the morning cold is not just small talk; it demonstrates your attunement to the natural world, a quality deeply respected in Japanese aesthetics. You might also hear kesa wa atsui desu ne (It's hot this morning, isn't it?) during Japan's famously humid summers.

The Ittekimasu / Itterasshai Morning Ritual

No guide to Japanese mornings is complete without this paired expression. It is one of the most culturally distinctive features of Japanese daily life.

いってきます (Ittekimasu)

Ittekimasu combines itte (going) with kimasu (will come), creating a single phrase that means "I will go and I will return." It is said at the doorway every morning as you put on your shoes in the genkan (entryway). The phrase carries an implicit promise: I am leaving, but I will come back to this home.

According to NHK World-Japan's language materials, the ittekimasu/itterasshai exchange is practiced in over 95% of Japanese households with multiple members. It is one of the first phrases children learn and one of the last rituals people maintain into old age.

いってらっしゃい (Itterasshai)

Itterasshai is the response that completes the ritual. It uses irassharu, the honorific verb for "to go/come/be," making it inherently respectful. A parent saying itterasshai to a child heading to school is wishing them safe passage and a safe return.

If you watch anime, you have seen this exchange hundreds of times. The scene is iconic: a character shouts ittekimasu! while rushing out the door with toast in their mouth, and a voice from inside calls back itterasshai! It is one of the most recognizable tropes in Japanese animation, and it reflects genuine daily practice.

Workplace Morning Expressions

Japanese offices have their own morning vocabulary. The concepts of asa-chou (morning assembly) and collective rituals set the tone for the entire workday.

皆さん、おはようございます (Minasan, ohayou gozaimasu)

The asa-chou or chourei (朝礼, morning assembly) is a defining feature of Japanese corporate culture. It typically begins with minasan, ohayou gozaimasu from a team leader, followed by the group echoing the greeting back in unison. The assembly might include announcements, a safety reminder, a motivational quote, or a brief speech by a rotating team member. Many companies also incorporate radio taisou exercises.

おはようございます、お疲れ様です (Ohayou gozaimasu, otsukaresama desu)

In Japanese offices, combining ohayou gozaimasu with otsukaresama desu is a natural way to greet colleagues who arrived before you. It simultaneously says "good morning" and "I see you've been working hard," a small but meaningful acknowledgment of shared effort that defines Japanese workplace culture.

おはようございます、失礼します (Ohayou gozaimasu, shitsurei shimasu)

Shitsurei shimasu literally means "I am committing a rudeness," a humble way of excusing yourself for entering someone's space. Paired with the morning greeting, it is the standard way to enter a supervisor's office or a meeting room at the start of the day. The self-deprecating phrasing is characteristic of Japanese keigo.

Waking Up and Getting Started

These expressions capture the moments between opening your eyes and heading out the door.

起きて！ (Okite!)

Okite! is the te-form of okiru (to get up), functioning as a direct command. It is a fixture of anime morning scenes: a parent or sibling shouts okite! while the protagonist buries themselves deeper under the covers. The comedy of the reluctant waker is a universal experience that transcends language.

寝坊した！ (Nebou shita!)

Nebou shita is responsible for one of anime's most enduring visual tropes: the late-for-school dash. The character wakes up, screams nebou shita!, throws on their uniform, grabs toast, and sprints out the door. While exaggerated in animation, the underlying panic is something every Japanese student and worker has experienced. Japan's culture of punctuality makes oversleeping a genuinely stressful event.

How to Respond to Japanese Morning Greetings

Japanese morning etiquette relies heavily on echoing, repeating the same or a similar greeting back. Here are the standard response patterns.

Responses to Morning Greetings

Responses to Morning Questions

Radio Taisou: Japan's Morning Exercise Ritual

No discussion of Japanese mornings is complete without rajio taisou (ラジオ体操, radio calisthenics). First broadcast on NHK Radio in 1928, this structured exercise routine has been a cornerstone of Japanese morning culture for nearly a century.

According to Japan Post Insurance (Kanpo), which sponsors the program, an estimated 27 million Japanese people participate in radio taisou regularly. During summer vacation, children gather at local parks at 6:30 AM for group exercises. Many companies begin the workday with radio taisou, performed together in the office or factory floor.

The exercises themselves are simple (stretching, bending, jumping) and designed to be accessible to all ages. But their cultural significance runs deeper. Radio taisou embodies the Japanese values of collective harmony (wa), self-discipline, and starting the day with shared purpose. If you visit Japan and see a group of people exercising in unison in a park at dawn, you are witnessing one of the country's most enduring traditions.

Practice With Real Japanese Content

Reading about morning greetings builds your vocabulary, but hearing them spoken naturally, with correct intonation, speed, and emotional context, is what makes them stick. Japanese films and anime are perfect for this because morning scenes happen in nearly every episode, giving you repeated exposure to these phrases in authentic settings.

Wordy lets you watch Japanese movies and shows with interactive subtitles. Tap on any morning greeting to see its meaning, romaji pronunciation, formality level, and cultural context in real time. Instead of memorizing from a list, you absorb these expressions from the natural rhythm of daily Japanese life.

For more Japanese content, explore our blog for language guides including the best movies to learn Japanese. You can also visit our Japanese learning page to start practicing with real content today.