Technical Japanese #35 — Politely Declining or Redirecting a Proposal in Japanese Email
Sooner or later you have to decline something impossible — a 納期 that cannot be met, a tolerance that cannot be held — or propose a different approach. Japanese rarely says a flat "no": it uses cushion phrases (クッション言葉) and always attaches an alternative. A blunt refusal reads as uncooperative. This post shows how to decline and redirect while keeping the relationship.
Cushion phrases for declining and proposing
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Role | Note |
|---|
| クッション言葉 | kusshon kotoba | cushion words | Softening | Placed before a refusal |
| 大変申し訳ございませんが | taihen mōshiwake gozaimasen ga | I am very sorry, but | Opening | Apologise first |
| 難しい状況です | むずかしい muzukashii jōkyō desu | the situation is difficult | Soft refusal | Never say 無理 |
| 対応できかねます | taiō dekikanemasu | I am unable to accommodate | Polite refusal | The polite できない |
| 代わりに | かわりに kawari ni | instead | Proposing | The alternative |
| 提案 | ていあん teian | proposal | The solution | Proposal |
| ○○であれば可能です | かのう ○○ de areba kanō desu | it is possible if | Condition | A conditional yes |
| 検討 | けんとう kentō | consideration | Asking them to weigh it | Consider |
| 恐縮ですが | きょうしゅく kyōshuku desu ga | I am much obliged, but | Cushion | Very polite |
| ご理解いただけますと | りかい go-rikai itadakemasu to | if you could understand | Closing | Asking for understanding |
| 可能 | かのう kanō | possible | — | Possible |
| 困難 | こんなん konnan | difficult, not feasible | — | Politer than 無理 |
| 調整 | ちょうせい chōsei | adjustment | Negotiating | Adjust |
| 可能であれば | kanō de areba | if possible | Suggesting | If it can be done |
The formula
Cushion → objective reason → alternative → ask for understanding.
- Cushion:
大変申し訳ございませんが or 恐縮ですが. - Reason, objective and numeric:
技術的に公差0.01の達成は困難です。 - Alternative — the important part:
代わりに、公差0.03であれば対応可能です。 - Close:
ご検討いただけますと幸いです。
The key is that step three always exists. A refusal without a 代替案 is read as pushing the problem back across the table.
A complete example — declining a tight delivery date
いつもお世話になっております。 大変申し訳ございませんが、8月10日の納期は難しい状況です。 現在の工程では、最短でも8月14日となります。 代わりに、一部を先行してお納めすることは可能です。 恐れ入りますが、ご検討いただけますでしょうか。 よろしくお願いいたします。
Phrases by situation
Declining, or reporting difficulty
- 申し訳ございませんが、その仕様では対応できかねます。 — I am sorry, but we cannot accommodate that specification.
- 技術的に困難です。 — It is technically difficult — softer than 無理.
Proposing an alternative
- 代わりに○○を提案させてください。 — Instead, let me propose ○○.
- ○○であれば可能です。 — If it is ○○, that is possible.
Mistakes to avoid
| Mistake | Why it hurts |
|---|
| Saying a bare 無理です | It lands harshly. Use 難しい, 困難 or 対応できかねます |
| Declining without an alternative | You are read as unwilling to cooperate |
| Giving an emotional reason ("we are very busy") | Use a technical, objective reason with a number |
| Going silent because the answer is awkward | Worse than declining. Always reply |
Read it, then act — quick self-check
A Japanese customer asks for ±0.005 and your shop holds ±0.02. Write the refusal with a proposal.
<details><summary>Answer</summary>大変申し訳ございませんが、±0.005の達成は技術的に困難です。代わりに±0.02であれば安定して対応可能です。ご検討いただけますと幸いです。 — cushion, technical reason, alternative, request for consideration.</details>
Your manager tells you to "just say we cannot do it". What is the polite form?
<details><summary>Answer</summary>「申し訳ございませんが、対応できかねます。」 — still a no, in the polite できかねる form, avoiding a bare 無理 or できない.</details>
How MINATA helps
Do you need 納期, 仕様 or tolerances negotiated with a Japanese partner without either side losing face? MINATA acts as the Japan–Vietnam technical and negotiating bridge: drafting the reply, proposing a workable 代替案 and keeping the project moving. See our Japan–Vietnam projects or Japan–Vietnam business services.
View all MINATA technical articles