The text
This is an internal notice from the accounts department of a (fictional) company to all staff, written in the 「です・ます」 style. The words in brackets are the heading of each item. As you read, keep track of when it starts, what the deadline is, what you have to do, and what exceptions come after “however”.
出張旅費の精算方法の変更について
社員各位。経理部よりお知らせです。十一月一日から、出張にかかった費用の精算方法を変更します。これまでは、紙の申請書に領収書を貼って提出していただいていました。今後は、社内の経費システムからの申請に一本化します。変更に際して、次の点にご注意ください。
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To all staff. This is a notice from the accounts department. From 1 November, the way travel expenses are claimed will change. Until now, you have stuck receipts onto a paper claim form and handed it in. From now on, all claims will be made through the company expense system. Please note the following points about the change.
【出張の前に】出張に際しては、これまでどおり、出発の三日前までにシステムで出張の申請を行い、上司の承認を受けてください。急な出張で間に合わない場合は、出発前に上司から口頭で許可を得たうえで、戻ってから申請してもかまいません。
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[Before a business trip] As before, when you go on a business trip, please apply for it in the system at least three days before you leave and get your boss’s approval. If a trip is too sudden for that, you may apply after you return, as long as your boss gives you verbal permission before you leave.
【精算の期限】出張から戻り次第、速やかに精算を申請してください。期限は、出張が終わった月の翌月五日です。期限を過ぎた申請は、原則として受け付けません。
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[Claim deadline] Please submit your expense claim promptly as soon as you return from a trip. The deadline is the 5th of the month after the month in which the trip ended. As a rule, claims made after the deadline will not be accepted.
【領収書】領収書はスマートフォンなどで撮影し、画像を申請画面に添付してください。原本は、申請が承認され次第、各部署にある回収箱に入れてください。電車やバスの運賃のように領収書が出ないものは、乗った区間を入力すれば、領収書は要りません。
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[Receipts] Please take a photo of each receipt with a smartphone or similar and attach the image on the claim screen. As soon as your claim is approved, please put the original receipts in the collection box in your department. For train and bus fares and other costs with no receipt, you don’t need a receipt if you enter the section of the route you travelled.
【交通費】移動には、原則として電車やバスなどの公共交通機関を利用してください。タクシーは、荷物が多い場合や、深夜で電車が動いていない場合などに限って使うことができます。その際は、利用した理由を申請画面に記入してください。
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[Transport] As a rule, please use public transport such as trains and buses to get around. Taxis may be used only in cases such as when you have a lot of luggage or when it is late at night and trains are not running. In that case, please enter the reason for using a taxi on the claim screen.
【宿泊費】宿泊費は、これまでどおり、一泊あたりの上限額の範囲内で支給します。上限額は出張先の地域次第で異なりますので、システムの一覧表で確認してください。上限を超えるホテルに泊まる必要がある場合は、事前に部長の承認が必要です。
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[Accommodation] As before, accommodation will be paid up to a maximum amount per night. The maximum depends on the region you travel to, so please check the list in the system. If you need to stay at a hotel that costs more than the maximum, you must get approval from your department manager in advance.
【食事代】出張中の食事代は日当に含まれているため、別に申請することはできません。ただし、取引先との会食の費用は、従来どおり交際費として申請できます。
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[Meals] Meals during a business trip are included in the daily allowance, so they cannot be claimed separately. However, as before, the cost of a meal with a client can be claimed as entertainment expenses.
【説明会】新しいシステムの使い方について、十月二十日と二十五日に説明会を開きます。各部署から一名以上、どちらかの回に必ず参加してください。参加者が決まり次第、十月十五日までに経理部へお知らせください。説明会の資料は、終了後に社内サイトに載せます。
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[Briefings] We will hold briefings on how to use the new system on 20 and 25 October. Each department must send at least one person to one of the two sessions. As soon as you have decided who will attend, please let the accounts department know by 15 October. The briefing materials will be put on the company intranet afterwards.
【移行期間】なお、十月中に行った出張については、十一月以降に申請する場合でも、従来の紙の申請書で受け付けます。十一月一日以降に出発する出張は、すべてシステムから申請してください。
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[Transition period] Please also note that for trips taken during October, paper claim forms will still be accepted, even if you claim in November or later. For all trips leaving on or after 1 November, please claim through the system.
ご不明な点は、経理部の松本までお問い合わせください。
Show the translation
If anything is unclear, please contact Matsumoto in the accounts department.
Vocabulary
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 各位 | all (in a notice’s greeting: 「社員各位」 = to all staff) |
| 出張旅費 | travel expenses for a business trip (transport, accommodation and so on) |
| 精算 | settling up; expense claim |
| 申請 | application |
| 領収書 | receipt |
| 一本化 | bringing into one (method or channel) |
| 承認 | approval |
| 口頭 | spoken |
| 速やかに | promptly, quickly |
| 翌月 | the following month |
| 原則として | as a rule, in principle |
| 添付 | attaching (a file) |
| 原本 | the original (document) |
| 区間 | section (of a route) |
| 上限額 | maximum amount |
| 支給 | payment, providing |
| 日当 | daily allowance (on a business trip) |
| 取引先 | client, business partner |
| 会食 | business meal, dinner |
| 従来 | until now, conventional |
| 移行期間 | transition period |
Key sentences
変更に際して、次の点にご注意ください。
Please note the following points about the change.
Noun or verb dictionary form + 「に際して」: “on the occasion of, when” (lesson 1 of the N2 grammar course). It is used for formal moments such as starting, changing or leaving, and belongs to notices and speeches. In speech, 「〜するときに」 or 「〜の際に」 is enough; 「に際して」 sounds too grand for small everyday things.
出張から戻り次第、速やかに精算を申請してください。
Please submit your expense claim promptly as soon as you return from a trip.
Masu form without 「ます」 + 「次第」: “as soon as” (lesson 3 of the N3 grammar course). It is followed by a request or something the speaker is going to do (「〜てください」, 「お知らせします」), not by something that has already happened.
上限額は出張先の地域次第で異なります。
The maximum depends on the region you travel to.
Noun + 「次第で／次第だ」: “depending on, up to” (lesson 3 of the N2 grammar course). It is close to 「〜によって」, but 「次第で」 stresses that this one thing decides it. Note that 「次第に」 is a different word meaning “gradually”.
出発前に上司から許可を得たうえで、戻ってから申請してもかまいません。
You may apply after you return, as long as your boss gives you permission before you leave.
Verb ta form + 「うえで」: do the first thing, then the second (lesson 27 of the N2 grammar course); rules often use it for conditions that must come first. 「〜てもかまいません」 means “you may …” and gives permission.
期限を過ぎた申請は、原則として受け付けません。
As a rule, claims made after the deadline will not be accepted.
「原則として」 means “as a rule”, which hints that there may be exceptions in special cases; it doesn’t mean “absolutely”. When you see it in a rule, look for a 「ただし」 after it or elsewhere.
| Form | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| masu stem + 「次第」 | as soon as (formal) | 決まり次第、お知らせします。 |
| noun + 「次第で／次第だ」 | depending on | 結果は努力次第だ。 |
| 「次第に」 (adverb) | gradually | 空が次第に明るくなった。 |
How to pick out the main points of a notice
- Who is writing to whom. 「社員各位」 at the start is who it is for, and 「経理部より」 is who sent it.
- When. Look for dates and deadlines: 「十一月一日から」 (start), 「〜までに」 (by), 「翌月五日」 (deadline).
- What to do. Look for 「〜てください」, 「〜必要があります」 and 「必ず」.
- Exceptions and extra points. What comes after 「ただし」, 「〜場合は」 and 「なお」 is the easiest to miss, and questions love to ask about it.
- What has changed and what hasn’t. 「これまでどおり」 and 「従来どおり」 mean nothing has changed; 「今後は」 and 「〜に一本化します」 mean something has.
Culture
At Japanese companies, business trip expenses are usually split into transport, accommodation and a 「日当」 (daily allowance). The daily allowance is usually paid by the number of days with no receipts, so meals are often included in it; meals with clients count as 「交際費」 (entertainment expenses) and have their own rules. Details vary from company to company, so when you join one, read its 「規程」 (regulations) first.