Greeting Your New Neighbor After Moving In — JLPT N4 Japanese Conversation
The situation
Yattan (ヤッタン) has just moved in and knocks on the door of the apartment next door to greet the neighbor (隣の人).
こんにちは。今日、隣に引っ越してきたヤッタンと申します。
こんにちは。きょう、となりに ひっこしてきた やったんと もうします。
Hello. I'm Yattan — I just moved in next door today.
あ、そうですか。わざわざご丁寧にどうも。
あ、そうですか。わざわざ ごていねいに どうも。
Oh, is that so? How kind of you to come by.
これ、つまらないものですが、よかったらどうぞ。
これ、つまらないものですが、よかったら どうぞ。
This is just a little something — please take it, if you don't mind.
えっ、いいんですか。ありがとうございます。
えっ、いいんですか。ありがとうございます。
Oh, are you sure? Thank you very much.
ゴミ出しのルールがまだ分からなくて…今度教えてもらえますか。
ごみだしの るーるが まだ わからなくて…こんど おしえてもらえますか。
I still don't understand the garbage rules… could you teach me sometime?
もちろんです。何かあったら、いつでも聞いてくださいね。
もちろんです。なにか あったら、いつでも きいてくださいね。
Of course. If anything comes up, feel free to ask me anytime.
助かります。これからよろしくお願いします。
たすかります。これから よろしく おねがいします。
That's a relief. I look forward to being your neighbor.
こちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。
こちらこそ、よろしく おねがいします。
Likewise — I look forward to it too.
Key expressions
- 〜てもらえますか — "Could you (do) ~ for me?" A softer, more polite way to make a request than 〜てください. It literally asks whether you can receive the favor, so 「教えてもらえますか」 lands as "would you be able to teach me?" rather than a command.
- 何かあったら〜 — "If anything comes up, ~." The 〜たら conditional means "when/if"; here 何か ("something") + あったら ("if there is") is a set phrase neighbors use to offer help. See the 〜たら conditional for how it differs from 〜ば and 〜と.
- 挨拶しておく — Before you unpack, it's worth 「挨拶しておく」 — greeting the neighbors in advance, to have it done and set things up smoothly. The 〜ておく pattern means doing something ahead of time for a future benefit; see 〜ておく.
- つまらないものですが — "It's nothing much, but…" The fixed, humble line said while handing over a gift. Pair it with よかったらどうぞ ("please take it if you like").
- これからよろしくお願いします — "Please treat me well from now on." これから ("from here on") makes it a forward-looking greeting for the start of any ongoing relationship.
About the 引っ越しの挨拶
In Japan, greeting the neighbors right after moving in is a fading but still-alive custom — common in older neighborhoods and among families, less so among young renters in big-city buildings. The etiquette is simple: visit within a few days, greet both sides and the unit above/below if it's a house, and bring an inexpensive gift (500–1,000 yen) such as a towel, a box of お菓子, or dish soap. Hand it over with 「つまらないものですが」. If no one is home after a couple of tries, leaving a short note is perfectly acceptable. Survival phrase: 「隣に引っ越してきました。よろしくお願いします」 ("I've just moved in next door. Nice to meet you.").
Frequently asked questions
Do people still do the 引っ越しの挨拶?
It's less universal than it used to be, especially for single renters in urban apartment blocks, but it's still common and appreciated — particularly with families, in older neighborhoods, or when you live directly next to or above/below someone. When in doubt, a quick greeting with a small gift is never wrong.
What does つまらないものですが actually mean?
Literally 'it's a boring/trivial thing, but…' It's a humble set phrase said when giving a gift. You're modestly downplaying the present so the receiver doesn't feel they owe you anything — it is not meant to be taken at face value.
Is 〜てもらえますか really more polite than 〜てください?
Yes. 〜てください is a direct request ('please do ~'), while 〜てもらえますか asks whether the other person would be able to do you the favor, which feels gentler and less imposing. For an even more formal version, use 〜ていただけますか.