Incident report (始末書)
The order matters more than the wording.
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Example
Worked example — Incident report (始末書)
Use the following inputs and settings. Keep other settings at the page defaults.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Kind of document | 始末書 — a written account of an incident at work |
| Date | 2026-11-02 |
| Output files | 1 |
| PDF pages | 1 |
| 210 × 297 mm |
Expected result — PDF · PDF pages: 1. The image shows the first PDF page.
How it works
- Keep the four headings: when it happened, what happened, why, and what you will do about it.
- Write the facts plainly under each. Keep it to one page.
- Put your department and name at the foot, and address it to whoever asked for it.
- Download, print, sign and seal.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a 始末書?
- The written account a Japanese employer asks for after an incident — a mistake that cost something, a lateness that mattered, an accident with a company car. It is not only an apology: it is a record that the person understood what happened and said what they would change.
- How is it different from a 顛末書?
- A 顛末書 is a factual report of events with no apology and no admission of fault, often written by someone who was not responsible. A 始末書 includes the apology and the acceptance of responsibility. Being asked for one rather than the other tells you how it is being treated.
- What gets one handed back?
- Excuses in the middle. The expected order is what happened, why, that it was your responsibility, and what you will do — and an explanation that reads as shifting blame between the second and third of those is the commonest reason it is returned to be rewritten.
- How long should it be?
- One page. A long one reads as an attempt to bury the point; the form is short precisely so that the four things are all visible at once.
- Does it need a seal?
- In practice yes, in Japan. The template leaves the circle for it. Our seal maker will draw one if you want to see what yours looks like first.
- Is it free?
- Yes. The free plan adds a small line at the foot of the sheet; Pro leaves it off.
Made for a specific use
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