Structuring a Speech

Structuring a Speech in Japanese

Delivering a well-structured speech in Japanese requires formal transitional patterns that signal each section clearly to your audience.

～にあたって (ni atatte) means "on the occasion of" and is used at the beginning of formal speeches or presentations to frame the context.

開会にあたって、一言ご挨拶を申し上げます。

On the occasion of the opening, I would like to say a few words.

～をもちまして (wo mochimashite) means "as of" or "with this" and is used to formally conclude or mark endpoints.

以上をもちまして、私の発表を終わらせていただきます。

With this, I would like to conclude my presentation.

When structuring a speech, use にあたって for your introduction, transition to 本題 (main topic) with さて or では, and close with をもちまして. This framework gives your speech the formal scaffolding expected in Japanese professional and academic contexts.