14639
When I'm contacting a colleague for the first time and we're communicating
online, [I can use はじめまして as part of my
greeting](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/8156/greeting-a-person-
over-the-internet/8158#8158). Likewise, if I'm meeting someone for the first
time and it is an in-person meeting, I can say はじめまして during my introduction.

However, if I talk with someone online and then we meet in person for the
first time, is はじめまして still appropriate? Or is there some other typical
greeting for this situation?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-13T06:55:19.697
14474
2021-06-30T21:25:36.730
2017-04-13T12:43:43.857
-1
162
question
phrase-requests greetings
Is はじめまして only suitable for the first contact?
My answer would be No. **「始めまして」** is literally only used the first time that
you encounter a person and introductions are in order. If you plan to meet in
person after already introducing yourselves online, you only need to greet
with **「こんにちは」** or whatever's appropriate for the time of the day. However,
if after your 「こにちは」 you wish to re-state your name, feel free to!

I learned this when meeting my Japanese tutor online first, then in person.

In addition, after meeting in person this way with a colleague, saying
**「よろしくお願いします」** (yoroshiku onegai shimasu, "Please be kind to me") is also
appropriate.

Hope this helps!
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-14T16:46:24.873
14487
2014-02-14T16:46:24.873
4654
14474
answer
I would typically say はじめまして again when meeting for the first time and I get
greeted in a similar way.

Instead of よろしくお願いします, I would say 改めて{あらためて}よろしくお願{ねが}いします which acknowledges
that I have said it before.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-26T01:36:48.567
14624
2014-02-27T05:04:52.977
2014-02-27T05:04:52.977
1805
14474
answer
It doesn't matter. Feel it out based on your relationship with that person and
whatever feels right. I have to imagine that if you had contact with someone
before and you said 初めまして upon meeting them in person it would be accompanied
by that kind of weak laugh of shared awkwardness like "what do I say in this
situation?" In other words, meeting people from the internet is still a
relatively new phenomenon, and while I'm sure there must have been people who
had met by correspondence in the past, there is not some universally accepted
cultural norm for what to do in this situation. I think you can compare it
pretty directly to how the situation would play out in English.

So basically, I don't think there's a specifically Japanese way to do it. The
meeting will probably be awkward and fumbling for the first few moments
anyway. Personally I'd make a comment along the lines of "nice to finally meet
you in person," as I would in English, but that's just me. Just go for what
feels right.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-27T01:29:58.757
14639
2014-02-27T01:29:58.757
1797
14474
answer
I am not a native speaker but based on my experience supported by the comments
above from native speakers, I would say it again, just as I might say "pleased
to meet you" in English.

It might partly depend on the context and the nature of your previous contact:
When you meet finally F2F, there may be a "first time feel" to the occasion
and it comes very naturally. You might even say it after swapping e-mails for
long period and then seeing the person for the first time on AV.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-27T03:29:58.400
14643
2014-02-27T03:29:58.400
1556
14474
answer