Re: Email etiquette for Japan?

["Fred Ridder" <docudoc -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

Actually, unless the person you is addressing are already
known to you, it is probably more appropriate to use "sama"
rather than "san" as the honorific. And if there is any possibility
that the person has a position of higher authority, "sama"
would also be safer. Here is part of what Wikipedia has
to say on the subject in a fairly comprehensive article:

  Sama is the formal version of san. This honorific is used
  primarily in addressing persons much higher in rank than
  oneself and in commercial and business settings to address
  and refer to customers. ...
  Sama also follows the addressee's name on postal packages
  and letters and is frequently seen in business e-mails.

When in doubt, it is always safer to err on the side of greater
formality and deference when communicating with Japanese.
The Japanese have become accustomed to making allowances
for informal North Americans, but establising a business
relationship will proceed much faster if you make a sincere
effort to adapt to their customs.