との

との is a combination of the quotative particle と and the possessive/modifying particle の. It is used to turn a quoted statement, thought, or piece of information into a noun modifier, allowing you to attach that content directly to a noun. In other words, との lets you say "the [noun] that [statement]."

This pattern is extremely common in written Japanese – news articles, reports, formal correspondence – and also appears in spoken Japanese when relaying information, opinions, or decisions.

Basic usage: turning a quote into a noun modifier

When you want to modify a noun with a quoted clause, you use との before the noun. Compare:

• かれ彼はこない来ないといった言った。 – He said he wouldn't come.
• かれ彼はこない来ないとのれんらく連絡があった。

  There was a message that he wouldn't come.

In the second sentence, こない来ないと (the quotative content) modifies れんらく連絡 (message) via の.

Common nouns used with との

との frequently appears before nouns that represent information or communication, such as:

• こと (the fact that…)
• はなし話 (talk/story that…)
• れんらく連絡 (notification that…)
• ほうこく報告 (report that…)
• うわさ噂 (rumor that…)
• いけん意見 (opinion that…)
• へんじ返事 (reply that…)
• はんだん判断 (judgment that…)

との vs. という

Both との and という can modify nouns with quoted content, but they differ in nuance:

• という is more general – it can define, name, explain, or quote.
• との is more formal and typically conveys reported information – something someone said, decided, or communicated. It carries a stronger sense of relaying a message or piece of information from an external source.

Compare: さんか参加できないというへんじ返事をもらった is also natural but slightly less formal.

Used at sentence end: とのことだ

The expression とのことだ (or polite とのことです) is an extremely common set phrase meaning "I'm told that…" or "it is said that…" It is used to relay secondhand information in a formal or polite manner.