[Nagoyankee]

As you know, james1254, there are many degrees of formality that one can use in letter writing as in any other forms of verbal communication. It's never just "formal and informal".

You may have heard somewhere that the format you mentioned above was 'formal'. To most Japanese including myself, it wouldn't look too formal. In fact, it looks to be more on the informal side. It may certainly not be the style used between two teenage best buddies in letter writing (even if they actually write letters). But you cannot use that format in business or legal correspondence. That will be out of the question.

In formal letter writing, there are many phrases which are used only in letter writing. A letter usually begins with 拝啓　（はいけい） and ends with 敬具　（けいぐ）. Immediately after saying 拝啓, you are expected to write a lengthy sentence or two describing the recent changes in nature (about plants, weather, seasonal events, etc). You don't just say "summer", but you must say what part of summer (early-summer, mid-summer, etc.). All this has nothing to do with the content of the letter. It's just a custom of an older country. Then you go on to ask how the other person and his family are doing.

Only after that, you get to the real content, which is generally kept short. Believe it or not, it's perfectly ok if it's shorter than the seasonal greeting.

Then again, you need to write a lengthy good-bye wishing the other person's well-being (e.g. despite the high humidity).

The formal letter writing, therefore, is highly stylized in Japan. There is no room for being creative. You can skip reading the first and last paragraphs and you will still know exactly what the letter was about.

I don't know if you're a teenager, but if you are you won't have to worry about writing these very formal letters anytime soon. That お元気ですか-それではお元気で format will work in most cases with your friends and their families.