26 Japanese Phrases for Trains, Shopping, and Hotels in Japan

💡 The most useful question pattern for getting around. Put the place first. "Doko" is what you are listening for if someone asks you where you are going.

💡 Toire is the everyday word. "Otearai" is a politer version you may see on signs. Stations, department stores, and many konbini have restrooms you can use.

💡 Works at ticket windows, info desks, and with taxi drivers. The follow-up question in the example asks for the route.

💡 Important because express and rapid trains skip stations. Station staff on the platform, or the person next to you, can usually answer with a quick yes or no.

💡 Platforms are numbered, like 3番線 (sanban-sen, track 3). Announcements use the same word, so listen for a number followed by "bansen."

💡 The station after 行き is the last stop, not necessarily yours. Announcements often say "yuki"; both readings are used.

💡 Listen for this on trains and buses; the station name is usually said twice. Many trains also show the next stop in English on screens above the doors.

💡 You will see 乗り換え or 乗換 on signs pointing to other lines. Transferring between different railway companies may mean going through another set of ticket gates.

💡 Stations have named exits: higashi (east), nishi (west), minami (south), kita (north), plus numbered exits like A2. Agree on the exact exit when meeting someone at a big station.

💡 Pronounced with a long "a" (chaa-ji). Machines at stations let you add money to an IC transit card. If the gate beeps and closes, you probably need to top up.

💡 Prices are usually clearly marked, and bargaining is not normal in shops. Staff often show the total on the register screen, so you don't have to catch every number.

💡 Pronounced with a long "a" (kaa-do). Ask before ordering at small restaurants. "Genkin nomi" or 現金のみ means cash only.

💡 Staff usually hand one over anyway. A formal receipt with a name on it, for business expenses, is a "ryoshusho."

💡 Only at shops that offer tax-free service, usually shown by a sign, and only above a minimum purchase. You need your passport with you. The rules and procedure have been changing, so follow the shop's instructions.

💡 Fitting rooms often have a small step where you take off your shoes before going in. Some stores also give you a thin face cover to protect clothes from makeup.

💡 Useful when a staff member offers help. In casual speech it becomes "miteru dake desu." Staff generally won't push after that.

💡 Hotels will ask to see your passport. Check-in time is strictly kept at many hotels, and early check-in may not be possible even if you ask.

💡 Some hotels let you drop the key card in a box instead. At a ryokan, staff may see you off at the entrance.

💡 Most hotels will store bags before check-in and after checkout. You'll usually get a numbered tag to reclaim them.

💡 Most big stations have lockers, and many now take IC cards instead of coins. Large lockers fill up early on busy days.

💡 Street addresses in Japan are based on blocks, not street names, so even locals get lost. Show your map app to whoever you ask.

💡 Pointing on a map avoids long spoken directions. Hand over your phone with the map open; people are used to this.

💡 The opposite is "toi" (far). If you hear "chotto toi desu," it probably means quite far, since "chotto" softens bad news.

💡 Answers often come in minutes, like "aruite juppun" (ten minutes on foot). "Takushi" means taxi if the answer is no.

💡 These are the words to listen for in directions. People will often point too, so watch their hands as well as their words.

💡 Show the address or map on your phone. Taxi rear doors open and close automatically, so don't pull or push them yourself.