Practical Japanese for Travelers

Learn Japanese greetings to connect with people in Japan, including ohayo gozaimasu for morning, konnichiwa for afternoon, and konbanwa for evening, with a light bow as respect.

Master the desu/masu politeness system to sound friendly in Japanese; learn when to use desu after nouns or adjectives and masu after verbs, including polite phrases for service encounters.

Learn practical politeness in japan by using arigato, arigato gozaimasu, sumimasen, and gomen nasai to show respect and smooth interactions.

Master essential immigration and customs phrases for travel in Japan, including polite greetings, stating your stay duration, purpose of visit, hotel name, and how to declare luggage with confidence.

After immigration and customs, learn simple phrases to ask for directions inside the airport, like where is the baggage claim, currency exchange, or transportation.

Master essential hotel check-in and check-out phrases in Japanese, including presenting your passport, confirming your reservation, and noting the check-out time, with polite expressions like arigato gozaimasu.

Learn to buy train or bus tickets in Japan from machines or counters using one-way katamachi and round-trip oku. Use phrases like maru ichimai kudasai and seki for seats.

Learn simple and polite Japanese to ask how to get to your destination, with taxi and station phrases and practice using city names.

Master essential station announcements in Japanese to navigate trains and buses confidently. Learn key phrases for next stops, doors closing, transfers, and delays when English is unavailable.

Learn to order food and drinks in Japan politely and confidently, using sumimasen to call a waiter, kudasai and maru, and ordering by number with hitotsu and futatsu.

Learn how to ask for recommendations in Japan, using phrases like 'What do you recommend?' and 'Today's special is curry,' and practice identifying popular menu items.

Learn how to express allergies, vegetarian or vegan preferences in Japanese, including phrases like 'does this dish contain' and 'no meat/no fish', and practice clearly explaining your needs.

Learn to make a restaurant reservation in Japanese by stating the date, time, and party size, using yoyaku status, and providing your name; practice a sample conversation.

Learn simple, polite ways to ask for prices in Japan. Practice phrases like 'kawa ikura' and 'kudasai' with yen amounts from ¥100 to ¥10,000.

Learn practical Japanese for travelers to ask for bigger or smaller sizes, request colors, try on items, and use polite shopping phrases like kudasai in Japan.

Learn essential tax-free shopping phrases for travelers in Japan, including how to ask for tax-free status, show your passport and receipt, and understand minimum purchase and the duty-free distinction.

learn to ask locals for recommendations on places to visit using phrases like 'kono machi de' and 'Suzumiya doko deska', discover sightseeing spots, and start friendly conversations about what's popular.

Master practical phrases for travelers to start small talk about the weather in Japan, including hot, cold, and humid summers, rain, and snow, with guided practice to converse with locals.

Learn simple phrases for taking and offering photos at sightseeing spots, practice together, and use polite expressions to connect with people and make memories in Japan.

Practice asking for help in Japanese with sumimasen and kudasai, request specific aid, locate the hospital or police, and practice asking if you speak English.

Learn to explain travel problems in Japanese, such as losing items or feeling sick, with practical phrases and clear communication to get assistance.

Dial 110 for police and 119 for ambulance or fire, and state your location, situation, and name. Use sumimasen and kudasai to ask for help, even if English is unavailable.

Practice airport immigration role-play to handle common questions about sightseeing or business travel and stay duration. Repeat phrases, vary destinations, and speak clearly to build confidence.

practice a hotel check-in scenario in japan by role-playing with a receptionist, using phrases for confirming a reservation, saying check in or onegaishimasu, and checking out.

Test your listening comprehension with a traveler's Japanese phrase quiz, hear phrases like onegaishimasu, eikaiwa doko deska, and Shinjuku ikitai, then choose the correct answer.

Download and print the printable phrase list pdf, featuring Japanese, English, and Katakana guides. Use the practice blanks to customize sentences for your trip and carry a quick reference.