Japanese for Military Families Stationed in Japan
If you or your partner are being stationed in Japan, a little Japanese makes off-base life much easier and far more enjoyable. You don’t need fluency: polite greetings, numbers, food and shopping phrases, and the language for your neighbourhood, your landlord and emergencies cover most of daily life. Start a few months before you arrive with short, regular lessons focused on speaking, and keep going once you’re there so you can make friends, travel and help your children settle into local activities.
What to learn first
| Priority | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Greetings and polite basics | Neighbours notice a friendly おはようございます. See Japanese greetings. |
| Numbers, prices and times | Shops, taxis, opening hours and appointments. See Japanese numbers and counters. |
| Food and eating out | Ordering, allergies and paying. See eating out in Japan. |
| Your home and neighbourhood | Off-base housing, rubbish days, noise and talking to neighbours. See how to sort rubbish in Japan. |
| Getting around | Trains, buses and road signs. See Japanese for trains and getting around. |
| Emergencies | Calling 119 (fire and ambulance) or 110 (police), giving your address. See Japanese for emergencies. |
Phrases you’ll use off base
| Japanese | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| となりに引っ越してきました。よろしくお願いします。 | tonari ni hikkoshite kimashita. yoroshiku onegaishimasu. | We’ve just moved in next door. Nice to meet you. |
| 日本語を勉強しています。ゆっくり話してください。 | nihongo o benkyō shite imasu. yukkuri hanashite kudasai. | I’m learning Japanese. Please speak slowly. |
| 子どもが参加できるクラスはありますか。 | kodomo ga sanka dekiru kurasu wa arimasu ka. | Are there classes my child can join? |
| 英語のメニューはありますか。 | eigo no menyū wa arimasu ka. | Do you have an English menu? |
| お湯が出ないんですが、見てもらえますか。 | oyu ga denai n desu ga, mite moraemasu ka. | The hot water isn’t working. Could you take a look? (to a landlord) |
A plan that fits a move
- Before you arrive (2–3 months): hiragana and katakana, greetings, numbers, food and shopping. See how to learn hiragana and katakana in two weeks.
- First months in Japan: your neighbourhood, the landlord, trains, kids’ activities and handling problems politely.
- After that: conversation for friendships, travel and hobbies, and the JLPT if you want a goal. See the JLPT N5 study plan.
Online lessons travel with you, so you can keep the same tutor before, during and after a move. See Japanese lessons across time zones.
Tips for families
- Learn together. Short family lessons can make Japanese part of home life. See learning Japanese as a family.
- Join local activities. Festivals, sports clubs and community events are the quickest way to use your Japanese. See Japanese seasons and festivals.
- Learn local manners. Shoes off indoors, quiet on trains and careful rubbish sorting matter to neighbours. See living in a Japanese neighbourhood.
- Follow official guidance. For rules on driving, housing and conduct off base, always follow the guidance from your installation and command.
How Hanabuddies can help
Our native Japanese tutors teach one-to-one and family lessons online, planned around the situations you’ll actually face off base, at times that work across time zones. For important conversations, such as with a landlord, a local school or a doctor, we can also provide an English–Japanese interpreter, online or in person. We’re an independent tutoring and language service and aren’t affiliated with any military organisation.