Hospitality Japanese for Staff Who Serve Japanese Tourists
If your hotel, shop, restaurant, tour company or attraction outside Japan welcomes Japanese visitors, a short course of hospitality Japanese for front-line staff makes a real difference. Staff don’t need to be fluent: a polite welcome, a dozen set phrases for directions, waiting, payment and apologies, and an understanding of what Japanese guests expect (clear information, punctuality, cleanliness and calm, careful service) go a long way. Pair it with good Japanese written information, and guests feel looked after even when the conversation switches to English.
Phrases front-line staff can learn first
| Japanese | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| いらっしゃいませ。 | irasshaimase. | Welcome. (to customers) |
| 何名様ですか。 | nanmei-sama desu ka. | How many people? |
| ご予約はございますか。 | goyoyaku wa gozaimasu ka. | Do you have a reservation? |
| こちらへどうぞ。 | kochira e dōzo. | This way, please. |
| 少々お待ちください。 | shōshō omachi kudasai. | Please wait a moment. |
| お支払いはカードですか。 | oshiharai wa kādo desu ka. | Will you pay by card? |
| 申し訳ございません。 | mōshiwake gozaimasen. | I’m very sorry. |
| ありがとうございました。またお越しください。 | arigatō gozaimashita. mata okoshi kudasai. | Thank you. Please come again. |
More set phrases in Japanese customer service phrases.
What Japanese visitors tend to expect
- Clear, detailed information in advance: times, what’s included, what to bring, how to get there.
- Punctuality. Tours and pick-ups that start on time, and a heads-up if something changes.
- Calm, careful service rather than loud enthusiasm, and a sincere apology when something goes wrong.
- Cleanliness, especially in rooms, bathrooms and food areas.
- Written Japanese for anything important, such as safety rules, menus and allergy information, so guests don’t have to rely on their English.
A simple training plan
| Step | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 1. Pick the moments | List the five to ten moments where staff meet guests: arrival, check-in, ordering, payment, problems, goodbye. |
| 2. Short group lessons | Two or three 30 to 45-minute sessions on those phrases and on bowing, gestures and tone. |
| 3. Cheat sheets | A one-page phrase card per role, with romaji and audio if helpful. |
| 4. Follow-up | A short refresher before the busy season, and one-to-one lessons for staff who want to go further. |
For more on running lessons for a team, see Japanese training for employees. For your written materials, see translating tourism materials for Japanese visitors.
How Hanabuddies can help
Our native tutors run short online group sessions for hospitality and tourism teams, built around your own guest moments, plus one-to-one lessons for staff who want more. We can also translate your menus, signs, safety information and website into natural Japanese, and provide English–Japanese interpreters in person or online for special groups and events.