Japanese phrases for your first trip to Japan

You don’t need fluent Japanese to enjoy Japan, but a few phrases change the trip. People notice the effort, and simple things like ordering, paying and asking the way get easier. Here are the phrases we teach before a first visit, grouped by situation.

Greetings and manners

Japanese	Say it	Meaning
こんにちは	konnichiwa	Hello
ありがとうございます	arigatō gozaimasu	Thank you
すみません	sumimasen	Excuse me, sorry. Also used to get someone’s attention.
お願いします	onegai shimasu	Please (when asking for something)
大丈夫です	daijōbu desu	I’m fine, or no thank you

Eating out

Japanese	Say it	Meaning
二人です	futari desu	Two people (a table for two)
おすすめは何ですか？	osusume wa nan desu ka?	What do you recommend?
これをください	kore o kudasai	This one, please
お水をください	omizu o kudasai	Water, please
いただきます	itadakimasu	Said before you start eating
ごちそうさまでした	gochisōsama deshita	Said after the meal, to thank the staff or host
お会計お願いします	okaikei onegai shimasu	The bill, please

Shopping

Japanese	Say it	Meaning
いくらですか？	ikura desu ka?	How much is it?
カードは使えますか？	kādo wa tsukaemasu ka?	Can I pay by card?
袋はいりません	fukuro wa irimasen	I don’t need a bag

Getting around

Japanese	Say it	Meaning
駅はどこですか？	eki wa doko desu ka?	Where is the station?
トイレはどこですか？	toire wa doko desu ka?	Where is the toilet?
この電車は京都に行きますか？	kono densha wa Kyōto ni ikimasu ka?	Does this train go to Kyoto?
渋谷までお願いします	Shibuya made onegai shimasu	To Shibuya, please (in a taxi)

When you’re stuck

Japanese	Say it	Meaning
英語を話せますか？	eigo o hanasemasu ka?	Do you speak English?
日本語は少しだけ話せます	nihongo wa sukoshi dake hanasemasu	I speak a little Japanese
もう一度お願いします	mō ichido onegai shimasu	Once more, please
ゆっくりお願いします	yukkuri onegai shimasu	Slowly, please
助けてください	tasukete kudasai	Please help me

Three tips that go with the phrases

Swap in the place you need. Change 駅 (station) or 京都 (Kyoto) for any place: ホテル (hoteru, hotel), 銀行 (ginkō, bank), 空港 (kūkō, airport).
Don’t tip. Tipping isn’t part of Japanese restaurant culture and can cause confusion. A warm ごちそうさまでした says thank you instead.
Practise out loud before you go. Reading a phrase and saying it to a real person are different skills. A few short lessons are enough to order food, ask for directions and chat with locals with confidence.