Japan travel
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
Japan travel · Page 19
Japanese at a Shrine for Omikuji and Omamori: Charms, Fortunes and Goshuin
At the shrine office window you ask for a charm with the purpose in front of omamori, draw a fortune with omikuji o hiitemo ii desu ka, and the result level printed at the top, from daikichi to kyō, tells you whether to keep it or tie it up.
13 min readJapanese at a Pottery or Craft Workshop: Booking a Taiken, Instructor Phrases
A craft taiken in Japan is a short hands-on lesson in pottery, indigo dyeing, calligraphy or paper making, and you will get far more from it if you can book politely, follow the instructor's simple spoken instructions and ask for help when your hands do not do what you expected.
13 min readJapanese at a Sake Brewery Tour: Kura Words, Tasting Talk and Buying Bottles
A sake brewery tour in Japan is a guided walk through the kura followed by a tasting, and the whole visit runs smoothly if you can book politely, follow a few key words from the guide and describe what you taste.
13 min readJapanese on a Domestic Flight: Kiosks, Security, LCC Bag Rules and Delays
A domestic flight in Japan is fast and mostly self-service, so the Japanese you need is the language of kiosk screens, security staff, boarding announcements and the short cabin exchanges, plus the words for a delay or a bag problem.
13 min readJapanese on a Local Bus: Seiriken, Fare Charts and the Stop Button
Local buses in Japan look confusing the first time, but almost every ride follows one of two patterns, and once you know which one you are on, the rest is a handful of words.
11 min readJapanese on a Highway Bus: Night Buses, Seats and Rest Stops
Highway buses are one of the cheapest ways to cross Japan, and the whole journey, from the terminal to the rest stop to the morning arrival, runs on a small set of words and announcements.
10 min readJapanese at a Fast Food Restaurant: Eat-in, Takeout, Sets and Kiosks
Ordering at a Japanese fast food counter takes less than a minute, and the staff ask the same four or five questions in the same order every time.
9 min readJapanese at a Festival Food Stall: Yatai Foods, Ordering and Games
A Japanese summer festival is a long row of glowing food stalls, and ordering at every one of them comes down to the food's name, a number and kudasai.
9 min readJapanese at a Tourist Information Center: Maps, Buses and Passes
Tourist information centres in Japan are small, friendly and full of maps, and a few well-chosen questions will get you far more help than pointing at a leaflet.
10 min readJapanese at a Movie Theater: Tickets, Subtitles and Seat Choice
Going to the cinema in Japan is simple once you can read the showtime board and tell a subtitled screening from a dubbed one.
10 min readJapanese at a Zoo and Aquarium: Tickets, Feeding Times and Signs
Zoos and aquariums in Japan are well signposted and family-friendly, and a small set of words unlocks the feeding times, shows and rules that make a visit memorable.
9 min readJapanese at a Bakery: Trays, Tongs, Melon Pan and Shokupan
Japanese bakeries run on a simple self-service system: pick up a tray and tongs, choose your bread, and let the staff do the rest at the till.
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