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 20
Japanese at a Cat Cafe: Rules, Time Fees and Cat Words
A neko kafe visit starts with a short rules briefing and a clock, and understanding both is what turns an awkward hour into a relaxed one with the cats.
11 min readJapanese at a Bar: Ordering Drinks, Otōshi, Highballs and Last Order
Japanese bars run on a small set of drink words and a few charges that surprise first-time visitors, and once you know them a solo evening at the counter becomes easy.
11 min readJapanese on a Ferry: Tickets, Cabin Classes and Announcements
Ferries link Japan's islands, from short hops across a bay to overnight routes of many hours, and the Japanese you need follows the same pattern on almost every one of them.
11 min readJapanese at a Coin Locker: Sizes, IC Cards and Screen Prompts
Coin lockers let you drop your bags at a station and explore hands-free, and once you can read a handful of words on the door and the screen, they are quick and easy to use.
10 min readJapanese at a Purikura Booth: Poses, Rakugaki and Printing
Purikura photo booths talk to you constantly, in fast, cheerful Japanese, and the whole experience runs on a timer, so knowing the prompts in advance makes it far more fun.
10 min readJapanese at a Campsite: Booking, Check-in, Firewood and Camp Rules
Japanese campsites are well organised and rule-driven: you book a specific type of site, check in at a reception hut, buy firewood there, sort your rubbish before you leave and keep quiet after a set hour, and a small vocabulary covers all of it.
13 min readJapanese at a Game Center: Crane Games, Medals, Rhythm Games and Prizes
A Japanese game center runs on coins, cards and a few short phrases, and the most useful one is the request to a staff member to reposition a prize in a crane game, which they will do gladly if you ask politely.
13 min readJapanese at a Family Restaurant: Waiting Lists, Call Buttons and the Drink Bar
A Japanese family restaurant, or famiresu, is one of the easiest places in Japan to eat cheaply, and once you know the waiting sheet, the call button, the tablet and the drink bar routine, a whole visit takes only a handful of phrases.
12 min readJapanese at a Soba and Udon Shop: Kake, Zaru, Tempura and Sobayu
Ordering at a soba or udon shop comes down to three choices you can make in Japanese: the noodle, hot or cold, and the topping, plus a few words for the ticket machine and the condiments on the counter.
13 min readJapanese at a Car Rental Counter: Insurance, ETC and Mantan
Picking up a rental car in Japan usually takes ten minutes of paperwork and a walk around the car, and nearly all of it follows the same script.
9 min readJapanese at an Electronics Store: Specs, Voltage and Warranty
A big Japanese electronics store can fill eight floors, and the staff are usually happy to help, as long as you can say what you are looking for.
9 min readJapanese at a Department Store: Floors, Depachika and Gift Wrap
A Japanese department store is a small city stacked on top of itself, and a handful of phrases unlocks every floor from the food hall to the rooftop.
11 min readPractical guides
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