Japanese at a Department Store: Floors, Depachika and Gift Wrap

Core words for a department store

Before you step inside, it helps to know how Japanese describes the building itself. Every floor is divided into uriba, sales areas, named after what they sell, and signs use the pattern item plus uriba, such as fujinfuku uriba for women's clothing.

Floors are counted with kai, and basement floors take chika in front. The first basement is chika ikkai, often written B1 or 地下1階 on signs.

The opening-time bow

If you arrive just as the store opens, you may see one of the most famous small rituals in Japanese retail. Staff line up at the entrance and along the aisles, and as the doors open they bow and greet the first customers. A chime or recorded announcement often plays at the same time.

You do not need to bow back to every person or stop and respond. A small nod as you walk in is natural, and plenty of customers simply walk through. The greeting is part of the service rather than an invitation to talk.

The greeting you hear first thing in the morning is often ohayō gozaimasu together with irasshaimase. During the day it is irasshaimase alone, and as the store closes you may hear an announcement thanking customers and a short piece of music signalling closing time.

Reading the floor guide

Floor guides are posted by the escalators and lifts, and most stores follow a similar vertical logic. Food is below ground, cosmetics and accessories are on the ground floor, fashion fills the middle, and household goods, events and restaurants sit higher up. Knowing the pattern saves a lot of wandering.

Layouts differ between stores and buildings, especially in large stores with an annex, called bekkan or shinkan. Treat the table as a typical pattern rather than a rule.

Lifts are often run by buttons you press yourself, but in some stores you may still hear a lift attendant announce each floor: nikai, fujinfuku uriba de gozaimasu, second floor, women's clothing.

Asking at the information counter

The information counter, usually near the main entrance on the ground floor, is staffed by people whose whole job is to answer questions. It is the quickest way to find a particular brand, check whether an item is in stock somewhere in the building, or locate facilities like a baby room or lockers.

Start with sumimasen and your question. The answer will often include the floor and a direction, such as the far side of the escalator, so listen for the floor number first.

Shopping the depachika food hall

The depachika is where department stores are at their busiest and most fun. Counters from famous confectioners, pickle makers, bakeries and delis sit side by side, and many offer small tasting samples, called shishoku. Prepared dishes, osōzai, are often sold by weight, so you ask for an amount in grams or a number of pieces.

Close to closing time, many counters mark down fresh items with discount stickers. This varies by store and day, but evenings are often a good time for bargains on bento and side dishes.

Because the food is fresh, staff frequently ask how long you will carry it around, so they can add ice packs, and whether you need chopsticks or a spoon.

Himochi, how long something keeps, is a key word when buying sweets to take home or give as omiyage. Our guide to gift giving and omiyage covers what to say when you hand them over.

Gift wrapping, noshi and bags

Department stores are famous for wrapping, and the clerk will usually ask a short series of questions before they start. The first is whether the item is for yourself or a gift. Answering jitaku-yō, for home use, means simple packaging; purezento-yō or go-zōtō-yō means it will be wrapped properly.

For formal gifts they may ask about noshi, a paper band or sticker printed with a decorative cord, called mizuhiki, and a heading such as o-rei, thank you, or o-iwai, congratulations. They may also ask whether you want it on the outside of the wrapping, soto-noshi, or underneath it, uchi-noshi. If you are unsure, say what the occasion is and ask the clerk to choose.

Finally comes the bag question. Staff may ask whether you want a paper bag for each gift, so you can hand them out separately, and bags are sometimes charged for. Asking for extra small bags, kobukuro, is common when you plan to give several gifts.

Trying on clothes and asking for alterations

Fashion floors are made of many small brand areas, each with its own staff and often its own till. Ask to try something on before you head into the fitting room, which is called shichakushitsu. You will usually take your shoes off before stepping onto the raised floor of the booth, and some shops hand you a thin face cover to protect clothes from make-up.

Trousers and skirts can often be hemmed, and staff may offer to pin them while you are still in the booth. Ask how long the alteration will take and whether they can send the item to you if you cannot come back.

Chotto kangaemasu is the standard, face-saving way to walk away without buying. For more on clothing words and sizes, see our Japanese clothing vocabulary guide.

Paying, point cards and tax-free

Payment usually happens at the brand's own counter or a shared till on the floor. Staff often ask about a point card or the store's own card, and whether you would like the receipt. Visitors can often shop tax-free by showing a passport, sometimes at the brand counter and sometimes at a central tax-free counter; the rules and procedure can change, so ask on the day. Our tax-free shopping guide covers the phrases in detail.

Listen for the phrases below, which follow a set pattern at almost every till.