The reception questions
Reception staff work through a fixed list of questions, often reading from a screen. Because the order hardly changes, you can prepare an answer for each one and simply wait for the next.
Staff use polite forms such as go-riyō and o-mochi, but the key word in each question is usually a simple noun: people, time, card.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 何名様ですか。 | Nanmei-sama desu ka. | How many people? |
| 三人です。 | Sannin desu. | Three people. |
| 何時間ご利用ですか。 | Nanjikan go-riyō desu ka. | How many hours will you stay? |
| 二時間でお願いします。 | Nijikan de onegaishimasu. | Two hours, please. |
| 会員カードはお持ちですか。 | Kaiin kādo wa o-mochi desu ka. | Do you have a membership card? |
| 持っていません。 | Motte imasen. | No, I do not. |
Drink plans and what they mean
The next question is almost always about drinks, because the drink plan often shapes the price. The names are short and appear on a laminated menu at the counter, so you can point as you answer.
All-you-can-drink plans often have separate prices for soft drinks and alcohol, and some shops ask for ID if you order alcohol.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ワンドリンク制 | wan-dorinku sei | One drink per person required |
| ドリンクバー | dorinku bā | Self-service drink bar |
| 飲み放題 | nomihōdai | All you can drink |
| ソフトドリンクの飲み放題でお願いします。 | Sofuto dorinku no nomihōdai de onegaishimasu. | The soft-drink unlimited plan, please. |
| 持ち込みはできますか。 | Mochikomi wa dekimasu ka. | Can we bring our own food or drinks? |
The room phone and the song tablet
Once in the room, orders usually go through the phone on the wall or through the song tablet. When you pick up the phone, staff answer immediately, so have the order ready: item and number.
The song tablet is often called denmoku, although it is simply a remote for choosing songs. Adding a song to the queue is described with the verb ireru, to put in.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 注文お願いします。 | Chūmon onegaishimasu. | I would like to order. |
| ウーロン茶を二つお願いします。 | Ūroncha o futatsu onegaishimasu. | Two oolong teas, please. |
| フライドポテトを一つお願いします。 | Furaido poteto o hitotsu onegaishimasu. | One order of fries, please. |
| 曲を入れる | kyoku o ireru | To queue a song |
| リモコンの使い方がわかりません。 | Rimokon no tsukaikata ga wakarimasen. | I do not know how to use the song remote. |
| マイクの音が出ません。 | Maiku no oto ga demasen. | The microphone is not working. |
The extension call
Around ten minutes before your time ends, the room phone rings. This is the call visitors dread, but it only ever asks one thing: do you want to extend.
Answer with the length you want, or say you will not extend. You do not need to explain.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 終了十分前です。 | Shūryō juppun mae desu. | You have ten minutes left. |
| 延長なさいますか。 | Enchō nasaimasu ka. | Would you like to extend? |
| 三十分延長お願いします。 | Sanjuppun enchō onegaishimasu. | Thirty more minutes, please. |
| 延長はしません。 | Enchō wa shimasen. | We will not extend. |
| はい、もう出ます。 | Hai, mō demasu. | Yes, we are leaving now. |
Inside the room
Most of the talk in the room is between friends, so casual forms are normal. A few short lines cover almost everything: choosing who sings next, adjusting the volume and cheering someone on.
If the neighbouring room is loud, there is nothing to do, but if your own sound system is too loud or broken, the room phone is the right way to ask for help.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 次、何歌う？ | Tsugi, nani utau? | What are you singing next? |
| 一緒に歌おう。 | Issho ni utaō. | Let's sing together. |
| 音量を下げてもいい？ | Onryō o sagete mo ii? | Is it okay if I turn the volume down? |
| キーを下げよう。 | Kī o sageyō. | Let's lower the key. |
| 上手！ | Jōzu! | You are good at this! |
Paying and leaving
When you leave, take the bill slip or room number to reception. Payment is usually made at the counter rather than in the room.
If your group wants to pay separately, ask before the staff total everything up, since some shops only split in simple ways.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お会計お願いします。 | O-kaikei onegaishimasu. | We would like to pay, please. |
| 伝票 | denpyō | The bill slip |
| 部屋番号は十二番です。 | Heya bangō wa jūni-ban desu. | Our room number is 12. |
| 別々に払えますか。 | Betsubetsu ni haraemasu ka. | Can we pay separately? |
| カードは使えますか。 | Kādo wa tsukaemasu ka. | Can I pay by card? |
The whole visit is a sequence of short service exchanges, much like the Order at a Café mission in Unihongo, where the skill is catching a polite question at speed and answering in a few words.