Japanese on a Domestic Flight: Kiosks, Security, LCC Bag Rules and Delays

Check-in kiosks and bag drop

Most domestic passengers never speak to anyone at check-in. The kiosk, jidō chekku-in-ki, asks you to scan a QR code, ni-jigen kōdo, enter a reservation number, yoyaku bangō, or insert the credit card used to book. It then confirms your name, offers seat changes and prints a boarding pass, tōjōken, or a baggage tag. Larger airlines let you skip the kiosk entirely by holding the app's QR code at security and the gate.

Checked bags go to the self bag drop, jidō tenimotsu azukeki, or a staffed counter. Staff will ask whether you have any prohibited items, whether the bag contains a battery, and will hand you a claim tag, tenimotsu hikikae-shō. Free checked weight depends on the airline and fare, and LCC charge for almost every bag.

Security without passport control

Domestic security, hoan kensa, is the same X-ray and metal detector as anywhere, but it is quicker because there is no immigration afterwards and liquids rules for domestic flights are looser than on international routes: drinks in ordinary bottles are generally allowed through, though staff may ask you to open one or test it. Laptops usually come out of the bag; shoes normally stay on.

The questions you hear are short. Staff will ask about lighters, batteries and anything sharp, and at some airports they hand you a laminated card of prohibited items and simply ask arimasen ka, you don't have any of these? Once through, look for your gate number, tōjōguchi, on the screen; at big airports the gates can be a long walk.

Boarding announcements and groups

Boarding is announced in a set order that is worth learning, because the English version is often shorter or comes later. First comes the pre-boarding call for people who need extra time, small children and premium passengers, then the boarding groups, gurūpu, called by number from the back of the plane forward. Your group number is printed on the boarding pass; board out of turn and staff will politely ask you to wait.

Listen for three phrases: tōjō no go-annai, boarding announcement; saishū annai, final call; and mōshiwake gozaimasen, which introduces bad news. At the gate you scan the same QR code or pass you used at security. If your bag looks large, LCC gate staff will ask you to place it in the sizing frame, which is the moment many travellers get an unexpected fee.

In the cabin

Domestic flights are short, often under two hours, and the cabin service is light. Full-service airlines usually offer free drinks, and the crew will come through with nomimono wa ikaga desu ka; LCC sell drinks and snacks from a menu. The crew's Japanese is very polite, keigo, but the questions are predictable: what to drink, whether you need a blanket, and whether your bag can go under the seat.

The most useful contrast for a passenger is between kudasai and onegai shimasu. Both mean please, but onegai shimasu is what you say when asking the crew for something, while kudasai attached to a verb is what the crew say to you: o-suwari kudasai, please sit down. When you want to be left alone, a simple kekkō desu, I'm fine, declines the drink politely.

LCC rules on bags and fees

Low-cost carriers, LCC, are cheap partly because bags are priced separately, and each airline sets its own limits on the number of pieces, the combined weight and the dimensions of hand luggage. The limits are enforced at the gate with a scale and a sizing frame, and a bag that fails is checked on the spot at a higher fee than the online price.

The vocabulary is small but important. Kinai mochikomi tenimotsu is hand luggage, azuke tenimotsu is checked luggage, chōka ryōkin is an excess fee, and jūryō seigen is the weight limit. Rules and prices change, so check the airline's page before you fly and weigh your bag at home.

Note the trap in kekkō: with the kanji 欠航 it means a cancelled flight, but kekkō desu, said with a smile, means no thank you. Context makes it clear, but at a counter it is worth listening for the word before it.

Delays, cancellations and rebooking

Typhoons, snow and fog cause more domestic disruption than anything else, and airlines announce it in a formula: the flight number, then chien, delay, or kekkō, cancellation, then the reason and what passengers should do. Weather cancellations are often announced the evening before in the app, with a free change or a refund offered; conditions vary by airline and cause.

At the counter, the two things to ask for are furikae, a rebooking, and haraimodoshi, a refund. If you need to reach the destination that day, ask whether a later flight has seats or whether the shinkansen is the better bet; staff will usually say honestly. If the delay makes you late, a short explanation to the person waiting matters more than the reason.

Baggage claim and regional airports

Arrival is simple: follow tōchaku, arrivals, to the belt number shown on the screen, tenimotsu uketorijo, and match the number on your claim tag to the bag. If your bag has not appeared after the last ones come out, go to the airline counter by the belt with the tag.

Regional airports, chihō kūkō, are where domestic flying feels most Japanese. Many have one small terminal, a single belt, signs in Japanese only outside the main hall, and a bus, rimujin basu, timed to each arrival that leaves from the stand outside. Taxi ranks may be small and the last bus of the day can be earlier than you expect, so ask at the information desk, annaijo, as soon as you land.

• Check the belt number on the arrivals screen, not just the flight number
• Keep the claim tag until you leave the airport
• At a small airport, find the bus stand and timetable before doing anything else
• Ask annaijo staff which bus stop and whether you pay on the bus or buy a ticket first
• If you hired a car, look for the rental company's shuttle sign outside arrivals

Useful arrival sentences: shinai e iku basu wa doko desu ka, where is the bus to the city; tsugi no basu wa nanji desu ka, when is the next bus; and kippu wa doko de kaemasu ka, where do I buy a ticket.

When something goes wrong

The common problems on a domestic flight are missing the check-in cut-off, an overweight bag at an LCC gate, a lost bag and a missed connection. For a late arrival, go straight to the counter and say the flight number; staff will tell you honestly whether you can still make it. For an overweight bag, ask what the fee is and whether moving items to your pockets or a companion's bag solves it. For a bag that does not arrive, report it before leaving the belt area and give your hotel address.

If you need proof of a delay for insurance or work, ask for a chien shōmeisho, a delay certificate; airlines can usually provide one at the counter or online.