Japanese is famously difficult to learn at a high level, but the basics needed for comfortable travel are manageable. Japanese people respond warmly to any attempt to use their language, and a small vocabulary of essential phrases makes day-to-day navigation significantly easier. This guide covers what you actually need.
The Writing Systems
Japanese uses three writing systems simultaneously: hiragana (46 phonetic characters for native Japanese words), katakana (46 phonetic characters for foreign loan words), and kanji (Chinese-derived characters with Japanese readings). Most signs in tourist areas include romaji (romanized Japanese) or English. Learning hiragana (learnable in a few hours) helps enormously with menus, signs, and general navigation.
Essential Greetings
Konnichiwa (こんにちは) — Hello / Good afternoon. The all-purpose greeting for daylight hours.
Ohayou gozaimasu (おはようございます) — Good morning. Use until about 10am.
Konbanwa (こんばんは) — Good evening.
Arigatou gozaimasu (ありがとうございます) — Thank you (polite).
Sumimasen (すみません) — Excuse me / I'm sorry. One of the most useful words in Japanese — use it to get attention, apologize for a minor inconvenience, or pass through a crowd.
Hai (はい) — Yes. Iie (いいえ) — No.
At Restaurants
Kore wo kudasai (これをください) — I'll have this, please. (Point at the menu item.)
Ikura desu ka? (いくらですか？) — How much is it?
Oishii! (おいしい！) — Delicious!
Okaikei onegaishimasu (お会計おねがいします) — Check, please.
Bejitarian desu (ベジタリアンです) — I am vegetarian.
Arerugi ga arimasu (アレルギーがあります) — I have an allergy.
Many restaurants have plastic food displays or picture menus — pointing works perfectly well and is completely acceptable.
Getting Around
...wa doko desu ka? (...はどこですか？) — Where is...? (Fill in the destination.)
...e ikitai no desu ga (...へ行きたいのですが) — I want to go to... (softer, useful with taxi drivers)
Eki (駅) — Station. Toire (トイレ) — Toilet. Byouin (病院) — Hospital.
Google Maps works excellently throughout Japan and provides train directions with platform numbers and transfer instructions. Download offline maps before remote travel.
Shopping
Mite mo ii desu ka? (見てもいいですか？) — May I look? (before handling merchandise)
Fukuro wa irimasen (袋はいりません) — I don't need a bag. (Environmentally considerate.)
Kore wo tsutsunde moraemasuka? (これを包んでもらえますか？) — Could you wrap this? (for gifts)
Emergencies
Tasukete! (助けて！) — Help!
Keisatsu wo yonde kudasai (警察を呼んでください) — Please call the police.
Kyuukyuusha wo yonde kudasai (救急車を呼んでください) — Please call an ambulance.
Emergency number: 110 (police), 119 (fire/ambulance). English assistance available on both lines.
Practical Communication Tips
Speak slowly and clearly — many Japanese people understand written English better than spoken. Carrying a translation app (Google Translate's camera function works well for menus and signs) handles most situations. Showing your phone with your destination written in Japanese is universally understood by taxi drivers. The phrase Eigo wo hanasemasu ka? (英語を話せますか？) — "Do you speak English?" — opens the conversation appropriately.