So You Want to Talk to Japanese People in Japan

Nothing strikes fear into the heart of a traveller quite like the prospect of human conversation.

My Google Maps Broke

When you’re lost (which you will be), the magic phrase is:

  • 〜はどこですか？ / ~ wa doko desu ka? (Where is ~?)

Examples of places which you may be lost on the way to:

  • 駅 / えき / eki (station)
  • トイレ / toire (toilet)
  • コンビニ / konbini (convenience store)
  • パチンコ屋 / パチンコや / pachinko-ya (pachinko parlour) - probably not but I wanted to find out what this one was
  • ゲームセンター / gemu-sentaa (arcade)
  • スーパー / suupaa (supermarket)
  • ホテル / hoteru (hotel)
  • 神社 / じんじゃ / jinja (Shinto shrine)
  • お寺 / おてら / otera (Buddhist temple)

Actions you may have to take to find the places:

  • まっすぐ / massugu (straight ahead)
  • 右 / みぎ / migi (right), 左 / ひだり / hidari (left)
  • 曲がる / まがる / magaru (to turn)
  • 歩く / あるく / aruku (to walk)
  • 角 / かど / kado (corner)
  • 道 / みち / michi (road)
  • 進む / すすむ / susumu (to advance / to go forward)

Cool trivia which may make it more challenging for you to find the places:

Japanese streets don't typically have names. The System relies on hierarchical block and building numbers. Your best bet, if you don't have an address, is to look out for landmarks nearby and get to those.

While we're here, let's learn about how Japanese addresses work.

Japanese addresses typically go big to small. Postal code (not really in this pattern) → prefecture → city/ward → district/neighbourhood → chome (sub-district) → block → building number -> recipient. A full address might be 〒100-8994 東京都千代田区丸ノ内2-7-2 東京中央郵便局 (Tōkyō-to, Chiyoda-ku, Marunouchi 2-7-2, Tōkyō Chūō Yūbin-kyoku) which is the Central Tokyo Post Office.

Help me

Japan runs on a social contract: everyone ignores you politely until a tipping point of visible distress, at which stage help arrives pronto.

To ask for help:

  • すみません、手伝ってもらえますか？ / すみません、てつだってもらえますか？ / sumimasen, tetsudatte moraemasu ka? (Excuse me, could you help me?)
  • 英語を話せますか？ / えいごをはなせますか？ / eigo o hanasemasu ka? (Do you speak English?)
  • 困っています / こまっています / komatteimasu (I’m in trouble / I’m stuck)
  • 写真を撮ってもらえますか？ / しゃしんをとってもらえますか？ / Shashin o totte moraemasu ka? (Could you take a photo for me?)
  • 写真を撮ってもいいですか？ / しゃしんをとってもいいですか？ / shashin o totte mo ii desu ka? (May I take a photo (here)?) - might want to ask this in museums/temples where it isn't obvious whether you can

To offer help:

  • 手伝いましょうか？ / てつだいましょうか？ / tetsudaimashou ka? (Shall I help you?)
  • 持ちましょうか？ / もちましょうか？ / mochimashou ka? (Shall I carry it for you?)
  • 荷物 / にもつ / nimotsu (luggage) - a thing you might offer to carry

Help me (serious)

Hopefully your trip won't have any of these plot twists, but if it does then you can now put words to them!

When it all kicks off:

  • 助けてください！ / たすけてください！ / tasukete kudasai! (Please help!)
  • 警察を呼んでください / けいさつをよんでください / keisatsu o yonde kudasai (Call the police)
  • 病院はどこですか？ / びょういんはどこですか？ / byouin wa doko desu ka? (Where is the hospital?)
  • 火事 / かじ / kaji (fire!)
  • 泥棒 / どろぼう / dorobou (thief!)

Medical services you may want:

  • 医者 / いしゃ / isha (doctor)
  • 歯医者 / はいしゃ / haisha (dentist)
  • 薬局 / やっきょく / yakkyoku (pharmacy)

Body parts that may need medical attention (in roughly top to toe order):

  • 頭 / あたま / atama (head)
  • 目 / め / me (eye)
  • 耳 / みみ / mimi (ear)
  • 鼻 / はな / hana (nose)
  • 口 / くち / kuchi (mouth)
  • 歯 / は / ha (tooth)
  • 喉 / のど / nodo (throat)
  • 胸 / むね / mune (chest)
  • 手 / て / te (hand)
  • 腕 / うで / ude (arm)
  • 背中 / せなか / senaka (back)
  • お腹 / おなか / onaka (stomach)
  • 足 / あし / ashi (leg/foot)

「頭が痛いです」 / あたまがいたいです / atama ga itai desu (My head hurts) is a quicker way of pointing at your head and looking sad.

The fuzz:

Japan has 交番 / こうばん / kouban - little police boxes - scattered everywhere. They function as direction kiosks, lost-and-found counters, and general crime reporting venues. Some relevant words might be:

  • 財布をなくしました / さいふをなくしました / saifu o nakushimashita (I lost my wallet)
  • 携帯を盗まれました / けいたいをぬすまれました / keitai o nusumaremashita (My telephone was stolen)

Being a Decent Human Being

These are the WD-40 of Japanese conversation. Deploy liberally.

  • すみません / すみません / sumimasen (Excuse me / Sorry)
  • 失礼します / しつれいします / shitsurei shimasu (Excuse me / Sorry for disturbing) - literally means "I'm going to be rude", I believe
  • お願いします / おねがいします / onegaishimasu (Please)
  • ありがとうございます / ありがとうございます / arigatou gozaimasu (Thank you very much)
  • 大丈夫です / だいじょうぶです / daijoubu desu (I’m fine / No thanks)
  • よかったら一緒に〜しませんか？ / よかったらいっしょに〜しませんか？ / yokattara issho ni ~ shimasen ka? (If you’d like, shall we ~ together?)

The last one is ambitious, but hey - maybe you’ll make friends.

How Not To Anger the Gods

  • At Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, the central path is the 神道 / しんどう / shindou (path of the gods). Technically, you’re not supposed to walk right in the middle - leave that lane clear for divine traffic.
  • お守り (omamori) are sold at shrines and temples for things like safe travel, health, or exams. Don’t open them. The protection leaks out.

Happy socialising.