Q&A

Traveling to Kyoto as a vegetarian? Learn how to ask "Is there a vegetarian option?" in Japanese to ensure a smooth and enjoyable dining experience in Japan.

It’s our first winter holiday in Japan and we have just checked in to a ski resort at Hakuba. We wanted to take ski lessons, but we are worried we won’t be able to understand the instructor if he starts speaking in Japanese. How do I ask the staff to recommend an English-speaking ski school in Japanese?

The Japanese inn I’ve booked for my trip has a public bath as well as an open-air bath that I’m looking forward to. I didn’t see both facilities when I checked in. How do I ask “Where is the public bath/open-air bath?” in Japanese?

It’s our first winter holiday in Japan and we have just checked in to a Japanese inn at Hakuba. There is a free shuttle bus from the inn to the ski resort but we’re not sure of the timings. How do I ask the staff “What time is the next shuttle bus to the ski resort?” in Japanese?

We were in Tokyo for a holiday. The Nagano apples at the supermarket looked so big and delicious that we had to get some to try. But when we went back to our hotel, we realized that we didn’t have a knife to cut and peel the apples. They were also too big to bite directly into. I wanted to borrow a knife from the front desk. How do I ask “Can I borrow a knife?” in Japanese?

I was in Tokyo for a holiday and I just came back to the hotel after some sightseeing. I wanted to go back to my room but I couldn’t find my key anywhere. Then I remembered I left it at the key place when I left the room in the morning. How do I tell the staff that I’ve forgotten my key in the room in Japanese?

We have just checked in to a B&B located at a relatively rural part of Japan. We were very hungry, but we did not reserve dinner at the B&B in advance. We wanted to ask if there’s any restaurants nearby that we could go to. How do I ask “Can you recommend any restaurants nearby?” in Japanese?

I’m going to Japan next week for my long-awaited holiday! The Japanese inn I’ve booked for my trip offers a free pick-up service from the nearest train station. I’m thinking of using this service but I don’t know how to request it in Japanese! How do I say “Please pick me up from the station” in Japanese?

I’m going to Japan next week for my long-awaited holiday! I want to try communicating in Japanese as much as I can this time. How do I say “I want to check in” in Japanese at the front desk?

I’m going to Japan next week for my long-awaited holiday! I want to try communicating in Japanese as much as I can this time. If I’m going to an izakaya, how do I ask for the bill in Japanese? How do I say “Can I have the bill please?” in Japanese?