Archive List for Travel

14 Essential Japanese Travel Phrases

Published:29th January 2019

Travel

So you are going for a holiday to Japan and you can’t speak a word of Japanese. “How can I survive the trip?” you may wonder. Although English language service is available at most tourist places, there might be situations […]

Japanese Expressions You Need to Know at Restaurants

Published:6th January 2019

Travel

How many days do you have before you travel to Japan? Oh my! One more day? On the plane now, but haven’t studied Japanese at all? No worries! Let’s get you started with some Japanese phrases that you can squeeze […]

How to say “Do you have free WiFi?” in Japanese?

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:21st June 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation The word “WiFi” is pronounced the same way as in English. If free WiFi is available, you can use the second sentence in example (2) to ask for the password. You can say “sumimasen” (excuse […]

How to say “Could you include Tokyo Tower in the picture please?” in Japanese?

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:15th June 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation You can use the above phrases to ask someone to take a picture of you with Tokyo Tower in the background. It is good to say “Sumimasen” (excuse me) first before you use the above […]

How to say “I’m just looking” in Japanese?

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:10th June 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation You can use the first expression to mean “I’m just looking…”. Ending the sentence with hesitation expresses a non-verbal meaning which can be left to the interpretation of the listener. In this case, the sales […]

How to say “May I leave my luggage here?” in Japanese?

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:2nd June 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation (1) is a direct way of asking the hotel staff for permission to leave your luggage at the hotel. For (2) and (3), the sentences are left hanging and they are supposed to be said […]

How to say “Could you call a taxi for me please?” in Japanese?

Updated:8th June 2019
Published:2nd June 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation You can use either one of the above phrases to ask the hotel staff to call a taxi for you. “~ itadakemasu ka” and “~ moraemasu ka” both means “would you do (something) for me”. […]

How to say “I can’t eat pork” in Japanese?

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:8th May 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation The concept of “halal” is gradually becoming more known in Japan, but it is still not widely known in some areas. In addition, pork is often used in Japanese food so if in doubt, try […]

How to say “I have an allergy.” in Japanese?

Updated:27th August 2018
Published:2nd May 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation My American friend also has gluten allergy, and we were often worried about her when she visited Japan. Those of you who has gluten allergy, make sure to be careful of soy sauce, a type […]

Is it rude to you use “Obasan(Auntie)” towards a woman who is not so young in Japan?

Updated:8th June 2019
Published:24th April 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation This is a hard scenario. There are some people who don’t mind being called “Obasan(おばさん)” but some people may be offended with the same word. The former group of people will take your word “Obasan(おばさん)” […]