Getting around
Asking the way
hantaiopposite no tonarinext to no chikakunear to shingootraffic lights oodan-hodoopedestrian crossing() (dooro no) kadocorner (of road) FACE TO FACE sumimasen, eki made dooyatte ikimasu ka? Excuse me, how do I get to the station?/ massugu itte, hitotsu-me no kado o migi/hidari ni magatte kudasai Keep straight on, turn right/left at the first corner tooi desu ka? Is it far?200/5 iie, nihyaku-meetoru/go-fun kurai desu No, about 200 metres/five minutes arigatoo! Thank you! doo itashimashite Youre welcome Were lostmichi ni mayotte shimaimashitaWere looking foro sagashite imasuIs this the right way to?ni iku no wa kore de ii desu ka?Can I/we walk there?soko made arukemasu ka?How do I/we get? doo sureba ni ikemasu ka?to the stationeki nito the museumbijutsukan nito the shopsomise niCan you show me on the map?chizu de shimeshite moraemasu ka? YOU MAY HEAR kudatta tokorodown there ushirobehind moo ichido kiite kudasaithen ask againBus and coach
Places such as Kyoto have tourist day passes and bus route maps in English, which you can obtain at a bus station. Local buses usually board from the rear door, but if your journey is not covered by a flat fee you may need to pick up a numbered ticket. A board at the front of the bus displays the fares, based on the numbers. You will need to know your destination in Japanese characters. Some buses board from the front door and require you to pay as you enter. Tickets for long/middle distance coach trips, as well as express buses, are usually sold at the coach counter or ticketing machine.
FACE TO FACEsumimasen, dono basu ga chuushimbu ni ikimasu ka?Excuse me, which bus goes to the centre?15juugo-ban desuNumber 15basutei wa doko desu ka?Where is the bus stop?sugu soko, migi ni arimasuThere, on the rightdoko de jooshaken o kaemasu ka?Where can I buy the tickets?baiten de kaemasuAt the news-stand Is there a bus/tram to?/ni iku basu/romen-densha wa arimasu ka?Where do I/we catch the bus to? doko de iki no basu ni noremasu ka?Where do I/we catch the tram to? doko de iki no romen-densha ni noremasu ka?I/we would like to go toni ikitain desu gaHow much is it to go to?made ikura desu ka?the centrechuushimbuthe beachhamabeHow often are the buses to?ni iku basu wa donogurai dete imasu ka?When is the first bus to?iki no shihatsu basu wa itsu desu ka?When is the last bus to?iki no saishuu basu wa itsu desu ka?Please tell me when to get offitsu oritara ii ka oshiete kudasaiPlease tell me when we are at......ni tsuitara oshiete kudasaiPlease let me offsumimasen, oroshite kudasaiI got on at......kara norimashitaSorry, I forgot to take a ticket (on entering bus)sumimasen, seiriken o torimasen deshitacoachchookyori-basushuttle busshatoru-basu YOU MAY HEAR/ koko/kono basutei desu yoThis is it/your stop chikatetsu no hoo ga hayai desu yoTake the metro, its quickerPublic transport is free for up to two children under 6 when travelling with a paying adult. An elementary school pupil pays half price (aged between 7 and 12). Junior high (13 to 15) and senior high (16 to 18) school students are often given discounts too.
Metro
The Japanese metro and train services are clean, safe and run on time. You can find metro systems in the Tokyo area, as well as Sapporo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and several other cities. You can either purchase a pre-paid card or an ordinary ticket from the ticketing machine. Silver seats are for elderly people or people with difficulties. Mobile phones need to be on silent and you must not talk in the carriage. In major cities, the rush hour crush can be really bad (between 7 and 9 am and 5 and 8 pm). Some trains have women-only carriages. The Japanese metro system is very similar to the one in London. Suika is like the Oyster card. The first thing you must do is obtain a metro map which indicates all the lines and stops.
iriguchientrance deguchiway out/exit Can I get a seat reservation please?zaseki no yoyaku o onegai shimasu?Where can I get a ticket?kippu wa doko de kaemasu ka?Where is the nearest metro station?ichiban chikai chikatetsu no eki wa doko desu ka?How does the ticket machine work?kembaiki wa dooyatte tsukaimasu ka?Im going toni ikimasuDo you have a map of the metro?chikatetsu no chizu wa arimasu ka?How do I get to? dooyatte ni ikimasu ka?Do I have to change?norikae wa arimasu ka?Does this go to? kore wa ni ikimasu ka?Which line is it for?iki wa nan-sen desu ka?Which platform is it for?iki wa nan-bansen desu ka?What is the next stop?tsugi no eki wa doko desu ka?Excuse me!sumimasen!Please let me outoroshite kudasaiTrain
You will find Midori no madoguchi (literally Green Ticket Window) in major train stations, where you can buy tickets and make seat bookings. You need to pay a supplement in order to use an express train. There are seven lines of Shinkansen, high-speed (bullet) train, and they serve areas from Hokkaido to Kyushu. It is expensive to travel around Japan using the Shinkansen, so a JR Pass could save you money. With this pass, you can cover a considerable distance around Japan. Details can be found at www.japanrailpass.net.
kakueki teishaslow stopping train (stops at all stations)/ kaisoku/tokubetsu kaisoku denshalocal train (stops at selected stations)/ junkyuu/kyuukoo denshasemi-express/express (stops at main stations: supplement) tokkyuu denshaintercity (stops at main intercity stations: supplement) shinkansenhigh-speed bullet train hoomuplatform madoguchiticket office jikokuhyootimetable okuredelay (appears on train noticeboards) tenimotsu ichiji azukarileft luggagee ii-chikettoe-ticket onrain-yoyakue-bookingYou can buy a Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) Exchange Order in your own country, which needs to be exchanged for the Japan Rail Pass itself when you get to Japan. The stations where you can exchange the Order are shown on the back.
FACE TO FACE tsugi no iki no densha wa nan-ji desu ka?What time is the next train to?1710juushichi-ji juppun desuAt 17.103kippu o san-mai kudasaiId like 3 tickets, pleasekatamichi desu ka, oofuku desu ka?Single or return? Where is the station?eki wa doko desu ka?toikiI booked onlineonrain de yoyaku shimashitaa singlekatamichi ichi-maitwo returnsoofuku ni-maireserved seatshitei-sekinon-reserved seatjiyuu-sekifirst classguriin-shastandard classfutsuu-shasmokingkitsuennon-smokingkinenI want to book a seat on the bullet train to Tokyotookyoo made shinkansen no shitei-seki o yoyaku shitain desu gaDo I have to change?norikae ga arimasu ka?How long is there to wait for the connection?norikae-jikan wa donokurai arimasu ka?Is this the train for? kore wa iki no densha desu ka?Why is the train delayed?naze densha wa okurete iru no desu ka?When will it leave?itsu shuppatsu shimasu ka?Does it stop at?ni tomarimasu ka?When does it arrive in?niwa itsu tsukimasu ka?Please tell me when we get toni tsuitara oshiete kudasaiIs there a restaurant car?shokudoo-sha wa arimasu ka?Is this seat free?kono seki wa aite imasu ka?Excuse me! (to get past)sumimasen!Taxi
Japanese taxis are safe, clean and operate on meters. The basic fee is based on the vehicle size. For different sizes of taxi, you can ask for (kogata) for up to four passengers and (chuugata) for up to five. It can be rather expensive but there is no need to tip. There are taxi stands at stations and major hotels but taxis can also be hailed from the roadside. You can identify whether a taxi is available by the sign (kuusha) displayed in the front windscreen. All the doors are automatically operated by the driver. There are many regional taxi companies, and vehicles vary in colour depending on the company.
I want a taxitakushii ni noritai desuWhere can I get a taxi?takushii noriba wa doko desu ka?Please order me a taxitakushii o yonde kudasainowimafor(time)() (ji) niHow much will it cost to go to?made ikura kakarimasu ka?How long will it take?donokurai kakarimasu ka?vacant (car)kuushato the station pleaseeki made onegai shimasuto the airport pleasekuukoo made onegai shimasuto this address pleasekono juusho made onegai shimasuHow much is it?ikura desu ka?Can I have a receipt please?reshiito o onegai shimasu?Keep the changeotsuri wa kekkoo desuSorry, I dont have any changesumimasen, kozeni ga arimasenBoat and ferry
Japan Railways (JR) run ferry services on certain routes where the JR Pass can be used. There is a good ferry network in Japan linking the various islands. Ferries can be used as an alternative to trains if you wish to travel between the islands and have time to spare. During the holidays some lines can be very busy, so if you are driving it is advisable to book a place in advance.
Do you have a timetable?jikokuhyoo wa arimasu ka?Is there a car ferry to?ni iku kaa-ferii wa arimasu ka?How much is a ticket?kippu wa ikura desu ka?singlekatamichireturnoofukuHow much is it for a car and people? kuruma to hito ga nin de ikura desu ka?one personhitoritwo peoplefutarithree peoplesan-ninWhere does the boat leave from?booto wa doko kara demasu ka?Are there any boat trips around Tokyo bay?tookyoo-wan no yuuransen wa arimasu ka?When is the next boat?tsugi no fune wa nan-ji desu ka?How long does the trip take?yuuran wa donokurai kakarimasu ka? YOU MAY HEAR kore ga saishuu-bin desuThis is the last boat kyoo wa yatte imasenThere is no service today kuruma wa nan desu ka?What type of car do you have?Air travel