You don't have to be fluent to have a brilliant trip — here's one set of phrases that covers about 90% of travel situations: greetings, ordering food, asking directions, shopping and emergencies, each with romaji pronunciation and kana. Keep this page in your pocket and you'll get around just fine, even if your Japanese is shaky.
Ever felt nervous about heading to Japan when you can't speak a word of Japanese — how will you order food, how will you ask for directions? Here's the honest truth: you don't need to study the language for a year to have a great trip. The reality is that on any one trip you use the same handful of phrases over and over — hello, thank you, I'll have this, where is..., how much. That alone gets you across the whole city. A translation app and a bit of pointing cover the rest with ease.
This page gives you one set of phrases that covers roughly 90% of travel situations, sorted by category: greetings & manners · restaurants · directions & transport · shopping · emergencies · numbers. Each phrase comes with the English meaning, romaji (the English-style reading), and the kana/kanji so you can simply point and let a local read it. And here's the thing — Japanese people genuinely appreciate it when they see you trying to speak their language, even if your pronunciation is a little off.
Start with the two categories you'll use from the moment you step off the plane — saying hello and thank you, and ordering and paying. Read straight down the "romaji" column, or point at the Japanese column and let a local read it.
| Meaning (English) | Romaji (reading) | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (daytime) | konnichiwa | こんにちは |
| Good morning | ohayou gozaimasu | おはようございます |
| Thank you (very much) | arigatou gozaimasu | ありがとうございます |
| Excuse me / sorry / calling staff | sumimasen | すみません |
| Please / I'd like... | onegaishimasu | お願いします |
| Yes / No | hai / iie | はい / いいえ |
| It's fine / No thanks (polite decline) | daijoubu desu | 大丈夫です |
| Do you speak English? | eigo o hanasemasu ka? | 英語を話せますか？ |
| Meaning (English) | Romaji (reading) | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| I'll have this (pointing at the menu) | kore o kudasai | これをください |
| Could I see the menu? | menyuu o onegaishimasu | メニューをお願いします |
| The bill, please | o-kaikei onegaishimasu | お会計をお願いします |
| Delicious! | oishii! | おいしい！ |
| I can't eat pork | butaniku wa taberaremasen | 豚肉は食べられません |
| Could I have some water? | o-mizu o kudasai | お水をください |
| Is it spicy? | karai desu ka? | 辛いですか？ |
| I'm full / That's enough | mou ii desu | もういいです |
Here are the phrases that help you find your way, pay, and ask for help — each card is one situation. Just learn the ones you'll actually need; open the rest when the moment comes.
Signs in the big cities usually have English, but if you're genuinely lost this set of phrases helps. Point at the place name on your phone and ask using one of these.
Japan Travel Prep →Japan's rail network is complex but the signs are clear, and an IC card is the easiest way to tap in and out. Keep these for asking about platforms or routes.
Japan Travel Prep →Big stores take cards everywhere, but small shops and markets may be cash-only, so keep some cash on you. You can also ask about tourist tax refunds at any shop with a Tax-Free sign.
Things To Do in Osaka →Japan's emergency numbers — police 110 · ambulance/fire 119, free from any phone · plus the JNTO visitor hotline in English, 24 hours: 050-3816-2787.
Japan Travel Prep →Most hotel front desks have at least some English, but at a small ryokan or guesthouse these phrases help things go smoothly.
Japan Travel Guide →You don't have to use these, but they instantly warm things up — Japanese people often smile when they hear a traveller making the effort to speak their language.
Japanese Etiquette →Numbers come up most when you're asking prices, ordering quantities, or saying how many people. The simplest trick: if you're not sure, write the Arabic numeral on paper or tap it into your phone's calculator — every Japanese person reads Arabic numbers.
1 ichi · 2 ni · 3 san · 4 yon/shi · 5 go · 6 roku · 7 nana/shichi · 8 hachi · 9 kyuu · 10 juu · for 11–19 just add on, e.g. 12 = juu-ni, 20 = ni-juu.
Hundred hyaku (100) · thousand sen (1,000) · ten thousand man (10,000) · so 500 = go-hyaku, 3,000 = san-zen, ¥10,000 = ichi-man-en. Japanese prices are usually in the thousands to tens of thousands, so these three words are enough.
You don't need to memorise them all — when you ask a price and can't catch it, just hand over your phone or paper and let them write the Arabic number. Fast and foolproof. For people, use futari (2 people), and ...people = ...-nin.
Sometimes the words run out — but these tricks let you communicate with anyone even when you hit the language wall. Picture having these in your pocket, and travelling solo stops feeling daunting at all.
Big cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo, and Fukuoka have English signs and Arabic numerals almost everywhere — you can get around with ease even without any Japanese. Tap a pin on the map to open that city's guide.
If you have an allergy or avoid certain meats, this really matters — because dashi (fish stock) and pork hide in many dishes that look like they wouldn't have them. The safest move is to hand a Japanese card to the staff to read.
Take your shoes off, no tipping, quiet on the train, sort your rubbish — how to act without feeling awkward in any situation.
Japanese Etiquette →Finding halal restaurants, avoiding fish dashi, carrying an allergy card, and reading konbini labels in Japan.
Eating Guide →eSIM, Pocket WiFi, or SIM — which is best value, and how to stay online for translation and navigation all trip.
Connectivity in Japan →The must-try dishes — ramen, sushi, izakaya — so you know the plate before you order and order what you'll love.
Food Guide →Visa · eSIM · IC cards · JR Pass · yen · power plugs · etiquette — everything before you fly.
Travel Prep →Every region and city, with links into city guides, hotels, and attractions across Japan.
Japan Guide →Bookmark this page to open when you need it, then move on to our Japan travel prep guide — visa, connectivity, trains, etiquette — or start looking early for well-placed hotels in the city you're heading to.