Going to Japan? Learn these basic Japanese words and phrases!

So, planning to visit Japan soon? Or maybe you’re there right now and could use an extra hand.

Whatever your situation is, we’ve got you covered. From the travel basics to the conversational variety, this article will prepare you to not only survive, but thrive in Japanese.

Don't Japanese people speak English, anyway? Why learn Japanese phrases?

It’s a valid question to ask.

When we think about our limitless to-do list before taking a trip, learning a new language is difficult to find the time for. In Japan, English as a second language class is compulsory in school; and many of the main cities have support for English services, so the scale seems in favour of giving the phrasebook a miss.

However, this line of thinking neglects the bigger picture, namely your impact as a foreign tourist.

In 2024, a total of 36.9 million tourists descended upon Japan—the highest amount yet, setting a new record. For comparison, a decade ago in 2014, the number was 13.41 million. What’s more, 2025 is on track to beat this record by 3~5% at the very least.

Local restaurants are being bombarded by tourists who demand service in English, trains are being clogged up by luggage cases, and heritage sites are now swamped with foreigners disrespecting the social etiquette.

Put yourself in the position of a local business owner in the midst of all of this and think, who would you favour more—the tourist who wants English service only, or the tourist who makes an attempt to speak your language, no matter how novice they may sound?

This isn’t to crush your starry-eyed dreams of Japan. It’s the opposite. We want you to go and have a wonderful time. But in this day and age, it pays to be mindful and considerate.

Just learning a touch of Japanese will make your trip so much better. Not only will you connect with the culture and build confidence, but you’ll also leave a positive impact on the locals and the tourists who visit after you.

Language has a lot of power, folks.

So with that being said, let’s go over some of the basic survival phrases you’ll need!

The bare basics of Japanese: Greetings, Yes/No, Politeness

Greetings

The building blocks of communication.

Yes & No (Formal)

When it comes to answering yes or no in Japan, there’s quite a few different ways to go about it. However, you can always rely on these phrases, especially when you are conversing with strangers.

So if an attendant asks if you have your パスポート pasupo–to, you can reply hai or iie (let’s hope you say hai!).

If you’re wishing dive deeper, check out these articles on more ways to say yes and no in Japanese. But for a trip to Japan or a layover in the airport, hai and iie should suffice.

Polite Expressions

Japanese and levels of politeness are the things dissertations are made of. In the interest of simplicity, these are the expressions you’re most likely to need in day to day scenarios. For those visiting on business, you may benefit from a guide on business Japanese instead.

The filler word equivalent of um in English has been provided in order to help your requests sound softer and more fluent. A rule of thumb for learning any language is to learn the filler words! It helps you get in the zone, so to speak, but in the case of Japanese, ano is often used as a signifier for “Hey, I have something uncomfortable to ask…”

So if you’re going to stop a passer-by to ask for directions, opening with Anou… sumimasen, ano… is a lot less commanding than a point blank SUMIMASEN.

Getting around

Traveling! You’re going to be doing a lot of it, chaces are. Here are some starter phrases to get you comfortable with navigating around Japan.

First, we’ll introduce just the question markers so you can get used to them. Then, we’ll provide some example phrases using them.

Question Words

Desu ka? politely completes the basic question. Those without desu ka usually need a bit more information to be a full sentence, so let’s demonstrate that below.

Where is?

So on and so forth.

Now how do we get there?

How do you get to…?

How much is…?

Answers

It’s all good asking questions, but what good is it if you can’t understand the answers? Here are some likely words you’ll hear in response to your requests.

Luckily, gestures are commonplace. It is also not uncommon for staff to walk with you to your destination.

すみません、方向音痴なんですが…
sumimasen, houkou onchi nan desu ga…

方向音痴 doesn’t always translate well when put through an online translator, but it’s a common word. The closest equivalent in English is “no sense of direction.”

By starting with this, it softens your request. It also acts as a bit of an icebreaker when stopping an attendant and can lead to simplified directions being given. For all my fellow houkou onchi out there, you’ve got this!

Ordering food

If you’re visiting Japan, I imagine you’re keen to eat as much ramen and sashimi you can get your hands on. Here are a few handy phrases to help you with that.

At a Restaurant

*Of course, you’ll likely answer with a show of fingers. But here’s a brief runthrough:
一人です hitori desu — one person
二人です futari desu — two people
三人です sannin desu — three people
四人です yonin desu — four people
五人です gonin desu — five people
六人です rokunin desu — six people
七人です nananin desu — seven people
More than that, I think you better make a booking rather than walk-in!

Payment

Please, for the love of katsu, if you’re travelling in a group learn the words isshouni and betsubetsu to reduce the time umming and ahhing at the register while customers wait behind you! Also be prepared for some restaurants to not offer split bill.

Emergency

Better safe than sorry!

Emergency Services

*Note that police are a separate service to fire and medical.

Sickness

Crime & Lost Property

*喧嘩 kenka can be substituted for a verbal fight. But naguriai strictly means punches were thrown.

Natural Disaster

Conversational phrases

So, what about all that spiel on you speak English, it goes to their head, speak Japanese and it goes to their heart? Well here’s where we can have some fun with it.

In Japan, especially if you’re a fan of the metropolitan nightlife, or visiting out of the way ryokans, you’ll likely find yourself making conversation with a local or two. So here are some ice breakers you can wield at your disposal!

Self Introduction

*So on and so forth. For the sake of providing you easy to memorise phrases, saying your nationality like (country) jin desu will be easier than the full phrase (country) から来ました kara kimashita, which is “I came from (country), especially if you’ve had a few Asahi drys.

As mentioned in the hospitality section, conversation becomes truncated, so even if you just learn how to say the name of your country in Japanese, that should be fine.

Common Question & Answer

Q. なぜ日本に来ましたか？
naze nihon ni kimashita ka?
Why did you come to Japan?

*It can be a bit of dry humour to reply with this!

Q. 日本は何が好き？
nihon wa nani ga suki?
What do you like about Japan?

To make it a full sentence, just add the aforementioned …ga suki desu to say “I like …”

When you say desu kara, it turns the phrase into means “Because I like ...”

Finally, some descriptors you can use to describe your trip so far.

Descriptors

*Oishii works more broadly than the English counterpart “delicious.” While we can’t say we’ve had a delicious trip, you can totally say this in Japanese; same for oishii resutoran for “delicious restaurant”— it means the food at the restaurant was delicious, not the building itself!

**If you feel like making a local laugh (provided they aren’t too elderly and disapproving…), you can use the slang word yabai, which basically means whatever you need it to mean in the situation. Just make sure your face exaggerates this totally awesome crazy insane tone! Otherwise, you can use sugoi for a safer alternative.

The Golden Phrase: そうですか

When we say “backchanneling,” you’ll probably scratch your head. But if we say “the little utterances between dialogue to indicate to your partner that you’re listening,” you’ll think Oh! Why didn’t you just say so?

Well, because when we say backchanneling, that can mean a whole slew of different things. Humming, nodding, repeating words. But in Japanese, if you just learn how to say そうですか sou desu ka in a few different tones, you can single handedly carry an entire conversation!

When translated, sou desu ka loosely means: “Is that so?”

So if during your conversation with your bar mate, they inform you they’ve visited to your country before, you can enthusiastically reply: Ee, sou desu ka?

The waiter informs you that the tempura udon is their most popular item?

Ah, sou desu ka? Jya, tempura udon o onegaishimasu.
Oh, really? Then, I’ll have the tempura udon please.

Just like learning the filler word ano, having sou desu ka up your other sleeve is also bound to come in handy.

The final say

That’s a whole lotta phrases in Japanese, but you made it! We hope you’ve been able to pick and choose the ones you feel you’ll need the most, but hey! You never know what might pop up.

Language is an ever-changing shapeshifter. Even if you don’t have the time to commit to learning a foreign language, the best thing you can do is leave yourself open to surprises. When you arrive in Japan, you’ll surprise yourself by how much you can pick up by context cues alone.

So go out and make Migaku proud, travellers!