Japanese Phrases for Travel: 25 Polite, Practical Expressions

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You do not need fluent Japanese to have a smoother trip to Japan. A few well-chosen phrases can help you greet people, ask for directions, order food and explain when you do not understand.

I have kept these 25 Japanese travel phrases polite and practical. Each one includes Japanese script, consistent Hepburn romanisation and a plain-English meaning. Long vowels use macrons, as in ō and ū, and the particles は and を are romanised as wa and o.

These are useful starting points, not magic formulas for every situation. Listen to the person you are speaking with, use a friendly tone and do not worry about sounding perfect. The Japan National Tourism Organization's basic language guide is a handy official companion for your trip.

If you want guided audio practice before you travel, you can try JapanesePod101. It has beginner lessons built around everyday listening and speaking.

Editor's note: Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online Japanese course, here’s the course we recommend: Japanese Uncovered – Learn Japanese Through the Power of Story, a course with a fascinating new method by Olly Richards. You can try it for free for 7 days!

For a quick pronunciation warm-up, this Fluent in 3 Months video teaches 25 beginner Japanese words and phrases:

1. “Hello” in Japanese: こんにちは (konnichiwa)

こんにちは is a standard daytime greeting, often translated as “hello” or “good afternoon”. In the morning, use おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu). In the evening, use こんばんは (konbanwa). You can find more options in our guide to saying hello in Japanese.

2. “Please” in Japanese: ください (kudasai)

ください is useful when requesting an item, but it is not a universal word that you can drop anywhere English uses “please”. Put the item before it: メニューをください (menyū o kudasai) means “A menu, please”.

お願いします (onegai shimasu) is another polite request expression. At a restaurant, お会計をお願いします (okaikei o onegai shimasu) means “The bill, please”.

3. “Thank you” in Japanese: ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu)

ありがとうございます is a polite, dependable way to thank someone. ありがとう (arigatō) is more casual. For extra emphasis, you can say どうもありがとうございます (dōmo arigatō gozaimasu), “Thank you very much”.

4. “Excuse me” in Japanese: すみません (sumimasen)

すみません is one of the most useful words on this list. Use it to get someone's attention, to apologise for a small inconvenience or before asking a question: すみません、トイレはどこですか (sumimasen, toire wa doko desu ka), “Excuse me, where is the toilet?”

5. Before eating in Japanese: いただきます (itadakimasu)

いただきます is said before eating and expresses appreciation for receiving the meal. English translations such as “Let's eat” or “Thanks for the food” only approximate how it is used. It does not literally mean “Let's eat”, although people at a shared meal may say it just before they begin.

If you actually want to suggest eating together, ask 食べませんか (tabemasen ka), “Would you like to eat?”

6. “Thank you for the meal” in Japanese: ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita)

After eating, ごちそうさまでした expresses appreciation for the meal. You can say it to the person who cooked or treated you, or quietly as you finish. In a restaurant, it can also be a courteous word to the staff as you leave.

7. “One, please” in Japanese: 一つください (hitotsu kudasai)

When the item is clear, point and say 一つください, “One, please”. 一つ (hitotsu) is a general counter, so it can help when you do not know a more specific counter. Japanese uses different counters for many objects, including flat items and people, so this is a useful fallback rather than a rule for every purchase. Our Japanese numbers guide explains the system.

8. “Yes” and “no” in Japanese: はい (hai) and いいえ (iie)

はい and いいえ are the polite beginner choices for “yes” and “no”. With friends, you may hear うん (un) and ううん (uun), which are casual. In real conversations, はい can also signal “I understand” rather than agreement, so listen to the whole question.

9. “What's your name?” in Japanese: お名前は何ですか (onamae wa nan desu ka)

お名前は何ですか is a polite way to ask someone's name. To answer, give your name followed by です (desu). I can simply say ケイトリンです (Keitorin desu), “I'm Caitlin”.

When you are introduced, よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu) is a useful set expression. It does not translate word for word as “nice to meet you”, but that is often its role in a first meeting.

10. “How are you?” in Japanese: お元気ですか (ogenki desu ka)

お元気ですか asks whether someone is well. It is more natural when you are catching up with someone than as a routine greeting to every stranger. If you have not met for a while, お元気でしたか (o-genki deshita ka) asks “How have you been?”

11. “I'm sorry” in Japanese: ごめんなさい (gomen nasai)

ごめんなさい is a common apology. ごめんね (gomen ne) is casual and is better kept for people you know. With strangers or staff, すみません is often the safer all-purpose choice for a small apology.

12. “What's this?” in Japanese: これは何ですか (kore wa nan desu ka)

Point to an unfamiliar object or dish and ask これは何ですか, “What is this?” The answer may still stretch your Japanese, but the phrase gives you an easy way to start.

13. “I don't understand” in Japanese: わかりません (wakarimasen)

If you lose the thread, say すみません、わかりません (sumimasen, wakarimasen), “Sorry, I don't understand”. It is much better to say this than to pretend you understood and end up on the wrong train or with the wrong order.

14. “What does ___ mean?” in Japanese: ＿＿はどういう意味ですか (___ wa dō iu imi desu ka)

Put the unfamiliar word before はどういう意味ですか. If someone says 傘 (kasa) and you do not know it, ask 傘はどういう意味ですか (kasa wa dō iu imi desu ka), “What does kasa mean?”

15. “Please say that again more slowly” in Japanese: もう一度ゆっくり言ってもらえますか (mō ichido yukkuri itte moraemasu ka)

Use this when you need another, slower attempt. A shorter request is もう一度、ゆっくりお願いします (mō ichido, yukkuri onegai shimasu), “Once more, slowly, please”.

16. “How do you say ___ in Japanese?”: ＿＿は日本語で何と言いますか (___ wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka)

Put an English word or a familiar object before this pattern. “Umbrella は日本語で何と言いますか” asks “How do you say ‘umbrella’ in Japanese?” The answer is 傘 (kasa).

17. “Do you speak English?” in Japanese: 英語を話せますか (eigo o hanasemasu ka)

英語を話せますか asks whether the person can speak English. If you are asking a receptionist or station employee whether anyone is available, 英語を話せる人はいますか (eigo o hanaseru hito wa imasu ka) means “Is there anyone who speaks English?”

18. “Where is ___?” in Japanese: ＿＿はどこですか (___ wa doko desu ka)

Put the place before はどこですか. For example, トイレはどこですか (toire wa doko desu ka) means “Where is the toilet?” Useful place words include:

• 駅 (eki): train station
• 地下鉄 (chikatetsu): underground
• バス停 (basutei): bus stop
• ホテル (hoteru): hotel
• 入口 (iriguchi): entrance
• 出口 (deguchi): exit
• レストラン (resutoran): restaurant

19. “How much is this?” in Japanese: これはいくらですか (kore wa ikura desu ka)

Point to the item and ask これはいくらですか. Prices are in yen, written with the symbol ¥ or the kanji 円 (en). Because exchange rates change, check the current conversion rather than memorising a fixed yen-to-pound or yen-to-dollar shortcut.

20. “It's a bit…” in Japanese: ちょっと… (chotto…)

ちょっと literally means “a little” or “a moment”, but you may also hear it when someone hesitates or leaves a refusal unfinished. For example, 今日はちょっと… (kyō wa chotto…), “Today is a bit…”, can gently imply that today does not work. Its meaning depends on tone and context, so do not treat every ちょっと as a firm “no”.

21. “What do you recommend?” in Japanese: おすすめは何ですか (osusume wa nan desu ka)

At a restaurant or shop, ask おすすめは何ですか to find out what the other person recommends. You can point to the menu or display to make the context clear.

22. “Does this train go to ___?” in Japanese: この電車は＿＿に行きますか (kono densha wa ___ ni ikimasu ka)

Replace the blank with your destination. For a bus, say このバスは＿＿に行きますか (kono basu wa ___ ni ikimasu ka). Adding すみません at the beginning makes it easy to ask a member of staff or another passenger politely.

23. “Do you have ___?” in Japanese: ＿＿はありますか (___ wa arimasu ka)

Use ＿＿はありますか to ask whether something is available. ベジタリアンメニューはありますか (bejitarian menyū wa arimasu ka) means “Do you have a vegetarian menu?”

For food you cannot eat, use ＿＿は食べられません (___ wa taberaremasen). For an allergy, be explicit: 小麦アレルギーがあります (komugi arerugī ga arimasu) means “I have a wheat allergy”. Useful food words include:

• 肉 (niku): meat
• 牛肉 (gyūniku): beef
• 豚肉 (butaniku): pork
• 鶏肉 (toriniku): chicken
• ピーナッツ (pīnattsu): peanuts
• 小麦 (komugi): wheat
• 卵 (tamago): egg
• 大豆 (daizu): soy
• 魚 (sakana): fish
• えび (ebi): shrimp
• かに (kani): crab
• 貝類 (kairui): shellfish
• 乳製品 (nyūseihin): dairy products

A memorised sentence is not enough protection for a serious allergy. Download the Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency's official food-allergy communication sheet, show it before ordering and ask about cross-contact.

24. “Could you take my picture?” in Japanese: 写真を撮ってもらえませんか (shashin o totte moraemasen ka)

写真を撮ってもらえませんか is a polite way to ask someone to take your photo. If you want to photograph another person, ask their permission first rather than assuming this phrase covers it.

25. “A beer to start, please” in Japanese: とりあえずビールをください (toriaezu bīru o kudasai)

If you drink alcohol, とりあえずビールをください asks for a beer “for now” or “to start”. At a group meal, you may hear the shorter とりあえずビール (toriaezu bīru) before the first toast. かんぱい (kanpai) means “Cheers!”

Beer is optional, of course. It is not rude to avoid alcohol. お酒は飲みません (osake wa nomimasen) means “I don't drink alcohol”.

Practise these Japanese phrases before you travel

Pick the five phrases you are most likely to need and practise saying them aloud. Then add the place names, foods and destinations that matter for your own trip. A small set you can recall under pressure will help more than a long list you have only read once.

気をつけて (ki o tsukete): take care, and enjoy your trip.