Does Speaking Japanese Matter for Travellers?
Japan is highly navigable without Japanese — major tourist areas have English signage, many hotels and restaurants have English menus or picture menus, and translation apps have improved dramatically. However, knowing even a handful of Japanese phrases significantly enriches interactions, earns visible appreciation from locals, and opens doors that purely English-based travel cannot. This guide gives you the practical vocabulary for common travel situations, plus tips on reading scripts and using technology.
Pronunciation Basics
Japanese pronunciation is relatively consistent once the five vowel sounds are learned:
- a — as in “father” (ah)
- i — as in “see” (ee)
- u — as in “moon” but shorter (oo)
- e — as in “bed” (eh)
- o — as in “go” (oh)
Unlike tonal languages (Mandarin, Thai), Japanese does not have lexical tones. Most syllables carry equal weight. Long vowels (indicated by a bar: ō, ū) are held approximately twice as long as short ones. “R” sounds fall between an English r and l.
Essential Greetings and Courtesy Phrases
| English | Japanese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | おはようございます | Ohayō gozaimasu |
| Good afternoon / hello | こんにちは | Konnichiwa |
| Good evening | こんばんは | Konbanwa |
| Thank you | ありがとうございます | Arigatō gozaimasu |
| Excuse me / sorry | すみません | Sumimasen |
| Please (requesting) | お願いします | Onegaishimasu |
| Yes / No | はい / いいえ | Hai / Iie |
| I don’t understand | わかりません | Wakarimasen |
| Do you speak English? | 英語を話せますか？ | Eigo wo hanasemasu ka? |
Practical Travel Phrases
| Situation | Phrase | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where is [place]? | [場所]はどこですか？ | [Basho] wa doko desu ka? |
| How much is this? | これはいくらですか？ | Kore wa ikura desu ka? |
| One ticket please | 一枚ください | Ichimai kudasai |
| I’ll have this (pointing) | これをください | Kore wo kudasai |
| The bill please | お会計をお願いします | Okaikei wo onegaishimasu |
| I have a food allergy | アレルギーがあります | Arerugi ga arimasu |
| I am vegetarian | ベジタリアンです | Bejitariian desu |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？ | Toire wa doko desu ka? |
| Call an ambulance | 救急車を呼んでください | Kyūkyūsha wo yonde kudasai |
Reading Japanese Scripts
Japanese uses three scripts: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. For travellers, learning hiragana (46 characters, one to two days to memorise) and katakana (46 characters, used for foreign loanwords) dramatically improves navigation, menu reading, and train signs. Kanji is a longer-term study. Both hiragana and katakana have a one-to-one phonetic correspondence (each symbol = one syllable sound), making them highly learnable in a short time.
Translation Apps and Tools
- Google Translate camera mode — Point the phone camera at Japanese text for instant overlaid translation. Very useful for menus, signs, and labels.
- DeepL — Superior translation quality for longer text; less reliable for camera/OCR use than Google Translate.
- Google Maps — Japanese place names are transliterated in the search bar; navigation instructions can be set to English.
- Papago (by Naver) — A popular alternative in Japan with strong Japanese-English accuracy, particularly for conversational phrases.
Many restaurants now have iPads or QR-code menus with English translation, particularly in tourist-dense areas. Pointing to dishes, showing pictures, or using the camera translation app is broadly accepted.
Related Pages
Learn more: Japanese Language Learning Guide | Learning Japanese as a Resident | Japan Travel Tips | Food and Dietary Guide | Japan Travel Hub