16 Japanese Words You Should Learn For Your Trip To Japan

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Kanji, the Sino-Japanese characters, can be very confusing for tourists. Here we've compiled a list of 16 words you should learn to recognize in order to make your journey go more smoothly.

Written by

miho

東京

Born in Taiwan. Currently living in Tokyo. Currently editor in chief of MATCHA's Taiwanese website. In the past, I worked as an editor for a Japanese fashion magazine, as a Japanese language teacher at a private high school in Taipei, as an interpreter for Shiseido and other Japanese and Taiwanese companies. I've also had experience as an inbound tourism copywriter. My Facebook page 'Tokyo beyond studying abroad' 東京、不只是留學（留学だけじゃなくて）boasts 120,000 followers. Blogger with readers from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan, of which 70% are female readers. I have covered over 300 locations and stores in my articles. Writing about the latest trends, places off the beaten path, and traditional culture. Published six books on Japan in Taiwan and Asia. Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/filmmiho/ Instagram → @mihowang47

11. 献立

Reading: Kondate

This refers to a menu, and the order in which dishes will be served. You will often see this at Japanese restaurants, and items will be brought out in that order.

12. 決済

Reading: Kessai

This word will come up when you pay to book a hotel using your credit card. It means “paid in full,” so you don’t need to pay in cash when you arrive.

Public Transportation-Related Kanji

13. 運賃

Reading: Unchin

This means “fare”. Fares will vary according to number of passengers, travel time and distance.

14. 切符

Reading: Kippu

This refers to all types of tickets, from passenger tickets to admission tickets.

15. 入力

Reading: Nyuuryoku

This means “to enter information”. When it comes to transportation, if you’re buying a ticket with your card, you need to punch in the price and your PIN.

16. 精算

Reading: Seisan

Meaning “to square an account”, you will often see this when you get off a train to leave the station and your ticket doesn’t cover the fare. Go to the 精算所 (“seisansho”, the fare adjustment machine) and insert your ticket to pay the difference.

In Closing

If you can understand these 16 words, your trip to Japan will go more smoothly and it'll be even easier to deal with travel issues!

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Written by

miho

東京

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