言葉 · kotoba
Language
Phrases & communication
You do not need to speak Japanese to be understood in Tokyo — you need about ten words, a phone, and the willingness to try.
Here is the truth no phrasebook will tell you: in Tokyo, almost no one expects you to speak Japanese, and almost everyone will meet you halfway the moment you try. A wobbly ‘sumimasen,’ a small bow, a thank-you in the right direction — these are not tests you pass or fail. They are signals that you came with good intent, and good intent is the whole game here.
Most first-timers worry about the wrong thing. They imagine getting lost in a wall of kanji with no one to ask. In practice, train station signs, major restaurants, and convenience stores are far more English-friendly than you expect, station staff are used to pointing, and the gaps that remain are easily crossed with your phone. What moves an interaction from stiff to warm is not vocabulary; it’s a handful of polite words used at the right moment.
So this is less a language lesson than a confidence kit. We’ll give you the few words that genuinely carry their weight, the one word that does the work of five, and a calm, practical way to communicate when the words run out — so you can walk into any shop, counter, or konbini in Tokyo and feel like a guest who belongs.
What you’ll learn
- The ten words and short phrases that actually carry you through a trip — hello, please, thank you, and the polite exits — with simple pronunciation you can say out loud
- Why ‘sumimasen’ is the most useful word in Japan: excuse me, sorry, and a soft thank-you, all in one, and exactly when to reach for it
- How to politely ask whether someone speaks English — and the warm, no-shame way to handle it when they don’t
- Translation apps that work offline and the camera trick for reading menus and signs, plus how to point and gesture without it ever feeling rude
- When a small bow does more than words, and the everyday courtesies — at the register, the counter, and saying goodbye — that land every time
- The pronunciation traps that make you hard to understand, and the tiny fixes that get you a smile instead of a blank look
The questions travelers actually ask
Pulled from what real visitors are searching and posting — every one answered inside the guide.
- Do people in Tokyo speak English, or will I hit a real language barrier?
- What does "sumimasen" actually mean, and when should I use it?
- How do I politely get a waiter's or shop staff's attention without shouting across the room?
- What's the one Japanese phrase I should learn first before my trip?
- How do I order food at a small ramen shop if I don't speak any Japanese?
- How do I ask for directions when I'm lost and can't read the signs?
- What do I do if something goes wrong, like an ATM error message only in Japanese?
- Are locals offended if I don't try to speak Japanese, and how much am I expected to attempt?