Japanese Words to Know When Traveling in Japan
- Published on : 03/07/2026
- by : Clément
- Youtube
Tsu Station
@Wikimedia Commons
When you travel to Japan, you’ll inevitably use public transportation. Japan Experience offers a basic glossary for your trip, which will allow you to travel by train, bus, or Shinkansen all on your own!
Finding Your Way Around the Train Station
First, you’ll need the basics:
- 駅 (eki) - Station
- 電車 (densha) - Train
- 車両 (sharyô) - Train Car -If you have a ticket with a reserved seat, the car number will be indicated by a number followed by the kanji 号車 (gôsha).
- 乗り場 (noriba) – Platform; also called ホーム (hômu). These are numbered with a digit followed by the kanji 番 (ban).
- 改札 (kasatsu) - Ticket gate
- エスカレーター (esukareetaa) - Escalator
- エレベーター (erebeetaa) - Elevator
- 階段 (kaidan) - Stairs
- トイレ (toire) - Restrooms
- コインロッカー (koin rokkaa) - Coin-operated lockers, very useful for storing your belongings in a safe place at a low cost!
- 荷物 (nimotsu) - luggage, suitcases
The names of the different lines are formed using the kanji 線 (sen), for example: 山手線 (yamanote sen) — the Yamanote Line.
Exits
Given the size of some train stations, it’s important to be able to easily locate the different exits. Here are the general terms:
- 入口 (iriguchi) - Entrance
- 出口 (deguchi) - Exit
- 出入口 (deiriguchi) - Entrance/Exit
The different exits are marked by distinctive yellow signs, making them easy to identify.
Logos and arrows are also provided to indicate whether you should go up or down a staircase, enter an adjacent hallway, or turn around.
Exit Sign
@Wikimedia Commons
At the major train stations, exits are generally named after the cardinal directions, using the kanji 口, which means “mouth”:
- 北口 (kitaguchi) – North exit
- 南口 (minamiguchi) – South exit
- 西口 (nishiguchi) – West exit
- 東口 (higashiguchi) - East exit
- 中央口 (chûôguchi) – Central exit
Sometimes certain exits have names, which always include the kanji 口. For example, at Ikebukuro Station there is the 西武口 (Seibuguchi), named after the nearby shopping center.
Buy a train ticket
Train Ticket Vending Machine
@Wikimedia Commons
To buy a train ticket that meets your needs, you'll need the following vocabulary:
- 切符 (kippu) – ticket; also known as チケット (chiketto)
- 往復 (ôfuku) - round trip
- 片道 (katamichi) - one-way
- 大人 (otona) - adult
- 子供 (kodomo) - child
- 料金 (ryôkin) - fare
- 乗車券 (jôshaken) - ticket
- Limited Express ticket (tokkyûken)—these high-speed trains offer greater comfort and most have a reserved-seat system, which requires an additional fee.
- 指定席券 (shiteiekiken) - ticket with an assigned seat number
To make your purchases, you’ll need to go to the following:
- 窓口 (madoguchi) – the ticket window, to buy a ticket
- 自動券売機 (jidôkenbaiki) – a ticket vending machine
- 切符売り場 (kippu uriba) - the area where ticket windows and ticket vending machines are located
- 計算機 (keisanki)—fare adjustment machine, to be used if your card doesn’t have enough credit or if you’re getting off at a station farther away than the one where you bought your ticket.
For added convenience, we strongly recommend investing in an ICカード (aishii kaado)—an IC card, the Japanese transit card.
- チャージ (chaaji) – to top up your transit card at a vending machine
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The Different Types of Trains
Whether it’s a train (電車 - densha, or more rarely 列車 - ressha), the subway 地下鉄 (chikatetsu) / メトロ (metoro), a tram (トラム - toramu / 路面電車 - romendensha), a monorail (モノレール - monoreeru), or even a Shinkansen (新幹線 - shinkansen), all can be referred to by the term 電車 (train) when talking about the vehicle itself.
Similarly, the term 駅 (eki) can also refer to the station for any of these modes of transportation.
Most lines (train or subway) operate trains of varying speeds, which serve a certain number of stations. The faster the train, the fewer stops it makes. Here are the main types of trains based on their speed:
- Local train (kakuekiteisha), often abbreviated as 各停 (kakutei) — a train that stops at every station. These are also called 普通電車 (futsuudensha).
- 準急 (junkyuu) –Semi-express Train
- 急行 (kyuukô) – Express Train
- 快急 (kaikyuu) – Rapid Express Train
- 特急 (tokkyuu) – "Limited Express Train", the fastest, often more comfortable, and requiring a surcharge.
For the Shinkansen, each type is named according to the number of stations it serves. For the Tokaido Line, for example, there are the のぞみ (nozomi, the fastest), the ひかり (hikari), and the こだま (kodama).
In Tokyo, for example, during rush hour there are special express trains called “Commuter Express” (通勤急行, tsuukinkyuukô) and “Commuter Rapid” (通勤快速, tsuukinkaisoku).
Examples of express trains
@Wikimedia Commons
Trains that connect airports, such as the one connecting Tokyo to Narita Airport, are called ライナー (rainaa, from the English "liner"). In rural areas, it’s not uncommon to see small trains operated by a single driver, called ワンマン (wanman, from the English "one man").
Finally, 回送 (kaisou or 回送中 - kaisouchû) displayed on a train or bus means that it has finished its service; it is no longer taking passengers.
Making a connection
The Japanese word for “transfer” is 乗り換え (norikae). If you’re taking a trip that involves a transfer at Shibuya Station, for example, you might hear the announcer say 渋谷駅でお乗り換えください (shibuya eki de onorikae kudasai)—"Please transfer at Shibuya Station.”
Sometimes lines are directly connected, allowing you to transfer from one line to another without getting off the train. In these cases, the terms 直通 (chokutsû) or 連絡 (renraku) are used.
Asking for Directions
Simply add 行き (yuki) to the name of a place or station to ask if a train is heading there. For example, to ask for directions to Tokyo, you can say: この電車は東京 行きですか (kono densha wa, tôkyô yuki desuka).
The last train of the day is called 終電 (shûden). So, if you want to ask when the last train leaves, you can say, ''[Station Name] 行きの終電はいつですか" ([Station Name]yuki no shûden wa itsu desuka).
Disruptions and Delays
Although Japanese public transportation is known for its reliability, delays and disruptions do occasionally occur.
You may see the following terms on the display boards on the platforms:
- 運休 (unkyû) - train canceled
- 遅れ (okure) - train delayed
- ダイヤ乱れ (daiya midare) - service disruption (delays)
Station display board
@Wikimedia Commons
Planning a train trip? Consider buying a rail pass!
The Different Types of Cars
The general term for a seat is 席 (seki). On all trains and subways, you’ll find seats reserved for people with limited mobility, called 優先席 or 優先座席 (yûsenseki / yûsenzaseki).
But before taking a seat, you need to find the car that corresponds to your ticket. Most standard trains have unreserved seating (自由席 - jiyûseki), though there may be cars with reserved seating, 指定席 (shiteiseki).
Some trains (especially Limited Express and Shinkansen trains) may have first-class Green Cars (グリーン車 - gurin-sha) or luxury Gran Class cars (グランクラス - guran kurasu).
In the morning (usually between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.), some lines offer cars reserved for women, known as 女性専用車両 (josei sen’yô sharyô).
Women-Only Car
@Wikimedia Commons
Buses
Most of the words listed above can also be used to taking the bus. Here are a few terms specific to the vocabulary related to buses:
- バス (basu) - Bus
- 市内バス (shinai basu) - City bus
- 夜行バス (yakô basu) - Night bus
- 急行バス (kyûkô basu) - Express bus, a term often used to describe long-distance bus routes such as airport shuttles (空港連絡バス - kûkô rentaku basu).
- バス停 (basu tei) - Bus stop
- バスターミナル (basu taaminaru) - Bus terminal
The button you need to press before getting off is called ボタン (botan). Depending on the location, you may be asked to pay in advance (前払い - maebarai) or after the ride (後払い - atobatai).
In most cases, you can use your IC card. If not, you can always pay in cash (現金 - genkin). If you don’t have the exact amount, a conductor will be standing near the driver to help you get change (両替 - ryôgae).
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