Plan your Japan trip without
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30+ Basic Japanese Phrases Every Traveler Should Know
Traveling to Japan without speaking the language can feel intimidating, but you really don’t need to be fluent. Knowing a few basic Japanese phrases makes daily interactions smoother and shows respect. These expressions help with greetings, directions, restaurants, and simple conversations, with pronunciation and translations to guide you.
👋 Basic Greetings (Politeness is key in Japan)
おはようございます (Ohayou gozaimasu) = Good morning | Bonjour (matin)
こんにちは (Konnichiwa) = Hello | Bonjour (jour)
こんばんは (Konbanwa) = Good evening | Bonsoir
ありがとうございます (Arigatou gozaimasu) = Thank you very much | Merci beaucoup
すみません (Sumimasen) = Excuse me / Sorry | Excusez-moi / Pardon
🗣️ Everyday Phrases
わかりました (Wakarimashita) = I understand | J’ai compris
わかりません (Wakarimasen) = I don’t understand | Je ne comprends pas
もう一度お願いします (Mou ichido onegaishimasu) = Please repeat | Répétez, s’il vous plaît
はい (Hai) = Yes | Oui
いいえ (Iie) = No | Non
❓ Useful Questions
お名前は？ (Onamae wa?) = What’s your name? | Comment vous appelez-vous ?
どこですか？ (Doko desu ka?) = Where is it? | Où est-ce ?
いくらですか？ (Ikura desu ka?) = How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?
トイレはどこですか？ (Toire wa doko desu ka?) = Where is the bathroom? | Où sont les toilettes ?
どういう意味ですか？ (Dou iu imi desu ka?) = What does it mean? | Que signifie cela ?
🍜 At the Restaurant
メニューをください (Menyuu o kudasai) = Can I have the menu, please? | Puis-je avoir le menu ?
これは何ですか？ (Kore wa nan desu ka?) = What is this? | Qu’est-ce que c’est ?
おすすめは何ですか？ (Osusume wa nan desu ka?) = What do you recommend? | Que recommandez-vous ?
お水をください (O-mizu o kudasai) = Water, please | De l’eau, s’il vous plaît
お会計お願いします (O-kaikei onegaishimasu) = The bill, please | L’addition, s’il vous plaît
💡 Pro Tips
Save these phrases on your phone for quick access.
Practice the pronunciation out loud (just a few times helps!).
Use them with a smile, locals are usually happy you made the effort.
Plan Your Japan Trip More Easily
If you're going to Jpaan you're probably facing :
Too much information
How to organize
Don’t know where to go
Train system feels confusing
Afraid of missing places
Planning a trip to Japan usually breaks at the same point: you save a lot of places, but don’t know how to turn them into a realistic route. Cities are large, distances are not intuitive, and it’s hard to know what actually fits in one day.
This guide was created to solve that. It helps you understand how places connect, how many days make sense per area, and how to build an itinerary that flows.
With the interactive map, you can explore curated spots across Japan, follow ready-made itineraries and day trips, mix my routes with your own, and adapt everything to your pac
I created my Japan Travel Guide to help you organize your trip in a clear, realistic way.
Details on what you'll have
Best of both world : touristy & off the beaten path places
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Tokyo Guide by Neighborhood (23 special ward)
15+ additional day trips detailed for exploring nearby destinations from Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto.
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PDF & Excel sheets (with less updates than online version)
What it looks like on the app :
If you prefer something fully tailored, I also offer a 100% custom travel planning service.
I design a day-by-day itinerary based on your dates, interests, budget, travel pace, and priorities. You simply follow the plan and enjoy your trip.
And if you like flexible, editable itineraries, you can also find my ready-made itineraries on Holicay.
They’re ideal if you want a solid base you can customize with your travel companions.
Marie creator behind @Tabimawari
Hi, I’m Marie, the creator behind @tabimawari.
I lived in Kyoto, learned Japanese, and keep returning to explore Japan beyond the obvious.
Planning a trip to Japan usually breaks at the same point: you save a lot of places, but don’t know how to turn them into a realistic route. Cities are large, distances are not intuitive, and it’s hard to know what actually fits in one day.
This guide was created to solve that. It helps you understand how places connect, how many days make sense per area, and how to build an itinerary that flows.
With the interactive map, you can explore curated spots across Japan, follow ready-made itineraries and day trips, mix my routes with your own, and adapt everything to your pace.
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Marie creator behind @Tabimawari
Hi, I’m Marie.
French islander from Reunion island, Japan lover, and travel planner behind Tabimawari.
I spent a year living in Kyoto, learning Japanese and falling in love with the culture. Since then, I’ve kept going back, exploring every corner from Tokyo to the tiniest hidden towns.
I created these guides after spending months planning, testing, and fine-tuning every detail so you don’t have to. Inside, you’ll find:
✅ Interactive maps
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✅ Local spots + travel tips
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Each guide is made with care, based on real-life travel, not generic blog advice.
This is what I wish I had on my first trip to Japan and now it’s yours.
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