cheatsheet

Signage decoder

A signage decoder for recognition, not recall. You won't write these — you just need to spot them fast on a wall, a turnstile, a door, or a menu board. Grouped by where you'll be standing when you see them. Romaji in Hepburn; long vowels written as they're pronounced.

Trains & stations

Most station signs are bilingual, but the kanji-only ones (ticket machines, fares, platform notices) are where tourists get stuck.

駅

eki

station

On the building name and every sign pointing to it. 東京駅 = Tokyo Station.

切符

kippu

ticket

Paper tickets. You'll mostly tap an IC card instead, but signs still say this.

切符売り場

kippu uriba

ticket counter / ticket machines

Where you buy fares. 売り場 (uriba) = sales point — same word shows up all over stores.

改札

kaisatsu

ticket gate

The turnstiles. 改札口 (kaisatsuguchi) = the gate exit. Tap your IC card here.

のりば

noriba

boarding area / platform

Often written in hiragana. Also used at bus and taxi stands (タクシーのりば).

番線

-bansen

platform number

Read as a counter: 3番線 (sanbansen) = Platform 3. Follow the number on your departure board.

普通 / 各駅停車

futsuu / kakueki teisha

local train (stops at every station)

Slowest. 各駅停車 literally 'every-station-stop'. Fine for short hops.

快速

kaisoku

rapid (skips some stops)

Faster than local, same fare. Check it actually stops where you're going.

急行 / 特急

kyuukou / tokkyuu

express / limited express

特急 often needs an extra surcharge ticket. Don't board it on a normal fare without checking.

乗り換え

norikae

transfer / change trains

Follow these signs to switch lines. 乗換 (no okurigana) is the same word.

始発 / 終電

shihatsu / shuuden

first train / last train

終電 matters at night — miss it and it's a taxi. Often posted on platform pillars.

運休 / 遅延

unkyuu / chien

service suspended / delayed

On red electronic boards. 運休 = cancelled, 遅延 = running late.

Exits & directions

The single most useful sign in Japan is 出口. Big stations have dozens of numbered/named exits — pick the right one or you'll surface a 10-minute walk away.

出口

deguchi

exit

Your most-used sign. Green text usually. 東口 / 西口 = East/West Exit.

入口

iriguchi

entrance

The way in. Don't confuse 入 (enter) with 出 (exit) — that's the whole game.

非常口

hijouguchi

emergency exit

Green running-man pictogram. Note it but don't use it unless it's an emergency.

東口 / 西口 / 南口 / 北口

higashi-guchi / nishi-guchi / minami-guchi / kita-guchi

East / West / South / North Exit

Big stations name exits by compass direction. Know which one your hotel told you.

中央口

chuuou-guchi

Central Exit

The main one. A safe default if you're meeting someone or unsure.

案内所 / ⓘ

annaijo

information desk

案内 = guidance/information. Staff often speak some English. The ⓘ symbol works too.

エレベーター

erebeetaa

elevator

Katakana loanword. Lifesaver with luggage — stations are deep.

エスカレーター

esukareetaa

escalator

In Tokyo, people stand on the left and leave the right open for walkers (it's the reverse in Osaka). A convention, not a law.

階段

kaidan

stairs

Posted with ↑↓ arrows for up/down floors.

地下 / 〇階

chika / -kai

basement / -th floor

B1 often shown as 地下1階 (chika ikkai). 階 (kai) is the floor counter.

右 / 左 / 直進

migi / hidari / chokushin

right / left / straight ahead

On wayfinding arrows. 直進 = keep going straight.

↑ 〇〇方面

-houmen

toward / in the direction of 〇〇

方面 = 'direction of'. e.g. 新宿方面 = toward Shinjuku. Crucial for picking the right platform.

Restrooms

Pictograms are universal, but it's worth knowing the kanji for when a sign is text-only — and 多目的 for the roomy accessible stall when you've got a suitcase.

お手洗い

otearai

restroom (polite)

The polite word, common on signs. Literally 'hand-washing place'.

トイレ

toire

toilet

Katakana, everywhere, totally normal to say out loud.

化粧室

keshoushitsu

powder room / restroom

Fancier term, seen in department stores and hotels. Same thing.

男

otoko

men

Usually blue. 男子 / 殿方 are dressier variants you'll see occasionally.

女

onna

women

Usually red/pink. 女子 / 婦人 are variants. Don't rely on color alone — check the kanji.

多目的トイレ

tamokuteki toire

multipurpose / accessible restroom

Big stall, baby change, wheelchair access. Great when you're hauling luggage.

使用中

shiyouchuu

occupied / in use

On the stall-door indicator. The opposite is 空き (aki) = vacant.

空き

aki

vacant / free

Door's open for business. Same word used for empty parking spots and seats.

洗面所

senmenjo

washroom / sinks

The sink area. In a home or ryokan this is separate from the toilet.

流す

nagasu

flush

On the button/panel of high-tech toilets, often next to 大 (big) / 小 (small) for flush volume.

ウォシュレット

woshuretto

washlet (bidet)

The control panel. お尻 (oshiri) = rear spray, 止 (tomeru / stop) = the button you want first.

Warnings & prohibitions

The pattern to learn: 〇〇禁止 = '〇〇 prohibited', and 注意 = 'caution'. Once you see those two endings, you can decode half the warning signs in Japan.

禁止

kinshi

prohibited / forbidden

The key suffix. Tacked onto whatever isn't allowed: 撮影禁止, 駐輪禁止, etc.

立入禁止

tachiiri kinshi

no entry / keep out

Staff-only or hazardous areas. Don't step past it.

禁煙

kin'en

no smoking

Widespread, including many streets. Smoke only in marked 喫煙所 (kitsuenjo) areas.

喫煙所

kitsuenjo

designated smoking area

Where smoking IS allowed. Street smoking is fined in much of central Tokyo.

撮影禁止

satsuei kinshi

no photography

Museums, some shrines, shops. 撮影 = photo/filming. Respect it — staff will stop you.

注意

chuui

caution / watch out

Yellow signs. 足元注意 (ashimoto chuui) = watch your step; 頭上注意 = mind your head.

危険

kiken

danger

Red. Stronger than 注意 — stay well clear.

止まれ

tomare

stop

Red triangle road sign. As a pedestrian, look before crossing even tiny lanes.

進入禁止

shinnyuu kinshi

do not enter

Traffic/one-way contexts. Round red sign with a white bar.

土足禁止

dosoku kinshi

no outdoor shoes

At ryokan, temples, some restaurants. Take shoes off — slippers usually provided.

飲食禁止

inshoku kinshi

no eating or drinking

Common on trains/museums. Eating while walking is also frowned on in many spots.

故障中

koshouchuu

out of order

On a broken machine, locker, or toilet. 調整中 (chouseichuu) = under maintenance, similar idea.

Shops & hours

営業中 vs 準備中 on the door tells you if you can walk in. 定休日 is the killer — it's the fixed weekly closing day, and missing it strands you outside a shut shop.

営業中

eigyouchuu

open (for business)

Door sign or hanging noren. The shop is serving customers — come in.

準備中

junbichuu

preparing / not open yet

Literally 'preparing'. Restaurant's between services or not open. Come back later.

閉店

heiten

closed (for the day) / closed down

End of business hours, or permanently shut. Context tells which.

営業時間

eigyou jikan

business hours

The hours listed on the door. Look for it before you queue.

定休日

teikyuubi

regular closing day

The fixed weekly day off, e.g. 定休日：月曜 = closed Mondays. Check before you trek across town.

本日休業

honjitsu kyuugyou

closed today

A one-off closure for today specifically. 臨時休業 (rinji kyuugyou) = temporary/unscheduled closure.

年中無休

nenjuu mukyuu

open every day, year-round

No regular days off. Common for convenience stores and big chains.

開店 / 閉店

kaiten / heiten

opening time / closing time

e.g. 開店 11:00 閉店 22:00. 開 = open, 閉 = close — handy pair to recognise.

受付

uketsuke

reception / check-in

Hotels, clinics, offices. Where you go first to be helped.

押す / 引く

osu / hiku

push / pull

On doors. 押 = push, 引 = pull. Saves you the classic shove-on-a-pull-door moment.

在庫あり / 売り切れ

zaiko ari / urikire

in stock / sold out

売り切れ is the one that hurts — that limited-edition item is gone. 完売 (kanbai) means the same.

Food & restaurants

You can eat very well reading almost nothing, but these unlock ticket-machine eateries, all-you-can-eat deals, and knowing whether you're getting beef or pork.

食券

shokken

meal ticket (from a machine)

At ramen/gyudon shops: buy a ticket from the 券売機 (kenbaiki) machine, hand it to staff.

券売機

kenbaiki

ticket vending machine

The machine you order from. Many now have a 英語 (English) button — look for it.

Money & payment

Japan is more cash-driven than you'd expect. Know where to pull yen (conbini ATMs work with foreign cards), how to exchange, and the words for cash-only spots.

現金

genkin

cash

Carry more than you'd think. 現金のみ (genkin nomi) = cash only — common at small shops and shrines.

両替

ryougae

currency exchange / money change

At airports, banks, some hotels. Also the 'break a big note' button on ticket machines.

ＡＴＭ / 現金自動預払機

ee-tii-emu / genkin jidou azukebaraiki

ATM

Convenience-store ATMs (7-Eleven, Lawson) reliably take foreign cards 24/7. Bank ATMs can be fussier.

お会計 / お勘定

okaikei / okanjou

the bill / check

Ask for it by saying 'okaikei onegaishimasu'. In many places you pay at the register, not the table.

税込 / 税抜

zeikomi / zeinuki

tax included / tax excluded

税込 = the price you actually pay. 税抜 means consumption tax gets added at the till — so it'll be a bit more.

免税

menzei

tax-free (for tourists)

免税 / Tax-Free shops refund consumption tax on qualifying purchases. Bring your passport.

クレジットカード可

kurejitto kaado ka

credit cards accepted

可 (ka) = OK/allowed. 不可 (fuka) = not accepted — that's your 'bring cash' warning.

ICカード

ai-shii kaado

IC card (Suica/PASMO etc.)

Tap-to-pay transit cards that also work at conbini and many shops. 利用可 = usable here.

チャージ

chaaji

top up / recharge (IC card)

Add money to your Suica/PASMO at the チャージ button on ticket machines or at conbini registers.

釣り銭 / おつり

tsurisen / otsuri

change (money returned)

On machines: 釣り銭 / お釣り = your change. つり銭切れ means the machine is out of change.

領収書

ryoushuusho

receipt

Ask: 'ryoushuusho onegaishimasu'. レシート (reshiito) is the casual register-printout version.