sumimasen, eki made dooyatte ikimasu ka? Excuse me, how do I get to the station?
| まっすぐ行って、一つ目の角を右/左に曲がってください massugu itte, hitotsu-me no kado o migi/hidari ni magatte kudasai Keep straight on, turn right/left at the first corner |
| 遠いですか tooi desu ka? Is it far? |
| いいえ､200メートル/5分くらいです iie, nihyaku-meetoru/go-fun kurai desu No, about 200 metres/five minutes |
| ありがとう arigatoo! Thank you! |
| どういたしまして doo itashimashite You’re welcome |
| We’re lost | 道に迷ってしまいましたmichi ni mayotte shimaimashita |
| We’re looking for… | …を探しています…o sagashite imasu |
| Is this the right way to…? | …に行くのはこれでいいですか…ni iku no wa kore de ii desu ka? |
| Can I/we walk there? | そこまで歩けますかsoko made arukemasu ka? |
| How do I/we get…? | どうすれば … に行けますかdoo sureba … ni ikemasu ka? |
| to the station | 駅にeki ni |
| to the museum | 美術館にbijutsukan ni |
| to the shops | お店にomise ni |
| Can you show me on the map? | 地図で示してもらえますかchizu de shimeshite moraemasu ka? |
| YOU MAY HEAR… |
| 下った所 kudatta tokoro | down there |
| 後ろ ushiro | behind |
| もう一度聞いてください moo ichido kiite kudasai | then ask again |
Bus and coach
Places such as Kyoto have tourist day passes and bus route maps in English, which you can obtain at a bus station. Local buses usually board from the rear door, but if your journey is not covered by a flat fee you may need to pick up a numbered ticket. A board at the front of the bus displays the fares, based on the numbers. You will need to know your destination in Japanese characters. Some buses board from the front door and require you to pay as you enter. Tickets for long/middle distance coach trips, as well as express buses, are usually sold at the coach counter or ticketing machine.
| FACE TO FACE |
| すみません、どのバスが中心部に行きますかsumimasen, dono basu ga chuushimbu ni ikimasu ka?Excuse me, which bus goes to the centre? |
| 15番ですjuugo-ban desuNumber 15 |
| バス停はどこですかbasutei wa doko desu ka?Where is the bus stop? |
| すぐそこ、右にありますsugu soko, migi ni arimasuThere, on the right |
| どこで乗車券を買えますかdoko de jooshaken o kaemasu ka?Where can I buy the tickets? |
| 売店で買えますbaiten de kaemasuAt the news-stand |
| Is there a bus/tram to…? | …に行くバス/路面電車はありますか…ni iku basu/romen-densha wa arimasu ka? |
| Where do I/we catch the bus to…? | どこで …行きのバスに乗れますかdoko de … iki no basu ni noremasu ka? |
| Where do I/we catch the tram to…? | どこで … 行きの路面電車に乗れますかdoko de … iki no romen-densha ni noremasu ka? |
| I/we would like to go to… | …に行きたいんですが…ni ikitain desu ga |
| How much is it to go to…? | …までいくらですか…made ikura desu ka? |
| the centre | 中心部chuushimbu |
| the beach | 浜辺hamabe |
| How often are the buses to…? | …に行くバスはどのぐらい出ていますか…ni iku basu wa donogurai dete imasu ka? |
| When is the first bus to…? | …行きの始発バスはいつですか…iki no shihatsu basu wa itsu desu ka? |
| When is the last bus to…? | …行きの最終バスはいつですか…iki no saishuu basu wa itsu desu ka? |
| Please tell me when to get off | いつ降りたらいいか教えてくださいitsu oritara ii ka oshiete kudasai |
| Please tell me when we are at... | …に着いたら教えてください...ni tsuitara oshiete kudasai |
| Please let me off | すみません、降ろしてくださいsumimasen, oroshite kudasai |
| I got on at... | …から乗りました...kara norimashita |
| Sorry, I forgot to take a ticket (on entering bus) | すみません、整理券を取りませんでしたsumimasen, seiriken o torimasen deshita |
| coach | 長距離バスchookyori-basu |
| shuttle bus | シャトルバスshatoru-basu |
| YOU MAY HEAR… |
| ここ/このバス停ですよ koko/kono basutei desu yo | This is it/your stop |
| 地下鉄の方が、速いですよ chikatetsu no hoo ga hayai desu yo | Take the metro, it’s quicker |
Public transport is free for up to two children under 6 when travelling with a paying adult. An elementary school pupil pays half price (aged between 7 and 12). Junior high (13 to 15) and senior high (16 to 18) school students are often given discounts too.
Metro
The Japanese metro and train services are clean, safe and run on time. You can find metro systems in the Tokyo area, as well as Sapporo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and several other cities. You can either purchase a pre-paid card or an ordinary ticket from the ticketing machine. Silver seats are for elderly people or people with difficulties. Mobile phones need to be on silent and you must not talk in the carriage. In major cities, the rush hour crush can be really bad (between 7 and 9 am and 5 and 8 pm). Some trains have women-only carriages. The Japanese metro system is very similar to the one in London. Suika is like the Oyster card. The first thing you must do is obtain a metro map which indicates all the lines and stops.
| 入口 iriguchi | entrance |
| 出口 deguchi | way out/exit |
| Can I get a seat reservation please? | 座席の予約をお願いしますzaseki no yoyaku o onegai shimasu? |
| Where can I get a ticket? | 切符はどこで買えますかkippu wa doko de kaemasu ka? |
| Where is the nearest metro station? | 一番近い地下鉄の駅はどこですかichiban chikai chikatetsu no eki wa doko desu ka? |
| How does the ticket machine work? | 券売機はどうやって使いますかkembaiki wa dooyatte tsukaimasu ka? |
| I’m going to… | …に行きます…ni ikimasu |
| Do you have a map of the metro? | 地下鉄の地図はありますかchikatetsu no chizu wa arimasu ka? |
| How do I get to…? | どうやって … に行きますかdooyatte … ni ikimasu ka? |
| Do I have to change? | 乗り換えはありますかnorikae wa arimasu ka? |
| Does this go to…? | これは … に行きますかkore wa … ni ikimasu ka? |
| Which line is it for…? | …行きは何線ですか…iki wa nan-sen desu ka? |
| Which platform is it for…? | …行きは何番線ですか…iki wa nan-bansen desu ka? |
| What is the next stop? | 次の駅はどこですかtsugi no eki wa doko desu ka? |
Excuse
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