Japanese Phrases for Trains and Stations

Which platform? Does this train stop there? What the announcements are saying, and how to ask.

Tap Show to display a phrase in large Japanese for the staff.

At the station

新宿駅はどこですか？

Shinjuku-eki wa doko desu ka?

Where is Shinjuku Station?

Swap in any place: Tokyo-eki, Kyōto-eki. Doko desu ka? means “where is it?”
何番線ですか？

Nanbansen desu ka?

Which platform is it?

Show the station staff your destination at the same time.
京都までいくらですか？

Kyōto made ikura desu ka?

How much is it to Kyoto?

Ikura desu ka? (how much is it?) works in any shop too.
この電車は渋谷に止まりますか？

Kono densha wa Shibuya ni tomarimasu ka?

Does this train stop at Shibuya?

Useful on lines with express trains that skip stations.

Why?
Many lines run local, rapid and express trains on the same platform. The faster ones skip smaller stations, so it is worth asking before you board.

Announcements

You’ll hear
次は、渋谷

Tsugi wa, Shibuya

Next stop: Shibuya.

Many urban trains also show the next station in English, but displays and announcements vary by line.
You’ll hear
まもなく

Mamonaku

Arriving soon / shortly.

Mamonaku, Shibuya means the train is about to arrive there.
You’ll hear
お出口は右側です

Odeguchi wa migigawa desu

The doors on the right will open.

Hidarigawa means the left side.
You’ll hear
ドアが閉まります

Doa ga shimarimasu

The doors are closing.

Don’t run for closing doors. Check the platform display for the next train — trains can be infrequent late at night or outside big cities.

If something goes wrong

切符をなくしました

Kippu o nakushimashita

I lost my ticket.

Tell the staff at the ticket gate.
乗り過ごしました

Norisugoshimashita

I missed my stop.

Get off at the next station. If you are not sure whether you can simply take a train back, ask the station staff before going on.
精算をお願いします

Seisan o onegai shimasu

I need to pay the fare difference.

If a paper ticket does not cover your whole trip, use the fare adjustment machine near the exit gates, or show the staff your ticket.

Why?
With an IC card like Suica or PASMO, the right fare is normally taken automatically at the gate; if the balance is too low, top it up at a machine before you exit. With a paper ticket, paying the difference at the gate area is routine.
忘れ物をしました

Wasuremono o shimashita

I left something on the train.

Report it as soon as possible. Give the line, direction, time, car number and a description of the item.

Other scenes

What staff will sayKnow it before it happens. Common phrases you may hear in shops, cafés and restaurants in Japan, in the order they usually come up — and what to do each time.At an izakayaFrom the door to the bill: the few words you need in a Japanese pub, and what they really mean.At a ramen shopTicket machine, noodle firmness, a second helping of noodles: how a ramen counter works, and what to say.At a convenience storeHeat it up? A bag? Chopsticks? The questions you’ll hear at a konbini register, and how to answer them.

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