Language · 公開 2026-09-29 · 更新 2026-09-29
事実の最終確認 2026-09-29 · 次の見直し 2027-03-01
Traveling Japan without speaking Japanese: the official help you can use, and a few words that go a long way
About 1,500 certified tourist information centers, a 24-hour multilingual hotline, police who can respond in English, and a hospital search by language. Here is the help that exists, and how to use it.
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You do not need Japanese to travel in Japan. You do need to know where help is, because it is not always the person in front of you. This guide lists the official help points we checked, then a short set of words that are worth learning anyway.
Help that is built for visitors
Certified Tourist Information Centers (TICs). JNTO says there are about 1,500 JNTO-certified TICs across Japan, marked with a common logo. They are sorted into four categories by what they offer, including how many languages they support. JNTO says TICs can help with travel questions and with problems such as lost luggage or finding a doctor, and that some also offer baggage storage, currency exchange or bicycle rental. Check with each TIC which services it has.
Japan Visitor Hotline. Run by JNTO, 050-3816-2787 (from abroad +81-50-3816-2787), 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in English, Chinese and Korean. For tourist information and for help with accidents and emergencies.
Police. The Tokyo police say that when you call 110 they can respond in English. For lost items, getting lost or theft, they suggest going to a koban (police box).
Medical care. JNTO's medical institution search lets you filter hospitals and clinics by language, area and department. See Getting sick in Japan as a visitor.
Apps for getting around
JNTO's own train guide suggests route and fare apps such as Japan Transit Planner (Jorudan) and Google Maps.
For hours and prices at sights, do not rely on an app summary alone. See Why opening hours online are often wrong.
Restaurants
Japan's agriculture ministry published a guidebook for restaurants on serving visitors from abroad. It recommends that shops show key information in English outside, such as what they serve, prices and whether there is a seat charge, and it gives staff "pointing" sheets to communicate without a shared language. In practice, this means:
- Photo menus are meant to help you order: pointing at a photo is a perfectly good way to order.
- If there is a ticket machine at the door, you buy your meal there first.
- If you are unsure about charges, ask before ordering. See The table charge you did not order.
Ten words that go a long way
You can travel without these. They make every exchange warmer.
| Japanese | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| すみません | sumimasen | Excuse me / sorry (to get attention) |
| ありがとうございます | arigatō gozaimasu | Thank you |
| これをください | kore o kudasai | This one, please (while pointing) |
| いくらですか | ikura desu ka | How much is it? |
| 英語は大丈夫ですか | eigo wa daijōbu desu ka | Is English OK? |
| トイレはどこですか | toire wa doko desu ka | Where is the toilet? |
| 大丈夫です | daijōbu desu | I'm fine / no thank you |
| お会計お願いします | okaikei onegaishimasu | The bill, please |
| カードは使えますか | kādo wa tsukaemasu ka | Can I pay by card? |
| 助けてください | tasukete kudasai | Please help me |
If you get stuck
- Look for the TIC logo, or go to a station office or a koban.
- Call the Japan Visitor Hotline.
- In an emergency, call 119 (ambulance, fire) or 110 (police).
Sources
- JNTO, "About JNTO certified Tourist Information Centers": https://tic.jnto.go.jp/eng/about_tic.php (checked 2026-09-29)
- JNTO, "Japan Visitor Hotline": https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/hotline/ (checked 2026-09-29)
- JNTO, "How to travel by train and bus in Japan": https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/how-to-travel-by-train-and-bus-in-japan/ (checked 2026-09-29)
- JNTO, "Guide for when you are feeling ill": https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/eng/mi_guide.html (checked 2026-09-29)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, "To foreign visitors" (in Japanese): https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/multilingual/japanese/safe_society/avoid_victim/ninpo.html (checked 2026-09-29)
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, "Inbound guidebook for restaurant businesses" (2017, in Japanese): https://www.maff.go.jp/j/shokusan/gaisyoku/attach/pdf/inbound29-1.pdf (checked 2026-09-29)