Chapter 19 — Travel: Trains, Hotels, Navigation

Japan runs on trains. The rail network is dense, punctual to the second, and used by nearly everyone. Whether you are taking a local line to the next neighborhood or a 新幹線 across the country, you will encounter a specialized vocabulary of ticket types, seat classes, platform announcements, and transfer instructions that is remarkably consistent from station to station. This chapter equips you to decode that system — to understand the ticket machine screen, parse the rapid-fire platform announcement, navigate a hotel check-in, and ask for directions when the map fails you.

This is the first chapter of Part Five, which shifts focus from grammar acquisition to situational comprehension. The grammar you need is already in place from Chapters 1-18. What you need now is vocabulary, formulaic phrases, and the ability to recognize them at speed in context.

19.1 Train Vocabulary

Japanese train vocabulary is extensive, but a core set of terms appears everywhere. Master these and you can navigate any station in the country.

Seat Types

Trains with reserved seating offer two classes:

指定席（していせき） — reserved seat

自由席（じゆうせき） — non-reserved seat (literally "free seat")

On 新幹線 and limited express trains, certain cars are designated 指定席 and others 自由席. The 自由席 cars are first-come, first-served. The 指定席 cars require a reservation and a supplemental fee.

Some trains also offer a premium class:

グリーン車（グリーンしゃ） — Green Car (first class)

Ticket Types

片道（かたみち） — one way

往復（おうふく） — round trip

When buying tickets at a counter or machine, you will be asked or need to select one of these. The round-trip ticket is typically slightly cheaper than buying two one-way tickets.

乗車券（じょうしゃけん） — basic fare ticket

特急券（とっきゅうけん） — limited express surcharge ticket

For express trains, you need both a 乗車券 (the base fare for the distance) and a 特急券 (the surcharge for the faster train). These are sometimes sold as a single combined ticket, sometimes separately.

Train Types

Japanese rail lines run multiple service levels on the same tracks, each stopping at different stations:

The key comprehension point: if you are on a 特急 and your destination is a small station, you will need to transfer to a 各駅停車. The announcement system and digital displays will tell you this — if you can parse them.

Station Infrastructure

改札（かいさつ） — ticket gate / ticket barrier

The 改札 is where you tap your IC card or insert your ticket. Most stations now use automatic gates (自動改札).

ホーム — platform

Borrowed from English "home" (as in "platform"), this is where you wait for the train. Platforms are numbered: 一番線（いちばんせん）, 二番線（にばんせん）, and so on.

乗り換え（のりかえ） — transfer (changing trains)

～番線（ばんせん） — track/platform number ～

出口（でぐち） — exit

入口（いりぐち） — entrance

北口（きたぐち） — north exit

南口（みなみぐち） — south exit

東口（ひがしぐち） — east exit

西口（にしぐち） — west exit

Many large stations have multiple exits named by cardinal direction. When someone gives you directions, they will often say 東口を出て… ("go out the east exit and...").

窓口（まどぐち） — ticket counter (literally "window mouth")

券売機（けんばいき） — ticket vending machine

時刻表（じこくひょう） — timetable

19.2 Buying Tickets — Dialogue and Machine Instructions

At the Ticket Machine

Modern ticket machines in major stations offer English interfaces, but many local stations do not, and understanding the Japanese screen is a useful skill. Here is a typical sequence of screen prompts:

きっぷを　お選びください。 "Please select your ticket."

片道ですか、往復ですか。 "One way, or round trip?"

乗車駅を　お選びください。 "Please select your boarding station."

降車駅を　お選びください。 "Please select your destination station."

Note the keigo: お選びください is the respectful request form (お〜ください) taught in Chapter 16. Machines and automated systems use this register consistently.

枚数を　お選びください。 "Please select the number of tickets."

The counter 枚（まい）is used for flat objects including tickets. You select 一枚, 二枚, etc.

お支払い方法を　お選びください。 "Please select your payment method."

現金（げんきん） — cash

クレジットカード — credit card

ICカード — IC card (Suica, Pasmo, etc.)

At the Ticket Counter

For more complex purchases — reserved seats on express trains, multi-day passes — you may go to the 窓口. Here is a typical exchange:

客：すみません。京都まで　指定席を　一枚　お願いします。 Customer: "Excuse me. One reserved seat to Kyoto, please."

係員：片道ですか、往復ですか。 Staff: "One way, or round trip?"

客：往復で　お願いします。 Customer: "Round trip, please."

係員：いつの　お帰りですか。 Staff: "When is your return?"

客：二十五日に　帰りたいんですが。 Customer: "I'd like to return on the 25th."

係員：二十五日ですね。午前と午後、どちらが　よろしいですか。 Staff: "The 25th, correct? Morning or afternoon — which would you prefer?"

客：午後が　いいです。 Customer: "Afternoon is good."

係員：二十五日の　午後三時十五分発の　のぞみ　二十号が　ございますが、いかがでしょうか。 Staff: "There is Nozomi No. 20 departing at 3:15 p.m. on the 25th. How would that be?"

客：それで　お願いします。 Customer: "That one, please."

係員：かしこまりました。お席は　窓側と　通路側、どちらが　よろしいですか。 Staff: "Understood. For your seat, window side or aisle side — which would you prefer?"

客：窓側を　お願いします。 Customer: "Window side, please."

Notice the staff's consistent use of keigo: ございます (humble copula for "there is"), いかがでしょうか (polite "how about"), かしこまりました (humble "understood"), よろしい (respectful form of いい). This is standard customer-service register, exactly as described in Chapter 18. The customer, meanwhile, uses polite but non-keigo forms — お願いします, ～たいんですが, いいです — which is perfectly appropriate.

Key vocabulary from this dialogue:

窓側（まどがわ） — window side

通路側（つうろがわ） — aisle side

～発（はつ） — departing at ～

～着（ちゃく） — arriving at ～

～号（ごう） — train number ～

19.3 Station Announcements — Parsing Rapid Formulaic Speech

Train announcements in Japan follow rigid templates. Once you recognize the template, you can extract the key information even when the delivery is rapid. Here are the most common patterns.

Approaching Train

まもなく、二番線に、東京行きの　各駅停車が　参ります。危ないですから、黄色い線の　内側まで　お下がりください。 "Shortly, on track 2, the local train bound for Tokyo will arrive. As it is dangerous, please stand back behind the yellow line."

Key elements:

• まもなく — "shortly, soon" (signals an imminent arrival)
• ～番線に — on track number ～
• ～行き（ゆき/いき） — bound for ～
• 参ります — humble form of 来る, used in announcements (Chapter 17)
• 黄色い線の内側（うちがわ） — inside the yellow line
• お下がりください — "please step back" (お〜ください respectful request)

Doors Closing

ドアが　閉まります。ご注意ください。 "The doors are closing. Please be careful."

閉まる（しまる） — to close (intransitive, 五段)

Next Stop

次は　新宿、新宿です。お出口は　右側です。 "Next is Shinjuku, Shinjuku. The exit is on the right side."

お出口（おでぐち） — exit (with 美化語 お prefix) 右側（みぎがわ） — right side 左側（ひだりがわ） — left side

The station name is typically said twice for clarity.

Transfer Information

新宿で　中央線、小田急線、京王線は　お乗り換えください。 "At Shinjuku, please transfer for the Chuo Line, Odakyu Line, and Keio Line."

お乗り換えください — "please transfer" (respectful request)

Delay Announcement

お客様に　お知らせいたします。ただいま、人身事故の影響で、ダイヤが　乱れております。ご迷惑を　おかけして、申し訳ございません。 "We would like to inform our passengers. Currently, due to a personal injury accident, the schedule is disrupted. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience."

This is heavily keigo-laden:

• お知らせいたします — humble "inform" (お〜いたす)
• ただいま — formal "currently"
• 影響（えいきょう）で — "due to the influence of"
• ダイヤが乱れております — "the schedule is in disorder" (おる = humble いる, Chapter 17)
• ご迷惑をおかけして — "causing inconvenience" (set phrase)
• 申し訳ございません — formal apology

You do not need to memorize every word here. The point is pattern recognition: when you hear お知らせいたします, something has gone wrong with the schedule. When you hear 申し訳ございません, the company is apologizing for it.

Formulaic Closing

ご乗車、ありがとうございます。 "Thank you for riding with us."

19.4 Hotels — Check-In, Check-Out, and Room Vocabulary

Reservation and Check-In

予約（よやく） — reservation

チェックイン — check-in

チェックアウト — check-out

A typical check-in exchange:

客：予約した　田中ですが。 Guest: "I'm Tanaka, I have a reservation."

フロント：田中様ですね。お待ちしておりました。ご予約の　確認を　させていただきます。 Front desk: "Mr./Ms. Tanaka, correct? We have been expecting you. Allow me to confirm your reservation."

フロント：三泊で、シングルルームの　ご予約ですね。 Front desk: "Three nights in a single room, correct?"

客：はい、そうです。 Guest: "Yes, that's right."

フロント：お部屋は　五階の　五〇三号室でございます。こちらが　カードキーでございます。 Front desk: "Your room is Room 503 on the fifth floor. Here is your card key."

フロント：チェックアウトは　十一時まで　となっております。 Front desk: "Check-out is by 11:00."

客：朝食は　何時からですか。 Guest: "What time does breakfast start?"

フロント：朝食は　七時から　九時半までで、二階の　レストランで　お召し上がりいただけます。 Front desk: "Breakfast is from 7:00 to 9:30, and you may have it at the restaurant on the second floor."

Again, consistent customer-service keigo from the hotel staff: でございます, させていただきます, お召し上がりいただけます, となっております. The guest uses standard polite speech.

Room Types

Hotel Vocabulary

一泊（いっぱく） — one night (stay)

二泊（にはく） — two nights

三泊（さんぱく） — three nights

The counter ～泊（はく/ぱく）counts nights of accommodation. Note the sound change: いっぱく, にはく, さんぱく, よんぱく...

素泊まり（すどまり） — room only (no meals)

朝食付き（ちょうしょくつき） — with breakfast included

一泊二食付き（いっぱくにしょくつき） — one night with two meals (dinner and breakfast)

Amenities and Facilities

エレベーター — elevator

大浴場（だいよくじょう） — large communal bath

温泉（おんせん） — hot spring

自動販売機（じどうはんばいき） — vending machine

非常口（ひじょうぐち） — emergency exit

禁煙（きんえん） — no smoking

喫煙（きつえん） — smoking (permitted)

冷房（れいぼう） — air conditioning (cooling)

暖房（だんぼう） — heating

Wi-Fi（ワイファイ） — Wi-Fi

19.5 Asking for Help While Traveling

When you are lost, confused, or need information, you need to be able to approach someone and ask clearly. The key is the opening — how you get someone's attention and frame your question politely.

Opening Phrases

The most basic approach:

すみません。 "Excuse me."

This works in all situations. For a more polite, slightly formal approach:

すみません、ちょっと　お聞きしたいんですが… "Excuse me, I'd like to ask something..."

The trailing んですが signals that a question is coming. The が at the end functions as a softener — you are not demanding, you are tentatively introducing your need. This pattern (explanatory の + が as softener) was covered in Stage 1 and is extremely common.

An even more polite version:

すみません、ちょっと　お伺いしたいんですが… "Excuse me, I'd like to ask something..." (using humble 伺う from Chapter 17)

Asking for Directions

～は　どこですか。 "Where is ～?"

～に　行きたいんですが、どう　行けばいいですか。 "I want to go to ～; how should I go?"

The conditional ～ば (Chapter 10) appears naturally here: どう行けば — "if I go how" = "how should I go."

～への　行き方を　教えていただけますか。 "Could you teach me the way to ～?"

This uses the ていただける potential form of ていただく (humble receiving, Chapter 11/17) — a very polite way to make a request.

Understanding Directions You Receive

People giving directions will use vocabulary from Stage 1 (まっすぐ, 右, 左, 角, 信号) plus some new terms:

交差点（こうさてん） — intersection

突き当たり（つきあたり） — dead end / end of the road

横断歩道（おうだんほどう） — crosswalk / pedestrian crossing

歩道橋（ほどうきょう） — pedestrian overpass

A typical set of directions:

この道を　まっすぐ　行って、二つ目の　交差点を　右に　曲がってください。そうすると、左側に　駅が　見えます。 "Go straight along this road, and turn right at the second intersection. Then you will see the station on your left."

Note そうすると — "if you do that, then" — using the conditional と (Chapter 10) to describe a natural consequence.

Asking About Trains

～行きは　何番線ですか。 "What track is the one bound for ～?"

次の　～行きは　何時ですか。 "What time is the next one bound for ～?"

～まで　いくらですか。 "How much is it to ～?"

～に　行くには、どこで　乗り換えればいいですか。 "To go to ～, where should I transfer?"

The construction ～には (purpose) combines the purpose particle に with は for topicalization: "in order to go to ～ (as for that)..." This is a natural and common pattern.

19.6 Reading Passage — A Trip to Kanazawa

金沢への旅

先月、友達と　二人で　金沢に　旅行した。朝の六時に　東京駅に　着いて、窓口で　北陸新幹線の　指定席を　二枚　買った。片道で　一枚　一万四千円ぐらいだった。

新幹線は　七時二十分発で、金沢には　十時前に　着いた。二時間半で　着くなんて、本当に　速いと　思った。

駅を　出ると、まず　ホテルに　荷物を　預けに　行った。ホテルは　駅の　東口から　歩いて　十分ぐらいの　ところにあった。チェックインは　三時からだったので、荷物だけ　預けて、観光に　出かけた。

最初に　兼六園に　行った。タクシーに　乗ろうと　思ったが、バスの　方が　安いと　聞いたので、バスで　行くことにした。バス停で　「兼六園行きは　何番ですか」と　聞いたら、近くにいた　おばあさんが　親切に　教えてくれた。

兼六園は　本当に　きれいだった。秋だったので、紅葉が　すばらしかった。写真を　たくさん　撮った。

夜は　ホテルの　近くの　店で　お寿司を　食べた。金沢は　魚が　新鮮で　おいしいと　聞いていたが、本当に　そうだった。東京で　食べるより　ずっと　おいしかった。

次の日は　ひがし茶屋街を　歩いてから、近江町市場で　海鮮丼を　食べた。午後三時の　新幹線で　東京に　帰った。短い旅行だったが、とても　楽しかった。また　行きたいと　思っている。

Translation

Last month, my friend and I took a trip to Kanazawa. We arrived at Tokyo Station at six in the morning and bought two reserved seats on the Hokuriku Shinkansen at the ticket counter. A one-way ticket was about 14,000 yen each.

The bullet train departed at 7:20, and we arrived in Kanazawa before 10:00. I thought it was really fast — arriving in just two and a half hours.

When we exited the station, we first went to drop off our luggage at the hotel. The hotel was about a ten-minute walk from the station's east exit. Check-in wasn't until 3:00, so we just left our luggage and went out sightseeing.

First we went to Kenrokuen. I was thinking of taking a taxi, but I heard the bus was cheaper, so we decided to go by bus. When I asked at the bus stop, "What number is the bus to Kenrokuen?", an elderly woman nearby kindly told us.

Kenrokuen was truly beautiful. Since it was autumn, the fall foliage was magnificent. We took a lot of photos.

In the evening, we ate sushi at a restaurant near the hotel. I had heard that the fish in Kanazawa is fresh and delicious, and it really was. It was far more delicious than what you eat in Tokyo.

The next day, we walked through the Higashi Chaya District, then ate a seafood rice bowl at Omicho Market. We returned to Tokyo on the 3:00 p.m. bullet train. It was a short trip, but very enjoyable. I'm thinking I'd like to go again.

19.7 Vocabulary List