Where in Japanese

Imagine you’re traveling in Japan and you need to ask for directions in Japanese. What’s the word for "where" in Japanese? And "How do you get there?"

This free online lesson will teach you some essential travel Japanese so you can catch a train, find your hotel and navigate your way around the city.

Resources for further reading:

How long does it take to learn Japanese?

Improve your Japanese pronunciation

"Where" in Japanese

Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record

Rocket Record lets you perfect your Japanese pronunciation. Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. (Use a headset mic for best results.) Problems? Click here!
どこ
どこ
doko
where

Asking for Directions

Here are some places you might be looking for:

博物館
はくぶつかん
hakubutsukan
museum
美術館
びじゅつかん
bijutsukan
art gallery
遺失物取扱所
いしつぶつ とりあつかいじょ
ishitsubutsu toriatsukaijo
lost property office
えき
eki
train station
バス停
バス てい
basu tei
bus stop
病院
びょういん
byōin
hospital
公衆トイレ
こうしゅう トイレ
kōshū toire
public restroom / public toilet
銀行
ぎんこう
ginkō
bank
ホテル
ホテル
hoteru
hotel
レストラン
レストラン
resutoran
restaurant
スーパー
スーパーマーケット
スーパー
スーパーマーケット
sūpā
sūpāmāketto
supermarket
supermarket
薬局
やっきょく
yakkyoku
pharmacy
空港
くうこう
kūkō
airport
Try practicing these example sentences:
美術館はどこですか?
びじゅつかん は どこ です か?
Bijutsukan wa doko desu ka?
Where is the art gallery?
駅はどこですか?
えき は どこ です か?
Eki wa doko desu ka?
Where is the train station?
銀行はどこですか?
ぎんこう は どこ です か?
Ginkō wa doko desu ka?
Where is the bank?

Saying Thank You

If you need to stop someone on the street or disturb a shopkeeper remember to excuse yourself first and thank them for their time!

すみません
すみません
sumimasen
excuse me
あのう
あの
ano
excuse me
失礼しました。
しつれい しました。
Shitsurei shimashita.
Excuse me.
お忙しいところ、失礼しました。
おいそがしい ところ、 しつれい しました。
Oisogashī tokoro, shitsurei shimashita.
Thanks for your time, sorry for disturbing you.
どうもありがとうございました。
どうも ありがとう ございました。
Domo arigatō gozaimashita.
Thank you very much.

That’s it for today. I hope you enjoyed the lesson!

Find out all about asking Japanese questions in this series of lessons. Make sure you listen to the audio and practice your Japanese pronunciation. And do the Japanese tests at the end of each lesson to reinforce your knowledge of Japanese questions!

さようなら! (Sayōnara!) "Goodbye!"

Sayaka Matsuura: Rocket Japanese

Make It Stick With The Rocket Activities

Reinforce your learning with activities that test your recall, listening and speaking skills!

Let's get you talking in Japanese.

We love Japanese people and Japanese culture - from riveting anime and comforting ramen to the majestic Mt. Fuji and the breathtaking sights of Kyōto! And there's no better way to connect with them than by learning 日本語 (Japanese).

No credit card required

or