Japanese sign dictionary

The place where your ticket or IC card (a rechargeable transit card) is checked; you pass through it when entering and leaving the platforms. Most stations use automatic ticket gates.

What to do: Insert your ticket or touch your IC card on the automatic gate and walk through; if it won't let you through, speak to a member of station staff.

The place to buy train tickets (kippu). In Japan's standard public-information pictograms (JIS), "ticket office" and "fare adjustment" share the same symbol.

What to do: Buy a ticket for the fare to your destination at the ticket machine, or top up your IC card.

A machine for paying the difference when your ticket or the balance on your IC card doesn't cover the fare (a fare adjustment machine).

What to do: If the gate stops you, pay the shortfall at the fare adjustment machine near the gate, then go out.

Shows where the train terminates (its destination). A train marked "新宿行" (Shinjuku yuki) goes as far as Shinjuku.

What to do: Before boarding, check on the route map or signs that the station you want is on the way to that destination.

The track number at the platform. "3番線" (san-bansen) means the train leaves from track 3.

What to do: Check your train's track number on the departure board and go to the platform with that number.

A train that stops at every station. It may also be shown as "各停" (kakutei) or "普通" (futsū).

What to do: If you're getting off at a small station, take a stopping train (futsū) and it will definitely stop there.

Types of faster train that skip some stations (train types). The names of the types and the stations they stop at differ by railway company and line.

What to do: Before boarding, always check the list of stops to make sure it stops at the station you want.

The fastest type of train. Some require a limited express charge on top of the fare.

What to do: Before boarding, check whether the train needs an extra ticket, such as a limited express ticket.

Reserved seats (shiteiseki) are allocated when you buy the ticket; non-reserved seats (jiyūseki) aren't allocated, and you can sit in any free seat.

What to do: With a reserved ticket, sit in the car and seat printed on it; with a non-reserved ticket, look for a free seat in the non-reserved cars (you may not get a seat when it's crowded).

A JR car with higher-class seats (a special car). To ride in it you need a Green ticket in addition to your normal ticket.

What to do: If you don't have a Green ticket, ride in another car.

Seats given priority to older people, people with disabilities or injuries, people with internal disabilities, people with babies or small children, and pregnant people.

What to do: Give up your seat when someone who needs it comes along; near priority seats, passengers are asked to switch their phones off.

Cars reserved for women, mainly during the morning and evening rush hours, to protect women from gropers. Boys of primary-school age and younger, and people with disabilities and their carers, may ride even if they are male.

What to do: Men should ride in other cars during the times shown. The times and cars differ by company and line, so check the signs on the platform and on the train.

A warning: please don't run and jump onto the train as the doors are closing.

What to do: If the doors are starting to close, don't force your way on; wait for the next train.

A button to press when a train needs to be stopped urgently, for example when someone has fallen from the platform onto the tracks. Pressing it sounds an alarm and sends a stop signal to nearby trains.

What to do: If you see someone fall onto the tracks, press it without hesitation. Even after pressing it, don't go down onto the tracks.

Means trains are running as normal.

What to do: Nothing special to do; just ride as usual.

Trains are running later than scheduled.

What to do: Check the delay on station displays or an app, and if you're in a hurry, consider another route.

Trains have been stopped on part or all of the line because of an accident, disaster or similar. Sometimes it isn't known when they will run again.

What to do: Check announcements for the expected restart time, and consider alternative transport (furikae yusō) or another route.

Trains that had stopped start running again. "運転再開見込み" (unten saikai mikomi) is the expected restart time.

What to do: Even after services restart, delays and crowding can linger for a while, so allow extra time.

That train service has been cancelled.

What to do: You can't take that train, so look for another train or route.

A planned suspension: the railway company announces in advance that it will stop running trains when a big typhoon, heavy snow or similar is expected to cause damage.

What to do: When one is announced, bring your plans forward or postpone them so you aren't travelling during that time.

"Daiya" is the train operating plan (the chart the timetable is based on); "daiya midare" means it has been disrupted and trains aren't running to time. Destinations, train types and stops may also change.

What to do: Rather than trusting the timetable, check the actual destination and train type on the platform departure board before boarding.

When trains stop, people holding tickets for that section can use other companies' lines and so on at no extra fare. Which sections are covered is announced each time.

What to do: Show your ticket to station staff and use the line they direct you to. Kansai railway companies' guidance says IC card journeys are not covered, so if you're using an IC card, check with staff.

A paper ticket that may be handed out, depending on the situation, for example when alternative transport is by bus.

What to do: If you're given one, take it and use it as staff instruct.

Buses run instead of trains on a section where trains can't run.

What to do: Follow staff directions to the bus stop. Crowding can mean the buses can't carry everyone, so allow extra time.

A certificate from the railway company confirming that a train was delayed. Commuters and students use it to explain being late.

What to do: If you need to give one to your workplace or school, check the railway company's website (from 1 April 2026, Tokyo Metro issues them online only).

Someone has gone onto the tracks. It is one of the main reasons trains stop or run late.

What to do: Wait until safety has been confirmed; if it looks like taking a while, consider alternative transport or another route.

A train has broken down.

What to do: Follow announcements on the train or at the station, and if it looks like taking a while, consider another route.

A train that normally runs through onto another company's line (through service) is only running as far as a station partway along.

What to do: You'll need to change trains, for example at the station where the two companies' lines meet, so check announcements and signs.

Means the shop is open now.

What to do: Go right in.

Means it isn't open right now, because it's before opening time or a break.

What to do: Check the opening hours posted at the entrance and come back when it opens.

The shop's regular day off, fixed each week or each month.

What to do: Check which day is written and find another place on that day.

A voucher for your meal that you buy first from a ticket machine, usually at the entrance.

What to do: Before you sit down, buy a ticket for what you want at the machine and hand it to a member of staff.

Cold water served in restaurants. Water or tea brought to you when you sit down is normally free.

What to do: For a refill, ask the staff: "ohiya kudasai" (water, please).

A small dish that arrives automatically before you order, at an izakaya (Japanese pub) and similar places. It often comes with a charge that works as a table charge.

What to do: Assume it will be on the bill even though you didn't order it.

Means please order at least one item per person.

What to do: If you go in as a group, order at least as many dishes or drinks as there are people.

The last time orders are taken before closing.

What to do: You can't order after that time, so place any extra orders early.

Paying the bill. The till may also be labelled "お会計" (okaikei).

What to do: Tell the staff "okaikei onegaishimasu" (the bill, please), or take your bill slip to the till.

Means you can only pay in cash; credit cards and so on aren't accepted.

What to do: Check how much cash you have before going in. Some places don't take cards, so carry cash as well.

"Zeikomi" is the price including consumption tax, "zeinuki" the price without it. By law, shops must show prices including tax, and the pre-tax amount is sometimes shown alongside.

What to do: When reading prices, treat the "zeikomi" figure as what you'll actually pay.

A system under which foreign travellers and others are exempted from consumption tax on goods bought at licensed tax-free shops. For purchases from 1 November 2026, it changes: you pay the price including tax in the shop, and the tax is refunded after your export of the goods is checked at the airport or port when you leave Japan.

What to do: Take your passport when shopping, and when you leave Japan within 90 days of purchase, complete the procedure at the tax-free terminal at the airport or port before checking in your luggage.

Means you must not step up with your shoes on. You'll see it at tatami (woven straw mat) rooms and similar places.

What to do: Take your shoes off before stepping up and line them up neatly.

Means you must not bring in food or drinks bought outside the shop.

What to do: Inside, eat and drink only what you've ordered there.

The men's bath. The noren (fabric curtain) or door at the entrance is marked "男" (man).

What to do: Don't go by colour alone: check for the kanji "男" before going in.

The women's bath. The noren or door at the entrance is marked "女" (woman).

What to do: Don't go by colour alone: check for the kanji "女" before going in.

A system where the men's and women's baths swap over depending on the time of day.

What to do: Before going in, check the sign at the entrance to see which bath is which right now.

The counter at a sento where you pay the bathing fee. At a bandai-style sento the changing rooms are usually just past the bandai (a raised attendant's booth); at a front-desk-style sento the entrances to the men's and women's changing rooms are beside the desk.

What to do: Pay the bathing fee here first. Saunas and the like may cost extra, so ask at the counter.

A wooden tag that works as the key to the shoe locker at the entrance to a sento.

What to do: After putting your shoes in, pull out the tag and keep it safe.

The room where you undress and leave your clothes.

What to do: Take off all your clothes and put them in a basket or locker; lock the locker, wrap the key around your wrist or similar, and go into the bathing area.

Valuables such as your wallet. You'll see notices such as "貴重品はフロントへ" (leave valuables at the front desk).

What to do: Don't leave valuables in the changing room; hand them in at the front desk or bandai, or put them in your room safe or a lockable locker.

Scooping hot water from a basin over your body to wash off dirt before getting into the bath. It also helps your body get used to the water temperature.

What to do: Always do kakeyu before getting in, and if you can, wash your body at the washing area too, then ease slowly into the bath.

The area with showers and taps where you wash your body and hair.

What to do: Sit on a stool to wash, rinse off all the soap, then put the stool and basin you used back where they were.

A warning: please don't dip your towel in the water of the yubune (the bathtub filled with hot water).

What to do: Leave your towel outside the bath or rest it on your head. Tie up long hair so it doesn't go in the water.

Means people with irezumi (traditional tattoos) or tattoos cannot bathe. Some facilities have this rule.

What to do: If you have tattoos, ask the facility before you go whether you can bathe.

A warning: please don't bathe after drinking alcohol. Bathing after drinking can make you ill.

What to do: If you've been drinking, don't bathe; wait until you've sobered up.

Illnesses or physical conditions for which you should avoid that hot spring. They are listed alongside the spring's benefits.

What to do: If you have high blood pressure or a heart condition, are pregnant, or feel unwell, avoid very hot water and long soaks, and read the notice before getting in.

Drinking the hot spring water.

What to do: Only where a sign says you can drink it, sip fresh water a little at a time, slowly.

The toilets. They may also be labelled "化粧室" (keshōshitsu).

What to do: Check the signs for men's, women's and so on before going in.

A toilet that both men and women can use.

What to do: Anyone can use it, whatever their gender.

A sit-down, Western-style toilet.

What to do: If you want a toilet you can use without wondering how to sit, choose a cubicle marked "洋式" (yōshiki).

A squat toilet, Japanese style.

What to do: If squatting is difficult, look for a "洋式" (yōshiki) cubicle.

A toilet seat with a function that washes your bottom and so on with warm water. It is operated from a panel beside the seat or a remote control on the wall.

What to do: Only ever press the buttons while sitting on the seat.

The button on a bidet toilet seat that stops the rear or bidet wash.

What to do: Press this button when you want the washing to stop.

The button that washes your bottom with warm water.

What to do: Press it while seated, and afterwards pat dry with toilet paper.

The button that washes a woman's private parts with warm water.

What to do: Press it while seated only when you need it, and press "止" (tome) to stop.

The flush button or lever. "大" (dai) flushes with more water, "小" (shō) with less.

What to do: Always flush after use. The flush can be a lever, a wall button, a remote control or a sensor you wave your hand over, depending on the toilet.

A warning that only toilet paper (and flushable tissues) can be flushed.

What to do: Put used toilet paper in the bowl and flush it; put sanitary products and the like in the bin in the cubicle.

A device that plays the sound of running water so others can't hear you using the toilet. The sound stops automatically after a set time.

What to do: To use it, wave your hand over the sensor or press the button. Some types play automatically.

A button for calling staff if you feel unwell in the toilet or similar. It is often near the flush button.

What to do: Press it only in an emergency. Take care not to press it by mistake instead of the flush.

A table for changing babies' nappies.

What to do: If you have a baby with you, use a toilet with this sign.

The counter at a hospital where you first register.

What to do: Go to reception first, and ask then roughly how much treatment will cost.

A form you fill in before seeing the doctor, covering your symptoms, medical conditions, medicines you take and so on.

What to do: Fill it in when reception gives it to you. If Japanese is difficult for you, it helps to write down your medical information beforehand.

Proof that you are covered by Japan's public health insurance. The standard now is a My Number Card (Japan's personal ID card) registered as a health insurance card ("maina hokenshō"), and people without one are issued an eligibility certificate (shikaku kakuninsho). The old health insurance cards expired on 1 December 2025.

What to do: Residents of Japan show one of these at reception. Travellers have no Japanese insurance, so without overseas travel insurance they may have to pay all the costs themselves.

The counter where you pay for your consultation. Medicine is usually paid for separately at the pharmacy.

What to do: Large hospitals may accept credit cards, but clinics usually take cash, so have cash ready.

A document from the doctor stating the type and amount of medicine. You take it to a pharmacy to get your medicine.

What to do: Hand the prescription in at a pharmacy within four days, counting the day it was issued (holidays included).

Where prescription medicine is dispensed. Some hospitals dispense medicine on site.

What to do: When you get a prescription at the hospital, take it to a pharmacy and pay for the medicine there.

A booklet recording the medicines you've been given. There are also digital versions managed with a smartphone app.

What to do: If you have one, show it to the doctor or pharmacist to tell them what medicines you take.

A shop selling medicine you can buy without a prescription (over-the-counter medicine).

What to do: Use one when it isn't bad enough to see a doctor, and ask a pharmacist or other staff for advice. Some medicines can't be sold without a pharmacist present.

A vehicle that takes sick or injured people to hospital. The number is 119 (fire service).

What to do: For serious injury or illness, call 119 and say "kyūkyūsha o onegaishimasu" (an ambulance, please). You cannot choose which hospital you are taken to.

The department that treats fever, sore throats, coughs, stomach aches, diarrhoea and so on (internal medicine).

What to do: For cold-like symptoms or an upset stomach, go to naika first.

Geka (surgery) treats injuries such as cuts; seikei geka (orthopaedics) treats broken bones, joint pain and the like.

What to do: Choose geka for an injury and seikei geka for bone or joint pain.

The department for children's illnesses (paediatrics).

What to do: If a child is unwell, go to shōnika.

The department for toothache and other dental problems (the dentist).

What to do: If you have toothache, go to a practice marked "歯科" (shika).

A place to flee to quickly to save your life from a disaster. Cities, towns and villages designate them separately for each type of disaster: floods, landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, large fires and so on.

What to do: Look at the disaster types written on the sign and check that the site can be used for the current disaster before heading there.

A facility where people who can't return home because of a disaster, among others, stay for a while. Schools, community centres and similar buildings are designated.

What to do: If you can't get back to where you're staying, find the nearest evacuation shelter and go there.

A tall building you can take refuge in during a tsunami.

What to do: If there's no high ground nearby, go up to the upper floors of a building with this sign.

High ground or another place for escaping a tsunami.

What to do: If you feel strong shaking near the sea, follow these signs and get to high ground at once.

A sign showing that the area may be hit by a tsunami.

What to do: If you feel strong shaking here, or shaking that is weak but long, get to high ground at once without waiting for a warning.

The most serious tsunami warning issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency, when a huge tsunami may come (an emergency warning). A tsunami big enough to sweep away wooden houses is expected.

What to do: If you're near the sea or a river, get immediately to high ground, an evacuation building or the like, as high as you possibly can.

A warning that a tsunami may reach low-lying land and cause flooding damage.

What to do: If you're near the sea or a river, get immediately to high ground, an evacuation building or the like, and don't go back until the warning is lifted.

An advisory issued when the expected tsunami is 1 m high or less, but there is a risk of being caught in fast currents in the sea.

What to do: If you're in the sea, get out at once and move away from the shore. Stay away from the sea until it's lifted.

An alert that reaches TVs, radios, smartphones and so on with a special sound before strong shaking arrives. You have only a few seconds to a few tens of seconds before the shaking comes.

What to do: Stay calm and make yourself safe first. On a train or bus, hold on to a strap or handrail; in a lift, stop at the nearest floor and get out; outdoors, watch out for falling signboards and broken glass, and for concrete-block walls.

Evacuation information issued by the city, town or village during heavy rain and similar, at the stage when older people and others who need more time to evacuate should start.

What to do: People who need more time to evacuate, and those with them, start evacuating.

Evacuation information at the stage when everyone in a dangerous place should evacuate.

What to do: Anyone in a dangerous place must evacuate by this Level 4 at the latest.

Information issued at the stage when a disaster is already happening or is imminent and the danger to life is extremely high.

What to do: If it's dangerous to go to a shelter, move straight away to an upper floor of a nearby building or a room away from any cliff.

An exit for escaping from a building in an emergency such as a fire.

What to do: When you arrive at a hotel or similar, check where the emergency exits are. In a disaster, follow the staff's instructions.

An automated external defibrillator: a device that gives an electric shock to someone whose heart has stopped. They are placed at stations and elsewhere.

What to do: If someone collapses, call 119 and ask people nearby or station staff where the nearest AED is.

The word written on the "stop" road sign.

What to do: Cars and bicycles must come to a full stop here and check it's safe before going on (from April 2026, cyclists aged 16 and over can also be given a fine for this, the so-called "blue ticket").

Means you must not go any further.

What to do: Even if you want a photo, don't go past the sign.

Means the road is closed.

What to do: Take another road.

Shows a road where cars and other vehicles are banned for pedestrians' safety (a pedestrian road).

What to do: Don't drive in. It's a busy place for pedestrians, so if you're cycling, it's safest to get off and push.

A sign saying bicycles may also use the pavement. As a rule, bicycles ride on the left side of the road, and may use the pavement only where there is this sign or in similar cases.

What to do: When riding on the pavement, keep to the roadside edge, ride slowly, and stop if you're getting in pedestrians' way.

Means you must not ride a bicycle in here.

What to do: Leave your bicycle outside, or get off and follow the sign.

A sign saying you must not cross the road here.

What to do: Look for a nearby pedestrian crossing, footbridge or underpass to cross.

Means you must not smoke.

What to do: Don't smoke here; look for a smoking area.

A place where smoking is allowed.

What to do: Smoke here. In many parts of Tokyo, smoking outdoors on roads, in parks and similar places is restricted.

Means you must not smoke while walking along, or standing on, the street.

What to do: Don't smoke anywhere except designated smoking areas. In some places you can be fined.

Means you must not use fire or bring in anything that could start one.

What to do: Don't use cigarettes, lighters or anything with a flame.

Means you must not take photos or videos.

What to do: Put your camera or phone away. If the sign says "フラッシュ撮影禁止" (no flash photography), just turn off the flash.

A warning to watch out for a step (a change in level) underfoot.

What to do: Watch your step and go slowly.