Why Do Shop Staff in Japan Say "Irasshaimase" When You Walk In?
An Edo-era barker's call became a greeting that means "we've noticed you". Plus why you don't need to reply.
The short answer
"Irasshaimase" was originally a phrase for drawing customers in, meaning "please come in". Through constant use, it settled into the set greeting staff use to welcome customers.
Today, as well as saying "welcome", it also works as a signal: "we've noticed you've arrived, and we'll be with you shortly." As a customer, it is not rude to say nothing in reply.
How the phrase is built
According to an explanation by the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (NINJAL), "irasshaimase" splits into two parts. The first part, "irasshai", is a form of the verb "irassharu", the honorific (respectful) word for "come", "go" and "be". The second part, "mase", is the imperative form of the polite auxiliary verb "masu", used to politely ask or urge someone to do something. So a literal translation is close to "please do come".
The "mase" is sometimes dropped, giving the casual "irasshai". The lively "rasshai!" you hear from greengrocers and fishmongers in shopping streets belongs to the same family.
From the calls of Edo-era barkers
The Seisenban Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, a major Japanese dictionary, gives as an early example of "irasshaimase" the line "Saa, irasshaimase" from a sharebon (an Edo-period genre of novel depicting the pleasure quarters and similar settings) from around 1779. NINJAL's explanation also notes that in Edo-period books, "irasshai (mase / mashi)" appears as the call used by barkers at sideshows to urge passers-by to drop in.
The same dictionary also lists a Meiji-era novel from 1886 in which "Oya, irasshaimase" is used as a greeting to welcome a visitor. It is thought that, repeated over and over, the phrase for drawing in customers settled into a greeting that broadly expresses a welcome to whoever has come.
Why say it when you're already inside?
Something travellers often wonder is: "I'm already in the shop, so why are they saying 'please do come'?" According to NINJAL, it is because, like "ohayo gozaimasu" (good morning), it has become a greeting people use without thinking about its original meaning.
NINJAL explains that the greeting works as a signal meaning "I've noticed you've arrived." For example, in a busy restaurant, even if no staff are in sight, hearing "irasshaimase" from the back tells customers they will be looked after shortly, so they can wait without worrying.
Even more interesting is that "irasshaimase" is tied to the roles of staff and customer. When a supplier the shop deals with comes in, staff say things like "konnichiwa" (hello) or "otsukaresama desu" (a greeting between people who work together), and would not normally say "irasshaimase". And if a member of staff runs into a friend in their own shop on a day off, "irasshaimase" feels awkward to say. It is a greeting used only towards customers, while working as a member of staff.
The Nihon Kokugo Daijiten also lists two meanings for "irasshaimase": "a polite expression urging someone to come" and "a greeting". The shift from drawing people in to a greeting of welcome shows up in the dictionary entry too. The NINJAL researcher who wrote this explanation worked on the Corpus of Everyday Japanese Conversation, a record of recorded everyday conversations, and studies what people do with words (greeting, showing they have noticed someone, and so on). "Irasshaimase" is a very clear example of just such an "act performed with words".
What puzzles visitors
In supermarkets, konbini (convenience stores) and restaurants, you hear "irasshaimase" from all directions, not only when you walk in but also as you move around the shop. Some people new to Japan are surprised by how often they hear it, or feel flustered that they ought to reply. The travel site MATCHA introduces the greeting using the example of someone from Indonesia startled by how many times they heard "irasshaimase" in a supermarket.
But there is no need to worry. "Irasshaimase" is a one-way greeting from staff to customers, and customers do not need to reply. In a sample shopping conversation in the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Japanese-language materials for "foreign residents as members of society", the customer does not reply to the shop assistant's "irasshaimase" and simply starts with what they want: "Excuse me, may I try this on?"
If you are not used to this kind of exchange, staying silent after someone greets you might feel cold. But in Japanese shops it is perfectly natural for staff to greet you and for customers to browse at their own pace. Staff do not expect a reply each time, so you can take it in your stride. A lesson plan in the Agency for Cultural Affairs' materials even includes an activity discussing how customer service differs between large stores and other shops, so dealing with shop staff is a familiar learning topic for foreigners living in Japan.
The phrases that follow "irasshaimase"
"Irasshaimase" is not the only thing staff say. The sample conversations in the Agency for Cultural Affairs' materials are packed with polite set phrases you will often hear while shopping, for example "kashikomarimashita" (certainly), "shosho omachi kudasai" (please wait a moment), "kochira de gozaimasu" (here it is) and "goyukkuri goran kudasai" (please take your time looking around).
They are all keigo (honorific language) and may sound a little difficult, but once you know what they mean there is nothing to be afraid of. "Goyukkuri goran kudasai" in particular appears in the sample conversation as what the assistant says with a smile even when the customer decides not to buy the clothes they tried on. It captures the atmosphere of Japanese shops well: leaving without buying anything is not rude.
How should you respond?
Basically, it is fine to walk in without saying anything. If it bothers you, a light eshaku (a small nod or bow) or a smile is quite enough to show your goodwill. MATCHA suggests that in small shops you can also reply with "konnichiwa" (hello) or "konbanwa" (good evening).
Replying "irasshaimase" to someone who has said it to you sounds odd, because it is the staff's phrase. When you leave and staff say "arigato gozaimashita" (thank you very much), answering with "gochisosama deshita" (thank you for the meal, at a restaurant) or a light nod makes for a pleasant exchange.
Tips
- You don't need to reply to "irasshaimase". Just go ahead and start shopping or eating.
- If you'd like to respond, a light nod or a smile is enough. In a small shop, "konnichiwa" (hello) is fine too.
- Avoid replying with "irasshaimase" yourself. It's a greeting for staff to use.
- If no staff are in sight at a restaurant but you hear "irasshaimase" from the back, it means they have noticed you. Wait a moment at the entrance.
- When you leave a restaurant, adding a quick "gochisosama deshita" (thank you for the meal) will make the staff happy.
