So, a few weeks back, I was planning this trip to Tokyo for business, and I realized I had zero Japanese skills. Like, nothing at all. I knew “hello” and “thank you,” but that’s about it. My mate Dave told me, “Dude, you gotta prep for the basics—ordering food, asking directions, that kind of stuff.” So, I decided to dive in and learn some quick everyday phrases to make my life easier over there.
First, I grabbed my laptop and started searching online for free resources—no fancy apps or paid courses, just good old YouTube videos and random blogs. I bookmarked a few videos that covered common phrases for travelers. Then, I jotted down the most useful ones I found in a notebook. Stuff like greetings, food orders, and how to ask for the loo. I figured, keep it simple and focused on real-life situations, not all that textbook grammar nonsense.
Over the next week, I practiced every morning while sipping my coffee. I’d repeat each phrase out loud, maybe 5-10 times, until it felt kinda natural. But it wasn’t easy—my tongue kept tripping over words like “arigatou gozaimasu.” One evening, I was trying to say “where is the station?” in Japanese, and my wife walked in laughing her head off ’cause I sounded like a cat choking. Yeah, it was rough, but I pushed through.
By the time I flew out to Japan last week, I had a solid little list memorized. And guess what? It totally paid off. At a ramen shop in Shinjuku, I used “sumimasen, kore kudasai” to point at the menu, and the guy behind the counter actually smiled instead of just staring blankly. Saved me a lot of awkward moments and helped me chat with locals a bit. So, here are the phrases that worked best for me:
- “Sumimasen” – Sorry/Excuse me
- “Okaikei onegaishimasu” – Check, please
- “Eigo wa wakarimasu ka?” – Do you understand English?
- “Toire wa doko desu ka?” – Where is the toilet?
- “Kore kudasai” – Can I have this, please?
Overall, this whole thing made the trip way smoother. I mean, I’m no expert now, but at least I didn’t feel like a lost tourist all the time. Practice makes perfect, right? Now, I’m back home, still using these phrases to impress my mates over pints.
