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Signs in the station
| 改札かいさつ | kaisatsu | ticket gates |
| 出口でぐち | deguchi | exit |
| 入口いりぐち | iriguchi | entrance |
| 東口・西口ひがしぐち・にしぐち | higashi-guchi, nishi-guchi | east exit, west exit |
| 乗換のりかえ | norikae | transfer |
| 1番線いちばんせん | ichi-bansen | platform (track) 1 |
| 〜方面ほうめん | hōmen | bound for ~ |
| 切符売り場きっぷうりば | kippu uriba | ticket machines |
| みどりの窓口みどりのまどぐち | midori no madoguchi | JR ticket office |
| 精算機せいさんき | seisanki | fare adjustment machine |
| お手洗いおてあらい | otearai | toilets |
Kinds of train
| 各駅停車・普通かくえきていしゃ・ふつう | kakueki teisha, futsū | local: stops everywhere |
| 快速かいそく | kaisoku | rapid: skips some stops |
| 急行きゅうこう | kyūkō | express: skips more |
| 特急とっきゅう | tokkyū | limited express: extra ticket |
| 新幹線しんかんせん | shinkansen | bullet train |
| 始発・終電しはつ・しゅうでん | shihatsu, shūden | first train, last train |
| 女性専用車じょせいせんようしゃ | josei sen'yōsha | women-only car |
| 優先席ゆうせんせき | yūsenseki | priority seats |
Tickets and seats
| 切符きっぷ | kippu | ticket |
| 乗車券じょうしゃけん | jōshaken | basic fare ticket |
| 特急券とっきゅうけん | tokkyūken | express ticket (Shinkansen part) |
| 指定席していせき | shiteiseki | reserved seat |
| 自由席じゆうせき | jiyūseki | non-reserved seat |
| グリーン車ぐりーんしゃ | gurīn-sha | Green Car (first class) |
| 〜号車ごうしゃ | gōsha | car number ~ |
| 片道・往復かたみち・おうふく | katamichi, ōfuku | one way, round trip |
| チャージちゃーじ | chāji | top up (an IC card) |
| 払い戻しはらいもどし | haraimodoshi | refund |
When something goes wrong
| 遅延ちえん | chien | delay |
| 運転見合わせうんてんみあわせ | unten miawase | service suspended |
| 運休うんきゅう | unkyū | train cancelled |
| 振替輸送ふりかえゆそう | furikae yusō | ride another line on your ticket |
8 questions for station staff
- 何番線ですか？Nanbansen desu ka?Which platform is it?
- この電車は渋谷に止まりますか？Kono densha wa Shibuya ni tomarimasu ka?Does this train stop at Shibuya?
- 銀座線の乗り換えはどこですか？Ginza-sen no norikae wa doko desu ka?Where do I transfer to the Ginza Line?
- 新幹線の切符を買いたいんですがShinkansen no kippu o kaitai n desu gaI'd like to buy a Shinkansen ticket
- 指定席でお願いしますShiteiseki de onegai shimasuA reserved seat, please
- 終電は何時ですか？Shūden wa nanji desu ka?What time is the last train?
- 精算機はどこですか？Seisanki wa doko desu ka?Where is the fare adjustment machine?
- 改札が通れないんですがKaisatsu ga tōrenai n desu gaThe ticket gate won't let me through
Swap in your own station or line: Shibuya (渋谷) and the Ginza Line (銀座線) are examples. Start with すみません (sumimasen) to get someone's attention.
Learn more than the signs before you go
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