Kanji Cheat Sheet: Going to the Movies in Japan

Halfway through the middle of my course at Japanese language school, my teacher asked if anyone had gone to the movies since moving to Japan. No one raised their hand. She asked why, and most if not all of my classmates said they felt intimidated because they couldn’t understand enough Japanese to watch a movie without subtitles.

While the movie-going experience is pretty much universal, there are some things to look out for.

Looking back, I realized that one of the fastest ways to get a more native understanding of Japanese is to immerse yourself in pop culture. Immersion allows you to learn new vocabulary and grammar points you may not have come across in JLPT review guides. Try listening to J-Pop, watching Japanese Youtubers, or if you live in Japan taking a trip to the movies!

While the movie-going experience is pretty much universal, there are some things to look out for. In this Kanji guide, you’ll learn the how-tos of watching a movie at the theatre in Japan.

Going to the movies

Search for the movie theatre nearest you by placing 映（えい）画（が）館（かん） (eigakan) on Google maps. If you happen to live in Tokyo, there are tons of theatres around Shinjuku and Shibuya.

Once you enter the lobby, check for the screening schedule, or 上（じょう）映（えい）スケジュール (joueisukejuru). When you see it be sure to double-check if the movie you want to watch is subtitled 字（じ）幕（まく） (jimaku) or dubbed 吹（ふ）き替（か）え(fukikae). After deciding on which type of movie you’d like to see, now it’s time to buy your ticket.

Read the full article on GaijinPot Study.

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