Making Reservations in Japanese

Traveling around Japan doesn’t have to be intimidating as long as you’ve made the necessary arrangements. In cities like Tokyo or Osaka, there are endless booking portals that let you reserve hotels, hotels and even ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) in English. However, if you venture out into the countryside or try to make reservations too late into high season, you might not find yourself as lucky. In times like these, calling hotels directly and making reservations in Japanese can come in handy.

In this post, let’s go over the basics of making reservations in Japanese so you can get out of the house and explore Japan to your heart’s content. You’ll find that it’s not as complicated as long as you know a few handy phrases and the right Japanese counters.

Hotel Reservations in Japanese

Photo: iStock/ maruco

Here is what a typical conversation will sound like when making hotel reservations in Japanese. English support is harder to come by when booking accommodations in the Japanese countryside, so communicate the details of your trip clearly and concisely.

In terms of payment methods, most accommodations will take credit cards and other forms of cashless payment but always bring enough cash, especially if you plan on booking in more remote locations.

Sample Reservation Dialogue

Just like making reservations anywhere else, you need to know the exact dates, how many people will be joining and what type of room you would like to reserve.

Japanese Counters

Unlike English, the Japanese language uses several types of counters for all sorts of objects, animals and people. Using the correct counter in context is not only crucial but also shows your grasp of the language. Here are a few to keep in mind when you plan on making a reservation in Japanese.

Number of People (one to five)

When there are more than two people, always use nin and the common word for the associated number of people. To book restaurants and train tickets, you’ll also need to familiarize yourself with these counters. In Japan, it’s not uncommon for hotel room prices to be determined by the number of people using the room.

Number of Nights and Rooms

These are some essential terms that can help you communicate how long you’ll be staying and how many rooms you will need to reserve.

Types of Hotel Rooms

The room types listed below are some of the most common types you’ll find when staying at different accommodations in Japan. In some cases, like ryokan or hostels, some rooms may not have an ensuite bathroom.

Booking Seat Reservations in Japanese

Photo: PIXTA/ tarousite

While most shinkansen (bullet train) and regular transit ticket kiosks have English options, if you make a mistake while booking your ticket you have to talk to an actual human and there’s a chance they won’t know much English. Similar to making reservations for hotel stays, you’ll need to let them know about your party size and exact travel dates, in addition to the type of seating and train you plan on riding.

Basic Train Vocabulary

Even in this digital age, handling multiple sheets of paper train tickets in Japan isn’t uncommon. Here’s a short breakdown of the ticket types and how to locate the nearest counter to you.

Types of Train Cars and Seating in Japan

You won’t need to reserve all trains in Japan, but if you plan on traveling across prefectures, it might be worth looking into. For more specific shinkansen-related vocabulary, refer to this post.

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the basics of making reservations in Japanese, we hope that this post will help you make the most out of your next trip to Japan. Be it for trains, restaurants or hotels, most of the vocabulary words and counters will remain the same. Safe travels!

Do you have any tips for making reservations in Japanese? Let us know in the comments!

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