FraisGout: Japanese

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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

Reserving accommodations in Japanese doesn’t have to be complicated.

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.

Speaker	Japanese	Romaji	English
Hotel staff:	もしもしやまぐちホテルでございます。	Moshimoshi, Yamaguchi hoteru de gozaimasu.	Hello, it’s Hotel Yamaguchi.
You:	予約お願いします。	Yoyaku onegai-shimasu.	I would like to make a reservation.
Hotel staff:	いつからお泊りになりますか？	Itsukara otomari ni narimasu ka?	From when will you be staying?
You:	来週の金曜日から3泊です。	Raishuu no kinyoubi kara san-paku desu.	Three nights, starting Friday of next week.
Hotel staff:	何名様でございますか？	Nan-mei-sama de gozaimasu ka?	How many people will there be?
You:	二名です。	Nimei desu.	It will be 2 people.
Hotel staff:	ご一緒でございますか？	Goissho de gozaimasu ka?	Will this be one room?
You:	いえ、別々のシングルをお願いします。	Ie, betsu betsu no singuru wo onegaishimasu.	No, I’d like separate singles.
Hotel staff:	お名前は？	Onamae wa?	What name will it be under?
You:	メイソンと言います。いくらでか？	Meison to iimasu. Ikura desu ka?	Mason. How much will it be?
Hotel staff:	メイソン様。では、18日の金曜日から3泊と言うことで、シングルを二部屋お取りして起きます。34500円です。	Meison sama. De wa juu hati niti no kinyoubi kara, sanpaku to iu koto de, singuru o futa-heya otori-site okimasu. Sanman yon sen go hyaku en desu.	Ms. Mason. OK, three nights, starting Friday the 18th. I’ll hold two single rooms. It will cost ¥34,500.

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.

No. of People	Japanese	Romaji
One person	１人	Hitori or Ichimei
Two people	２人	Futari or Nimei
Three people	３人	Sannin or Sanmei
Four people	４人	Yonin or Yonmei
Five people	5人	Gonin or Gomei

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.

How many nights of stay?		How many rooms?
何泊	nanpaku	いく部屋	ikuheya

Counting Nights of Stay		Counting Rooms
１泊	ippaku	１部屋	hitoheya
２泊	nihaku	２部屋	futaheya
３泊	sanpaku	３部屋	miheya/sanheya
４泊	yonpaku	４部屋	yoheya/yonheya
５泊	gohaku	５部屋	goheya

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.

Type of Room	Japanese	Romaji
Single room	シングル	singuru
Double room	ダブル	daburu
Room with twin beds	ツイン	tsuin
Western-style room	洋間	youma
Japanese-style room	和室	washitsu
Room with a bath	バス付き	basu tsuki

Booking Seat Reservations in Japanese

If you make a mistake using one of these machines, chances are you’ll have to speak with an attendant who might not be as fluent in English.

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.

Item	Japanese	Romaji
Ticket	切符	kippu
Ticket counter	切符売り場	kippu-uriba
Passenger ticket	乗車券	jousha-ken
Express ticket	急行券	kyuukou-ken
Special express ticket	特急券	tokkyuuken

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.

Item	Japanese	Romaji
Reserved seat	指定席	shiteiseki
Unreserved seat	自由席	jiyuuseki
Green car	グリーン車	guriinsha
Regular train	普通	futsuu

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!

Understanding Japanese Unemployment Insurance

For many foreigners, working in Japan is a dream come true. But what happens if the company goes bankrupt or issues layoffs and you lose your job? Luckily, the social benefits that are deducted from your pay can help. For anyone who loses their job or quits, there is a temporary fallback called koyou hoken (雇用保険), or unemployment insurance. If you find yourself in this situation, here are the basics you need to know about applying for Japanese unemployment insurance.

What is Japanese Unemployment Insurance?

A temporary safety net while you job hunt.

The koyou hoken benefit or shitsugyou hoken (失業保険) is a temporary safety net for those who have lost their jobs. The scheme helps recently unemployed people support themselves until they find employment. It’s run by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare but anyone who wants to use the system will have to go through Hello Work (Japanese), the government organization that helps anybody in Japan find a job.

Who is Eligible?

If you’re unsure if you qualify, drop by the nearest Hello Work.

Hello Work will look at your reason for unemployment, the amount of time you’ve paid into the system and other factors like age or industry. Generally, anyone who has been employed in Japan and has paid employment insurance for one year or more is eligible to apply. Unemployment insurance payments are wrapped up with pensions and health insurance as part of shakai hoken (社会保険), or social insurance benefits. These are all paid together and appear as deductions on your payslip if you are a full-time employee.

If your employer went bankrupt or you were fired, you need to have been paying employment insurance for at least six months during the last year. For those who are unsure if they qualify, check this document.

How to Collect Unemployment Benefits

Before you head to the nearest Hello Work office to apply for unemployment benefits, here’s what to expect.

Step 1: Submit the following documents at Hello Work for verification

Rishoku-hyo (離職票 or official separation notice from your company)
Residence card (在留カード)
Bank book (預金通帳)
My Number card (マイナンバーカード)
Hanko (ハンコ)
Two passport-sized photos, 3 cm x 2.5 cm each

Your previous employer should provide you with a rishoku-hyo that states the reason for your leaving or dismissal. Sometimes, companies will add different reasons to this form if it’s easier for them, such as saying that you quit rather than that they fired you (a rather large discrepancy). Watch out for dodgy business practices like this as it can change how long you have to wait before collecting any benefits.

Step 2: Waiting Period

Once you have submitted the paperwork, there is a seven-day waiting period. Afterward, the payments are deposited into your savings account. This applies to those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. If you quit your job, your application will take longer to process as you chose not to work. The length of time varies depending on the circumstances, but it can take up to three months past the seven-day waiting period.

Step 3: Verification of Unemployment Status

To continue to receive unemployment insurance payments, you have to show proof of applying to at least two jobs per month. You will be required to return to Hello Work every 28 days to discuss how you have been looking for work and to fill out a form indicating what jobs you have sent applications for. The Hello Work staff will follow up from there by contacting the companies you have listed. This appointment is difficult to reschedule, so make sure you pick a day of the week that you are always free until you get a job.

Step 4: Receiving Unemployment Benefits

Payments will be based on your prior salary, age, career and reason for unemployment. Usually, you will receive 50% to 80% of your previous salary from the last six months divided by 180. If you were earning a high salary before being unemployed, that number is closer to 50%. Those who have a lower salary will receive closer to 80%. The length of time you can receive benefits varies. In some cases, 90 days to a year from the day after you lost your job.

What About My Visa Status?

Losing your job does not cancel your work visa for Japan. You have three months to look for a new job in the same field after notifying Hello Work of your dismissal. If you do not secure a new job in time, immigration will revoke your visa. This rule doesn’t apply to permanent residents, spouses and children of Japanese citizens.