Survival kit
Signs you'll see
17 kanji you'll see daily — grouped by where they appear. Recognize a few and the country starts to feel legible.
At the station
出口でぐち
Exit
Stations have numbered exits — match to Google Maps.
Above ticket gates and stairwells
入口いりぐち
Entrance
Usually opposite the exit — not always obvious in older buildings.
On station fronts and side entrances
改札かいさつ
Ticket gate
Tap your IC card here on entry and exit.
Inside every station
乗換のりかえ
Transfer
Follow this when changing train lines within the same station.
On overhead signage between platforms
新幹線しんかんせん
Bullet train
Major-station signage. The shinkansen has its own ticket gates.
Above dedicated platforms
On the street
トイレといれ
Toilet
In katakana, easy to spot anywhere.
Stations, parks, department stores
男おとこ
Men's
Often paired with a blue/green pictogram.
Restroom doors
女おんな
Women's
Often paired with a red/pink pictogram.
Restroom doors
In a shop
営業中えいぎょうちゅう
Open
Often a small wooden plaque or fabric noren at the entrance.
On restaurant and shop doors
レジれじ
Register
Where you pay. Form a line behind the marked spot.
Near the entrance of every shop
免税めんぜい
Tax-free
Show your passport to claim the tax back at checkout.
Department stores, electronics, drugstores
Inside a restaurant
食堂しょくどう
Casual dining hall
Cheap, generous portions — usually a single counter.
On simple storefronts, often near stations
居酒屋いざかや
Japanese pub
Food + drinks, often a red paper lantern at the entrance.
Alleyways and side streets after dark
Public safety
禁煙きんえん
No smoking
Inside restaurants, public transport, many streets.
On walls, posts, and at restaurant doors
撮影禁止さつえいきんし
No photography
Temples, geisha districts, some shops.
On glass doors, walls, exhibits
立入禁止たちいりきんし
No entry
Restricted areas — staff only or construction.
On barriers and side doors
危険きけん
Danger
Yellow or red sign. Construction, platform edges.
Construction sites and platform edges