Town, region and country: weather; places to see; things to do

Q: What particle must always be used with natural weather phenomena like rain or snow in Japanese?

The subject particle が ( ga ) must always be used, e.g., 雨が降ります ( ame ga furimasu ).

Q: How can you remember the order of the four seasons in Japanese?

Use the mnemonic: Ha ppy Na ture A lways Fu n for Ha ru (Spring), Na tsu (Summer), A ki (Autumn), and Fu yu (Winter).

Q: What is a common kanji ending for buildings related to entertainment or culture, such as museums or cinemas?

The kanji 館 ( kan ), meaning building or hall, is used in words like eigakan , bijutsukan , and hakubutsukan .

Q: What is the difference between the particles used for "climbing a mountain" and "swimming in the sea"?

Climbing a mountain uses the particle に ( yama ni noboru ), while swimming in the sea uses で ( umi de oyogu ).

Q: How do you express "there is" for living vs. non-living things?

Use あります ( arimasu ) for non-living objects and buildings, and います ( imasu ) for people and animals.

Q: How do you express the "purpose of movement" (e.g., going somewhere to do something)?

Use the formula: [Place] へ/に + [Verb Stem] + に 行きます/来ます/帰ります .

Q: How do you list multiple actions without implying they are the only things you did?

Use the ～たり ～たり します structure by adding り ( ri ) to the plain past ( -ta form) of verbs.

Q: How do you connect two descriptive clauses using an い-adjective?

Change the final い of the first adjective to くて ( kute ).

Q: How do you express an intention to do something in Japanese?

Use the [Plain Verb] + つもりです ( tsumori desu ) structure.

Japanese (1JA0) · Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) · 9 min read · Updated: 27 Aug 2026

Theme 2: Local Area, Holiday and Travel — Town, Region and Country

Welcome to your revision guide for Town, Region and Country! In this topic, you will learn how to describe the weather, talk about famous places to visit, and explain all the exciting activities you can do in towns and cities. Whether you are writing about your hometown in the UK or talking about a holiday in Japan for your speaking exam, mastering this vocabulary and grammar will help you secure top marks across all four GCSE papers (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing).

Don't worry if Japanese grammar sometimes feels completely back-to-front compared to English. We will break down every phrase step-by-step so you can build sentences with confidence!

1. Weather and Climate (天気 – tenki)

Being able to describe the weather is essential for setting the scene in your speaking role-plays and writing tasks.

Foundation Core Vocabulary

• 天気 (tenki) – weather
• いい天気 (ii tenki) – fine / good weather
• 雨 (ame) – rain
• 雨が降る (ame ga furu) – to rain / 雨が降ります (ame ga furimasu) – it rains
• 雪 (yuki) – snow
• 雪が降る (yuki ga furu) – to snow / 雪が降ります (yuki ga furimasu) – it snows
• 風 (kaze) – wind
• 風が吹く (kaze ga fuku) – the wind blows
• 風が強い (kaze ga tsuyoi) – windy / strong wind
• 晴れ (hare) – clear / sunny weather
• 晴れる (hareru) – to clear up / become sunny
• 曇り (kumori) – cloudy weather
• 曇る (kumoru) – to become cloudy
• 暑い (atsui) – hot (weather/climate)
• 寒い (samui) – cold (weather/climate)
• 暖かい (atatakai) – warm (weather/climate)
• 涼しい (suzushii) – cool (weather/climate)
• 台風 (taifuu) – typhoon

Seasons (四季 – shiki / 季節 – kisetsu)

• 春 (haru) – Spring
• 夏 (natsu) – Summer
• 秋 (aki) – Autumn
• 冬 (fuyu) – Winter

Higher Tier Extensions

• 蒸し暑い (mushiatsui) – humid / muggy
• 気温 (kion) – atmospheric temperature
• ～度 (~do) – degrees (e.g. nijyuu-do = 20 degrees)
• 降水量 (kousuiryou) – precipitation / rainfall
• 天気予報 (tenkiyohou) – weather forecast
• 湿度 (shitsudo) – humidity

Memory Tip for Seasons:

Remember the order of the seasons with the phrase: Happy Nature Always Fun (Haru, Natsu, Aki, Fuyu).

Key Takeaway:

Natural weather phenomena always take the subject particle が (ga), never the object particle を (o). Always say 雨が降ります (ame ga furimasu), not ame o furimasu!

2. Places to See & Geographical Features (場所 – basho)

To talk about your town or a trip, you need words to describe scenery, town amenities, and tourist landmarks.

Foundation Core Vocabulary

Town and Countryside:
• 町 / 街 (machi) – town / city
• 都会 (tokai) – metropolis / large city
• 田舎 (inaka) – countryside / rural area
• 駅 (eki) – train station
• バス停 (basutei) – bus stop
• 空港 (kuukou) – airport
• 観光案内所 (kankou annaijo) / インフォメーション (infomeeshon) – tourist information centre

Nature & Landscapes:
• 海 (umi) – sea / beach
• 海岸 (kaigan) – coast / shore
• 山 (yama) – mountain
• 川 (kawa) – river
• 湖 (mizuumi) – lake
• 島 (shima) – island
• 公園 (kouen) – park
• 庭 (niwa) – garden

Sightseeing & Entertainment Spots:
• 神社 (jinja) – Shinto shrine
• お寺 (otera) – Buddhist temple
• 城 (shiro) – castle
• 映画館 (eigakan) – cinema
• 劇場 (gekijou) – theatre
• 博物館 (hakubutsukan) – museum
• 美術館 (bijutsukan) – art gallery
• 動物園 (doubutsuen) – zoo
• 水族館 (suizokukan) – aquarium

Higher Tier Extensions

• 観光名所 (kankou meisho) – famous tourist spot / sightseeing attraction
• 歴史的な建物 (rekishiteki na tatemono) – historic buildings
• 市場 (ichiba) – outdoor / traditional market
• 会場 (kaijou) – venue / event grounds
• 温泉街 (onsen-gai) – hot spring town
• 首都 (shuto) – capital city
• 国境 (kokkyou) – border

Key Takeaway:

Notice the kanji endings! Many entertainment buildings end in 館 (kan – building/hall), such as eigakan (cinema), bijutsukan (art gallery), hakubutsukan (museum), and suizokukan (aquarium).

3. Things to Do (レジャー・アクティビティ – Rejaa / Akutibiti)

Use these action verbs to describe what activities you did on holiday or what people can do in your area.

Foundation Core Verbs

• 観光する (kankou suru) – to go sightseeing
• 見物する (kenbutsu suru) – to sightsee / look around
• 散歩する (sanpo suru) – to take a stroll / walk
• 買い物する (kaimono suru) – to do shopping
• 写真を撮る (shashin o toru) – to take photos
• お土産を買う (omiyage o kau) – to buy souvenirs
• 楽しむ (tanoshimu) – to enjoy
• 山に登る (yama ni noboru) – to climb a mountain (Note the particle に!)
• 海で泳ぐ (umi de oyogu) – to swim in the sea (Note the particle で!)
• ホテル / 旅館に泊まる (hoteru / ryokan ni tomaru) – to stay overnight at a hotel / Japanese inn

Higher Tier Extension Verbs

• 体験する (taiken suru) – to experience (e.g. 文化体験 – cultural experience)
• 訪れる (otozureru) / 訪問する (houmon suru) – to visit a place
• お祭りに参加する (omatsuri ni sanka suru) – to participate in / join a festival
• 景色を眺める (keshiki o nagameru) – to view / look out at the scenery
• リラックスする (rirakkusu suru) / のんびり過ごす (nonbiri sugosu) – to relax / spend time leisurely

4. Essential Grammar Patterns

To score high marks in Writing (Paper 4) and Speaking (Paper 2), practice linking your vocabulary together using these core structures.

Pattern A: Describing What Exists in a Location

[Place] に [Noun] があります / います。
Use あります (arimasu) for non-living things, buildings, and objects. Use います (imasu) for people and animals.
• Example: 私の町に古い城があります。 (Watashi no machi ni furui shiro ga arimasu. – There is an old castle in my town.)
• Example: 公園に子どもがたくさんいます。 (Kouen ni kodomo ga takusan imasu. – There are many children in the park.)

Pattern B: Expressing Purpose of Movement (Going to do something)

[Place] へ / に + [Verb Stem] + に行きます / 来ます / 帰ります。
Take the masu-form of a verb, drop the masu, and add に行きます (ni ikimasu) to express going somewhere in order to do something.
• Example: 映画館へ映画を見に行きます。 (Eigakan e eiga o mi ni ikimasu. – I go to the cinema to watch a movie.)
• Example: 町へお土産を買いに行きました。 (Machi e omiyage o kai ni ikimashita. – I went to town to buy souvenirs.)

Pattern C: Listing Actions Non-Exhaustively (Doing things like A and B)

[Verb 1-たり] + [Verb 2-たり] + します / しました。
Use this pattern to say you did things like A and B, without listing every single detail. To form the -tari form, take the plain past (-ta form) of the verb and add り (ri).
• Example: 休みに写真を撮ったり、海で泳いだりしました。
(Yasumi ni shashin o tottari, umi de oyoidari shimashita. – On holiday, I did things like taking photos and swimming in the sea.)

Pattern D: Connecting Weather and Conditions (Te-form)

To join two descriptive clauses together smoothly, use the て-form:
• い-adjectives: Change the final い to くて (e.g. atsui → atsukute).
Example: 昨日は暑くて、晴れていました。 (Kinou wa atsukute, harete imashita. – Yesterday was hot and sunny.)
• Verbs: Use the verb て-form.
Example: 雨が降って、寒かったです。 (Ame ga futte, samukatta desu. – It rained and was cold.)

Pattern E: Intentions, Desires, and Ability

• [Plain Verb] + つもりです (tsumori desu) – intend to do...
Example: 京都のお寺を訪れるつもりです。 (Kyouto no otera o otozureru tsumori desu. – I intend to visit temples in Kyoto.)
• [Verb Stem] + たいです (tai desu) – want to do...
Example: 山に登りたいです。 (Yama ni noboritai desu. – I want to climb a mountain.)
• [Plain Verb] + ことができます (koto ga dekimasu) – can / be able to do...
Example: この川で泳ぐことができます。 (Kono kawa de oyogu koto ga dekimasu. – You can swim in this river.)

5. Examiner Pitfalls & Common Mistakes to Avoid

Examiners regularly report these recurring errors. Watch out for them in your exams!

1. Mixing up 暑い and 熱い (Both pronounced atsui):
• 暑い is ONLY used for atmospheric weather/climate (e.g. kyou wa atsui desu – today is hot).
• 熱い is used for objects and food/drink to the touch (e.g. atsui ocha – hot tea).

2. Mixing up 暖かい and 温かい (Both pronounced atatakai):
• 暖かい is for ambient weather/air (e.g. atatakai haru – warm spring).
• 温かい is for food, drinks, or physical warmth (e.g. atatakai suupu – warm soup).

3. Wrong verb form with the purpose particle に:
• Incorrect: 見るに行きます (miru ni ikimasu) or 見ますに行きます (mimasu ni ikimasu)
• Correct: 見に行きます (mi ni ikimasu – Verb stem only!).

4. Incomplete 〜たり〜たり structures:
• Always remember to end the entire sentence with the auxiliary verb します (present) or しました (past). Writing just shashin o tottari, kaimono o shitari without しました is grammatically incomplete.

5. Conjugating な-adjectives like い-adjectives:
• Words like きれい (kirei – beautiful/clean) and にぎやか (nigiyaka – lively) are な-adjectives!
• Past tense: きれいでした (kirei deshita), NOT kireikatta.
• Modifying a noun: にぎやかな町 (nigiyaka na machi), NOT nigiyaka machi.

6. Quick Self-Check Review

Test yourself with these three quick questions before moving on:

1. How do you say "I went to the museum to take photos" in Japanese?
Answer: 博物館へ写真を撮りに行きました。 (Hakubutsukan e shashin o tori ni ikimashita.)

2. Which kanji for "hot" should you use in the sentence: "Tokyo's summer is hot"?
Answer: 暑い (Weather/climate).

3. Translate: "Last weekend, I did things like climbing a mountain and buying souvenirs."
Answer: 先週末、山に登ったり、お土産を買ったりしました。 (Senshuumatsu, yama ni nobottari, omiyage o kattari shimashita.)

Quick check

Can you answer these now?

Open each question to check the key ideas from this chapter.

What particle must always be used with natural weather phenomena like rain or snow in Japanese?

The subject particle が (ga) must always be used, e.g., 雨が降ります (ame ga furimasu).

How can you remember the order of the four seasons in Japanese?

Use the mnemonic: Happy Nature Always Fun for Haru (Spring), Natsu (Summer), Aki (Autumn), and Fuyu (Winter).

What is a common kanji ending for buildings related to entertainment or culture, such as museums or cinemas?

The kanji 館 (kan), meaning building or hall, is used in words like eigakan, bijutsukan, and hakubutsukan.

What is the difference between the particles used for "climbing a mountain" and "swimming in the sea"?

Climbing a mountain uses the particle に (yama ni noboru), while swimming in the sea uses で (umi de oyogu).

How do you express "there is" for living vs. non-living things?

Use あります (arimasu) for non-living objects and buildings, and います (imasu) for people and animals.

How do you express the "purpose of movement" (e.g., going somewhere to do something)?

Use the formula: [Place] へ/に + [Verb Stem] + に行きます/来ます/帰ります.

How do you list multiple actions without implying they are the only things you did?

Use the ～たり～たりします structure by adding り (ri) to the plain past (-ta form) of verbs.

How do you connect two descriptive clauses using an い-adjective?

Change the final い of the first adjective to くて (kute).

How do you express an intention to do something in Japanese?

Use the [Plain Verb] + つもりです (tsumori desu) structure.

What is the difference between the two kanji for atsui (暑い and 熱い)?

暑い is used for weather/climate, while 熱い is used for objects, food, or drinks.

How do you correctly use な-adjectives like kirei or nigiyaka to describe a noun?

You must include な (na) between the adjective and the noun (e.g., にぎやかな町).

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