Theme 2: Local Area, Holiday and Travel — Travel & Tourist Transactions
Welcome to your complete revision guide for Travel and Tourist Transactions! Whether you are exploring Tokyo, ordering delicious ramen, shopping for souvenirs, or finding your way out of a tricky situation, these language skills are essential. In your Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Japanese (1JA0) exam, this topic appears regularly across all four papers: Paper 1 (Listening), Paper 2 (Speaking Role Plays and Conversations), Paper 3 (Reading), and Paper 4 (Writing).
Don't worry if Japanese transactions seem intimidating at first. By breaking down the vocabulary, practical grammar patterns, and essential counting systems step by step, you will be able to handle any real-world tourist situation with confidence!
---1. Asking for Help & Dealing with Problems (たすけを もとめる / もんだい)
When travelling, unexpected things happen! Knowing how to call for assistance, report lost items, or visit a clinic is crucial for both real life and your GCSE speaking role plays.
Essential Vocabulary: Places & Items
• びょういん (byōin) – Hospital
• くすり (kusuri) – Medicine
• くすりや (kusuriya) – Pharmacy / Chemist
• けいさつ (keisatsu) – Police
• けいさつしょ (keisatsusho) – Police station
• こうばん (kōban) – Police box (local neighbourhood police post)
• きっぷ (kippu) – Ticket
• さいふ (saifu) – Wallet / Purse
• パスポート (pasupōto) – Passport
• にもつ (nimotsu) – Luggage / Baggage
• かばん (kaban) – Bag
Key Verbs & Expressing Emergencies
• なくす (nakusu – to lose something) \(\rightarrow\) なくしました (nakushimashita – I lost...)
• おとす (otosu) – To drop / lose
• わすれる (wasureru) – To forget / leave behind
• こわれる (kowareru) – To break / be broken
• こしょう (koshō) – Out of order / Breakdown
• てつだう (tetsudau) – To help / assist
• たすけてください (Tasukete kudasai) – Please help me!
• すみません (Sumimasen) – Excuse me / Sorry
Key Sentence Formulations for Problems
1. Explaining a physical symptom or missing item:
Pattern: [Noun / Body Part] + が + いたいです / ありません
• あたまが いたいです。 (Atama ga itai desu. – My head hurts.)
• さいふが ありません。 (Saifu ga arimasen. – I don't have my wallet / My wallet is missing.)
2. Expressing regret or an accidental mistake (Verb ~てしまいました):
Use the te-form of a verb + しまいました to show that something unfortunate happened by accident.
• パスポートを なくしてしまいました。 (Pasupōto o nakushite shimaimashita. – I accidentally lost my passport.)
Key Takeaway: Always start an emergency request politely with すみません (Sumimasen) before stating your problem with たすけてください (Tasukete kudasai) or 〜を なくしました (...o nakushimashita).
---2. Eating Out (外食 / レストラン・しょくじ)
From lively dining halls to cosy tea houses, eating out is one of the most common themes in GCSE role plays and writing tasks.
Essential Vocabulary: Places & Meals
• レストラン (resutoran) – Restaurant
• きっさてん (kissaten) – Café / Coffee shop
• しょくどう (shokudō) – Dining hall / Cafeteria
• ちょうしょく / あさごはん (chōshoku / asa-gohan) – Breakfast
• ちゅうしょく / ひるごはん (chūshoku / hiru-gohan) – Lunch
• ゆうしょく / ばんごはん (yūshoku / ban-gohan) – Dinner
• おかいけい / おかんじょう (okaikei / okanjō) – Bill / Check
Food, Drinks & Descriptions
• メニュー (menyū) – Menu
• おすすめ (osusume) – Recommendation
• みず (mizu) – Water
• おちゃ (ocha) – Japanese green tea
• ジュース (jūsu) – Juice
• コーヒー (kōhī) – Coffee
• ごはん (gohan) – Rice / Meal
• パン (pan) – Bread
• にく (niku) – Meat
• さかな (sakana) – Fish
• やさい (yasai) – Vegetables
• おいしい (oishii) – Delicious
• まずい (mazui) – Bad-tasting
• あまい (amai) – Sweet
• からい (karai) – Spicy / Salty
Cultural Set Phrases (Crucial for GCSE Role Plays!)
• いただきます (Itadakimasu) – Said before starting a meal (literally: "I humbly receive").
• ごちそうさまでした (Gochisōsama deshita) – Said after finishing a meal to thank the host/chef for the feast.
Grammar: How to Order Food
1. Asking for an item directly:
Pattern: [Noun] + を + ください
• みずを ください。 (Mizu o kudasai. – Please give me water.)
2. Deciding on an option from a menu:
Pattern: [Noun] + に します
• さかなに します。 (Sakana ni shimasu. – I'll decide on the fish / I'll have the fish.)
Key Takeaway: Remember to use the direct object particle を (o) when asking for things ([Item] を ください) and never confuse いただきます (before meal) with ごちそうさまでした (after meal).
---3. Shopping (かいもの)
Whether you're picking up a quick snack at a 24-hour store or shopping for gifts in a large department store, these terms and structures are vital.
Essential Vocabulary: Shops, Payments & Goods
• みせ (mise) – Shop / Store
• デパート (depāto) – Department store
• スーパー (sūpā) – Supermarket
• コンビニ (konbini) – Convenience store
• おかね (okane) – Money
• ねだん (nedan) – Price
• レシート (reshīto) – Receipt
• おみやげ (omiyage) – Souvenir
• えん (en) – Yen (¥)
• クレジットカード (kurejitto kādo) – Credit card
• げんきん (genkin) – Cash
• サイズ (saizu) – Size
• いろ (iro) – Colour
Shopping Verbs & Useful Questions
• かう (kau) – To buy
• うる (uru) – To sell
• みせる (miseru) – To show
• いらっしゃいませ (Irasshaimase) – "Welcome!" (Said by staff when you enter a store — you do not need to reply to this!)
• いくら (ikura) – How much does it cost?
• これをください (Kore o kudasai) – Please give me this / I'll take this.
Grammar: Asking for Permission (Verb ~てもいいですか)
When shopping, use this pattern to politely ask if you can perform an action (such as looking at an item, trying something on, or paying by card):
Pattern: [Verb te-form] + もいいですか
• クレジットカードを つかってもいいですか。 (Kurejitto kādo o tsukatte mo ii desu ka. – May I use a credit card?)
• みてもいいですか。 (Mite mo ii desu ka. – May I have a look at it?)
Key Takeaway: Use いくらですか (Ikura desu ka) to ask the price of an item, and use [Verb te-form] + もいいですか to ask for permission politely.
---4. Essential Counters for Transactions
In Japanese, you cannot simply say "one water" or "two tickets". You must use the correct counter word depending on what you are counting!
1. General Items (Native Japanese Numbers)
Use these when ordering dishes, drinks, or general unspecified items:
• 1 item: ひとつ (hitotsu)
• 2 items: ふたつ (futatsu)
• 3 items: みっつ (mittsu)
Example: パンを ふたつ ください。 (Pan o futatsu kudasai. – Please give me two pieces of bread.)
2. People (Counters for Restaurant Tables)
• 1 person: ひとり (hitori)
• 2 people: ふたり (futari)
• 3 people: さんにん (sannin)
Example: ふたりです。 (Futari desu. – A table for two, please.)
3. Flat / Thin Items (Tickets, Menus) — Counter: ~まい (~mai)
• 1 sheet/ticket: いちまい (ichimai)
• 2 sheets/tickets: にまい (nimai)
Example: きっぷを いちまい ください。 (Kippu o ichimai kudasai. – One ticket, please.)
4. Cups / Glasses (Drinks) — Counter: ~はい (~hai / ~bai / ~pai)
• 1 cup/glass: いっぱい (ippai)
• 2 cups/glasses: にはい (nihai)
• 3 cups/glasses: さんばい (sanbai)
Example: コーヒーを いっぱい ください。 (Kōhī o ippai kudasai. – One cup of coffee, please.)
5. Common Pitfalls & Examiner Concerns
Make sure you avoid these common traps highlighted by Edexcel examiners:
1. びょういん (Hospital) vs. びよういん (Hairdresser/Beauty Salon):
Watch your small kana! びょういん (three morae: byo-u-in) is a hospital where you go when sick. びよういん (four morae: bi-yo-u-in) is a hair salon. Writing or pronouncing the wrong one changes the entire meaning of your role play or essay!
2. いくら (How much money) vs. いくつ (How many / How old):
• Use いくら (ikura) when asking for prices: これは いくらですか。 (How much is this?)
• Do not confuse it with いくつ (ikutsu), which asks for an amount/quantity or age.
3. Counting Food Items Correctly:
Never use raw Sino-Japanese numbers alone for food orders (e.g. avoid *いち ごはん). Always use native Japanese counters: ごはんを ひとつ ください (Gohan o hitotsu kudasai).
4. Particle Choice with Requests:
Always mark the item you want with the object particle を (o), not は (wa). Write みずを ください, not *みずは ください.
5. Pre-Meal vs. Post-Meal Greetings:
Remember: いただきます is strictly said before eating. ごちそうさまでした is strictly said after finishing your meal.
Quick Revision Checklist
• Can you state that you lost your wallet or passport using なくしました or 〜てしまいました?
• Can you ask for a table for two (ふたり) and order items using 〜を ください?
• Do you know the difference between いただきます and ごちそうさまでした?
• Can you ask how much an item costs using いくらですか?
• Can you ask permission to use a credit card using クレジットカードを つかってもいいですか?
• Do you spell びょういん (hospital) correctly without adding an extra large よ?