Given the vast numbers of foreign tourists that visit Japan each year, the obvious answer might seem like a no, but that’s not entirely true.
When you see a photo like the one above, you would immediately think you need to know your Japanese to get around in Japan. The truth is it always helps to know a country’s language to get around, but in the case of Japan, it very much depends on where you plan to visit.
Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka are known as the “big 3” destinations for foreign tourists visiting Japan. As such, they’ve become places that are well accustomed to non-Japanese speakers, and you’ll find many foreign workers employed in customer service too.
Location is key
If you were to travel to prefectures away from the big 3 tourist cities of Japan, getting by without knowing Japanese starts to become more challenging. During my time in Kitakyushu, on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, I found a decreased number of English signage in the city and fewer English-speaking Japanese folk present.
Restaurant menus would often be completely in Japanese, and staff were less likely to know any English. My advice to you would be to brush up on the basics of Japanese, such as reading hiragana and katakana and some basic kanji, as these skills helped me a whole bunch in working things out and figuring out what to order at restaurants.
Translation tools help!
I’ve never been a strong advocate for translation tools, as it seems like a cop out from learning the country’s language. But the reality is, most people don’t have time to get good at Japanese before their little 2-week vacation there, so for those people I would absolutely recommend translation tools!
I personally am a big fan of Google Lens, which allows you to scan Japanese text and get a translation into whatever language you choose. While I prefer to stay away from voice translations when talking to people, as I like to get some conversation practice in, I’ve had friends from Australia come and use it with amazing results!
So, do I need to know Japanese to visit Japan?
No, you don’t need to know Japanese to visit Japan, but you’ll definitely want to! From what I’ve seen with my own non-Japanese speaking family and friends who come to visit, they often wind up trying to learn on the go. The fascination with Japanese signs or announcements on the train often leads to questions from my companions like “What does gozaimasu mean?”
Even without knowing a speck of Japanese, you’ll pick up on repeated words, phrases, and written characters during your trip, and chances are you’ll be whipping out your translation tool at every moment as you try to learn on the go out of your own curiosity.
So, to save yourself some hassle during your trip, my recommendation is to learn basic hiragana and katakana, which only takes a few days using memory hint apps, and I would also advise checking out my post on the most common Japanese expressions!
To learn more about life in Japan, check out my book: The Japanese Pursuit of Perfection. This book features my most profound observations of Japanese culture and society as a foreign resident. Available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover. Grab your copy today!