Imagine two strangers flying from the exact same city in their home country to the exact same city in Japan and staying for the same number of days. When both people boarded the plane, neither could speak a word of Japanese. However, a few hours later when they departed the plane, the first person had learned a few common Japanese phrases using the JapanesePod101 downloadable lesson notes.
By learning just a few Japanese survival phrases, the first traveler avoided getting lost, met wonderful new people, and had a great time. The second person got off the plane without even knowing a simple Japanese greeting or any survival phrases and ended up getting lost, ordering the wrong food, and generally having a bad travel experience!
It was the same exact trip and virtually identical itineraries but one traveler had the time of their life while the other couldn’t wait to get back home. Could learning a few important Japanese phrases truly create such a different travel experience? In a word: Yes!! But why?
Of course you can’t possibly learn Japanese in a day or and definitely not on one flight, but here are three reasons why even learning some basic or common Japanese phrases can dramatically change your travel experience—for the better!
Why settle for the usual “tourist traps” or travelling to Japan as an outsider when just a few useful Japanese phrases can help you literally experience the culture? Every situation is an opportunity to meet new people and experience a new culture, but that won’t happen if you only speak your native tongue. A few Japanese survival phrases can help you find better food, better prices, and ultimately have a better experience during your travels.
Have you ever been approached by a foreign tourist who didn’t know any of your native tongue? There really isn’t much you can do to help them if you can’t understand them, right? Well, it’s no different for locals in Japan when they meet tourists who don’t know any of the language. But, if you can even muster a basic Japanese greeting and learn just a few survival phrases, then the locals not only have a better idea of what you need—they are actually much more willing to help! And if you can also learn a few common Japanese phrases and some simple questions, then having a conversation (albeit basic) with locals is entirely possible!
No matter how much planning you do, the unexpected always seems to happen when traveling. That’s why you really need to know a few basic Japanese survival phrases in case of an emergency, such as:
You honestly don’t have to be fluent in Japanese to safely travel to Japan. But, to enhance your safety and make sure you are prepared in case of emergencies, be sure to at least learn some core Japanese survival phrases so you can at least communicate on a basic level.
JapanesePod101 is the world’s most advanced online language learning system and is designed to help you achieve your goals. For people who want to fully learn and master Japanese, our proven system has already helped create more than 100,000 success stories. But, for those that may be traveling to Japan for business or vacation, we can also help you quickly learn Japanese survival phrases—even on the flight over! Here’s how:
Our Survival Phrases Series and Learn Japanese in 3 Minutes videos are adapted short audio and video lessons especially designed to teach you greetings, polite expressions, and how to ask for directions, order in restaurants, etc. So instead of teaching you loads of grammar rules, these features provide you with all of the important Japanese vocabulary and phrases you will need to travel or visit Japan on business.
To help you learn and master the essential vocabulary and Japanese survival phrases in the shortest time possible, JapanesePod101 provides Spaced Repetition Flashcards. Even in the short span of a flight, these learning tools help your mind code the new information so that it’s easy to recall later on when you need it!
Have full access to JapanesePod101 tools and features like the Dictionary, Survival Phrases, Pronunciation Tools and every single lesson and tool at your fingertips with our Learning-on-the-Go app! You can even download the tools you want (in convenient PDF format) so that you don’t even need Internet access to use them! So whatever your situation, the JapanesePod101 Learning-on-the-Go App is there to provide you with the survival phrases, vocab, and tools you need!
Learning a few important Japanese phrases can not only dramatically enhance your travel experience to Japan, it can also enhance your safety and ensure you return home safe and secure. From finding better places to eat to being able to ask for directions and engage with locals, learning even a little Japanese can dramatically change your travel experience. JapanesePod101 is the world’s leading online language learning system and has special tools and features to help you learn Japanese survival phrases, greetings, and make the most out of your business or vacation in Japan—all in just hours!
