Read the signs in Japan
83 words you'll see on signs in Japan: in stations, shops and restaurants, on the street, and on toilets and other facilities. Pick what each sign says, read it, or find the Japanese for it.
Could you find your way by the signs alone?
About this quiz
Signs are short and full of kanji, and the same few come back again and again. Here, 行 is in 6 (急行、行き、一方通行), 止 is in 6 (立入禁止、撮影禁止、駐車禁止) and 禁 is in 5 (禁煙、立入禁止、撮影禁止). Learn those and many signs read themselves.
Each word is asked with the reading signs use, and what it means on a sign: 行き on a train is ゆき, "bound for".
What's in it
All 83 answers
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 駅 | えき | railway station; train station | Stations & trains |
| 出口 | でぐち | exit; way out | Stations & trains |
| 入口 | いりぐち | entrance; entry; gate | Stations & trains |
| 改札 | かいさつ | ticket gate; ticket barrier | Stations & trains |
| 乗り換え | のりかえ | transfer (trains, buses, etc.); change; connection | Stations & trains |
| 乗り場 | のりば | place for boarding vehicles | Stations & trains |
| 切符 | きっぷ | ticket | Stations & trains |
| 券売機 | けんばいき | ticket machine; ticket-vending machine | Stations & trains |
| 精算機 | せいさんき | fare adjustment machine; ticket adjustment machine | Stations & trains |
| 番線 | ばんせん | track number; platform number | Stations & trains |
| 各駅停車 | かくえきていしゃ | train that stops at every station; local train | Stations & trains |
| 快速 | かいそく | rapid-service train (not as fast as express) | Stations & trains |
| 急行 | きゅうこう | express (train) | Stations & trains |
| 特急 | とっきゅう | limited express (train for which a limited-express ticket is required) | Stations & trains |
| 終電 | しゅうでん | last train (of the day) | Stations & trains |
| 始発 | しはつ | first departure (of the day); first train; first bus | Stations & trains |
| 指定席 | していせき | reserved seat | Stations & trains |
| 自由席 | じゆうせき | unreserved seat; non-reserved seat | Stations & trains |
| 優先席 | ゆうせんせき | priority seat; courtesy seat | Stations & trains |
| 女性専用車 | じょせいせんようしゃ | women-only carriage (e.g. on a train) | Stations & trains |
| 到着 | とうちゃく | arrival | Stations & trains |
| 出発 | しゅっぱつ | departure; leaving; setting off | Stations & trains |
| 方面 | ほうめん | direction; district; area | Stations & trains |
| 行き | ゆき | bound for ... | Stations & trains |
| 階段 | かいだん | stairs; stairway; staircase | Stations & trains |
| 地下鉄 | ちかてつ | subway; metro; underground (railway) | Stations & trains |
| 連絡通路 | れんらくつうろ | (connecting) passageway; accessway; walk-through | Stations & trains |
| 営業中 | えいぎょうちゅう | open (for business) | Shops & restaurants |
| 準備中 | じゅんびちゅう | in preparation; (shop) not yet open for business | Shops & restaurants |
| 閉店 | へいてん | closing up shop (for the day) | Shops & restaurants |
| 開店 | かいてん | opening a shop (for the day); opening a new shop | Shops & restaurants |
| 定休日 | ていきゅうび | regular holiday; fixed day off; regular closing day | Shops & restaurants |
| 本日休業 | ほんじつきゅうぎょう | Closed Today | Shops & restaurants |
| 営業時間 | えいぎょうじかん | business hours; opening hours; office hours | Shops & restaurants |
| 自動ドア | じどうドア | automatic door | Shops & restaurants |
| 受付 | うけつけ | reception (desk); information desk; receptionist | Shops & restaurants |
| 案内所 | あんないじょ | information desk | Shops & restaurants |
| 両替 | りょうがえ | change; money exchange | Shops & restaurants |
| 免税 | めんぜい | tax exemption; duty exemption | Shops & restaurants |
| 売り切れ | うりきれ | sold-out | Shops & restaurants |
| 割引 | わりびき | discount; reduction; rebate | Shops & restaurants |
| 無料 | むりょう | free (of charge); gratuitous | Shops & restaurants |
| 有料 | ゆうりょう | fee-charging; paid; not free | Shops & restaurants |
| 危険 | きけん | danger; peril; hazard | Warnings & rules |
| 注意 | ちゅうい | caution; attention | Warnings & rules |
| 禁煙 | きんえん | No Smoking; Smoking Prohibited | Warnings & rules |
| 喫煙所 | きつえんじょ | smoking area; smoking corner | Toilets & facilities |
| 立入禁止 | たちいりきんし | No Entry; No Trespassing; No Admittance | Warnings & rules |
| 撮影禁止 | さつえいきんし | no photographs; no photography | Warnings & rules |
| 駐車禁止 | ちゅうしゃきんし | No Parking; Parking Prohibited | Warnings & rules |
| 止まれ | とまれ | Stop | Warnings & rules |
| 一方通行 | いっぽうつうこう | one-way traffic | Warnings & rules |
| 非常口 | ひじょうぐち | emergency exit | Warnings & rules |
| 非常ボタン | ひじょうボタン | emergency button | Warnings & rules |
| 消火器 | しょうかき | fire extinguisher | Warnings & rules |
| 避難場所 | ひなんばしょ | emergency evacuation site (typically outdoors); refuge shelter | Warnings & rules |
| 工事中 | こうじちゅう | under construction | Warnings & rules |
| 頭上注意 | ずじょうちゅうい | Watch Your Head | Warnings & rules |
| 関係者以外立入禁止 | かんけいしゃいがいたちいりきんし | No Unauthorized Persons; No Unauthorized Entry; Authorized Personnel Only | Warnings & rules |
| 通行止め | つうこうどめ | Road Closed; No Through Road; closed to traffic | Warnings & rules |
| 徐行 | じょこう | going at a reduced speed; slowing down | Warnings & rules |
| 横断歩道 | おうだんほどう | pedestrian crossing; crosswalk | Warnings & rules |
| お手洗い | おてあらい | toilet; restroom; lavatory | Toilets & facilities |
| 化粧室 | けしょうしつ | toilet; lavatory; powder room | Toilets & facilities |
| 男 | おとこ | man; male | Toilets & facilities |
| 女 | おんな | woman; female | Toilets & facilities |
| 多目的トイレ | たもくてきトイレ | accessible toilet; accessible restroom | Toilets & facilities |
| 駐車場 | ちゅうしゃじょう | parking lot; car park; carpark | Toilets & facilities |
| 駐輪場 | ちゅうりんじょう | parking area for bicycles; bicycle parking | Toilets & facilities |
| エレベーター | エレベーター | elevator; lift | Toilets & facilities |
| エスカレーター | エスカレーター | escalator | Toilets & facilities |
| 非常階段 | ひじょうかいだん | emergency staircase; fire escape | Toilets & facilities |
| 喫煙室 | きつえんしつ | smoking room; smoking compartment | Toilets & facilities |
| 授乳室 | じゅにゅうしつ | room for breast-feeding; nursing room | Toilets & facilities |
| 案内 | あんない | information; guidance | Toilets & facilities |
| コインロッカー | コインロッカー | coin-operated locker | Toilets & facilities |
| 病院 | びょういん | hospital; clinic; doctor's office | Toilets & facilities |
| 交番 | こうばん | police box; koban; small neighborhood police station | Toilets & facilities |
| 郵便局 | ゆうびんきょく | post office | Toilets & facilities |
| 銀行 | ぎんこう | bank; banking institution | Toilets & facilities |
| 温泉 | おんせん | hot spring | Toilets & facilities |
| 男湯 | おとこゆ | men's bath; men's section in a public bath | Toilets & facilities |
| 女湯 | おんなゆ | women's bath; women's section in a public bath | Toilets & facilities |
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