Channel 02 · Fix it now
Japan travel problems, fixed now
Six situations that account for most travel emergencies that aren't emergencies. Read the one that's happening to you and ignore the rest.
Quick fix
Almost nothing here costs you the day. Trains run again in minutes, fares can be adjusted at the gate, lost items are handed in, and station staff solve problems for a living. Ask before you improvise.
CH.01
I missed my train
- On a local or rapid line, nothing happens: tap in again and take the next one, usually within minutes.
- On a shinkansen with a reserved seat, your ticket is still valid the same day in the non-reserved cars of a later train on the same route. Go to the platform and board a non-reserved car.
- On a discounted or pass-linked seat, go to the JR ticket office (midori-no-madoguchi) before leaving the station and show the ticket.
Say this
Densha ni nori-okuremashita — I missed my train.
CH.02
I got off at the wrong station
- Don't leave through the gates. Look for the platform going the other way and ride back — inside the paid area you usually pay nothing extra.
- If you already exited, use the fare adjustment machine (seisanki) next to the gates before arguing with anyone.
- Check whether your line has local, rapid and express services. Most 'wrong station' problems are actually an express that didn't stop.
Say this
Kono densha wa ___ ni tomarimasu ka? — Does this train stop at ___?
CH.03
I lost something
- Japan's lost and found genuinely works. Report it the same day.
- On a train, go to any station office on the line and give the line, time and car number if you know it.
- Anywhere else, go to the nearest koban (police box). Wallets and phones are handed in far more often than you'd expect.
Say this
Wasuremono o shimashita — I left something behind.
CH.04
They only take cash and I have none
- Find a 7-Eleven, Lawson or Family Mart: their ATMs accept foreign cards 24 hours a day.
- Japan Post ATMs also work, but keep bank hours in smaller towns.
- Withdraw more than you think you need. Rural buses, small restaurants, temples and lockers are frequently cash only.
Say this
Kaado wa tsukaemasu ka? — Can I use a card?
CH.05
Nobody around me speaks English
- Stop speaking and start showing. Type the sentence into a translation app and turn the screen around — this is normal here, not rude.
- Point at the item, the map or the photo. Staff will usually take over from there.
- In a station, look for the office with the green sign; in a department store, the information counter. Those staff are trained for it.
Say this
Sumimasen, tasukete kudasai — Excuse me, could you help me?
CH.06
My phone died and I have no map
- Every station has a printed area map at the exits, with your hotel's block usually marked.
- Convenience stores sell cables and charging banks; large stations have paid charging lockers.
- Show the hotel's business card to a taxi driver — that card is the reason hotels give it to you.
Say this
Kono hoteru made onegaishimasu — To this hotel, please.
Common mistakes travelers make in Japan
- Walking out through the ticket gates before sorting out a fare problem.
- Raising your voice or speaking faster in English. Writing it down works far better.
- Giving up on a lost item because you assume it's gone.
- Travelling with no cash at all because your card works at home.