Japanese for life in Japan — the phrases you need at city hall, the bank and more
Your first weeks in Japan are full of paperwork and new routines: registering your address, opening a bank account, getting a phone plan, figuring out the trash days. Staff are usually kind, but they speak fast, polite Japanese — and many offices have little English support.
Knowing the handful of phrases that come up in each situation makes a huge difference. You'll understand what you're being asked, and you'll know how to answer.
Situations to prepare for
- Registering your address at city hall — 転入届, residence card, My Number
- Opening a bank account — personal seal (印鑑) or signature, when the cash card arrives
- Getting a phone plan — data amount, contract terms
- Looking for an apartment — 敷金・礼金, guarantor companies
- Asking how to sort the trash — burnable, non-burnable, recyclables
- Shopping at a convenience store — 温めますか？ 袋はご利用ですか？
- Redelivery and sending a parcel, Buying medicine at a pharmacy, Reporting a lost item at a police box, A part-time job interview
Each page has a natural sample dialogue with furigana and romaji, the key phrases with examples, casual vs polite versions, and a culture tip — with audio.
Practice before you go
Reading helps, but saying it out loud is what makes it come out on the day. On Tuned you can practice each scene in 3 steps: copy the model dialogue, build it up bit by bit, then role-play with an AI partner who plays the clerk. Explanations come in your own language.