I found navigating in Tokyo quite easy; the system is labyrinthine but the signs are magnificent, so patience and the ability to read (English) will get you a long way. Accessibility is harder; there are elevators, but they're often hard to find. You or your companion might want to learn the Japanese word for elevator (which may well be erevato, but I'm not sure).
An embarrassing assortment and variety of people speak at least some English, and I managed on my first trip with no vocabulary whatsoever. I think you need two words:
"Domo" or "Domo arigato" or "Domo arigato goza-i-mas" are all ways of saying thank you, which one says all the time.
"Sumimasen" means something between "excuse me" and "I'm sorry," and is the thing a polite person says whenever they need or want anything, or make a mistake, or don't know what else to say, or might be inconveniencing someone (i.e., all the time). I've also noticed over the years that Japanese people treat me differently if I use that phrase, like I might be more civilized than they expected.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2006-06-13 02:06 pm (UTC)An embarrassing assortment and variety of people speak at least some English, and I managed on my first trip with no vocabulary whatsoever. I think you need two words:
"Domo" or "Domo arigato" or "Domo arigato goza-i-mas" are all ways of saying thank you, which one says all the time.
"Sumimasen" means something between "excuse me" and "I'm sorry," and is the thing a polite person says whenever they need or want anything, or make a mistake, or don't know what else to say, or might be inconveniencing someone (i.e., all the time). I've also noticed over the years that Japanese people treat me differently if I use that phrase, like I might be more civilized than they expected.
Oh, and "wakarimasen" means "I don't understand."
That will get you through.