You are standing on the ground floor of Isetan Shinjuku, and everything around you is moving with quiet precision. A woman behind the cosmetics counter bows and presents a sample with both hands. Elevator chimes announce each floor in polite, unhurried Japanese. Somewhere below your feet, two basement levels of food stalls are doing brisk trade in wagyu bento boxes and seasonal confections wrapped like small works of art. A record 42.7 million international visitors came to Japan in 2025, and roughly 2.5 trillion yen of their spending went to shopping alone. If you want to do more than point and hope, the right Japanese vocabulary turns a confusing retail maze into one of the best shopping experiences on earth.
Navigating the Floors: Department Store Vocabulary
Japanese department stores are vertical cities. A single building might span ten floors above ground and two or three below, each dedicated to a different category. The kanji you will see most often is 階 (kai) — the counter for floors. First floor is 一階 (ikkai), second floor is 二階 (nikai), third floor is 三階 (sangai). Note that the third and some other floors use an irregular reading — sangai, not sankai.
Basement levels use the prefix 地下 (chika), meaning underground. B1 is 地下一階 (chika ikkai), and B2 is 地下二階 (chika nikai). You will see these on elevator panels and floor guide signs throughout every major store — Isetan, Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, Daimaru, and others.
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- 階 (kai) — floor, story
- 地下 (chika) — basement, underground
- 屋上 (okujou) — rooftop
- エレベーター (erebeetaa) — elevator
- エスカレーター (esukareetaa) — escalator
- 案内 (annai) — information, guide
- 売り場 (uriba) — sales floor, department
To ask where something is, use: 「〇〇売り場はどこですか？」 (〇〇 uriba wa doko desu ka?) — “Where is the 〇〇 department?” Fill in the blank with what you need: 紳士服 (shinshi-fuku) for menswear, 婦人服 (fujin-fuku) for womenswear, or 食品 (shokuhin) for food.
Depachika: The Basement Food Halls
The word デパ地下 (depachika) combines depāto (department store) and chika (basement), and it refers to the gourmet food floors found beneath nearly every major Japanese department store. The concept dates back to 1936, when Matsuzakaya opened the first basement food market at its flagship store in Nagoya. By 2000, depachika had become a cultural phenomenon in their own right, drawing food lovers who had no intention of shopping on any other floor.
What sets a depachika apart from a regular supermarket is the emphasis on presentation, seasonality, and gifting. Stalls sell everything from fresh sashimi and wagyu to exquisitely packaged sweets that change with the season — chestnut confections in autumn, cherry blossom mochi in spring. Many of these items are designed specifically as gifts, individually wrapped and boxed with the kind of care that makes the packaging itself feel like part of the product.
Useful depachika vocabulary:
- お弁当 (obentou) — boxed lunch, bento
- お菓子 (okashi) — sweets, confections
- 和菓子 (wagashi) — traditional Japanese sweets
- 洋菓子 (yougashi) — Western-style sweets
- 惣菜 (souzai) — prepared side dishes, deli items
- 試食 (shishoku) — free sample, tasting
If you see a small tray of samples, you can ask: 「試食してもいいですか？」 (shishoku shite mo ii desu ka?) — “May I try a sample?” Staff will almost always say yes with a smile.
Clothing Sizes: What You Need to Know Before the Fitting Room
Japanese clothing sizes run smaller than American and most European sizes, and the gap can be significant. For women, a US size 4 roughly translates to a Japanese size 9, and a US size 8 is around a Japanese 13. For men, Japanese shirts and jackets tend to have a slimmer cut even at the same labeled size. Pants in Japan are often labeled by waist measurement in centimeters rather than arbitrary size numbers, so a 28-inch waist becomes 71 cm.
Shoe sizes in Japan are measured in centimeters by foot length. A US men’s 10 is approximately a Japanese 28, and a US women’s 8 is about a 25. Japanese shoes also tend to run narrower than their Western equivalents, so width can be as much of an issue as length.
Fitting room vocabulary:
- 試着室 (shichaku-shitsu) — fitting room
- サイズ (saizu) — size
- 大きい (ookii) — big, large
- 小さい (chiisai) — small
- 色 (iro) — color
- 着てみてもいいですか (kite mite mo ii desu ka) — “May I try this on?”
To ask for a different size: 「もう少し大きいサイズはありますか？」 (mou sukoshi ookii saizu wa arimasu ka?) — “Do you have a slightly bigger size?” Swap 大きい for 小さい (chiisai) if you need smaller.
Tax-Free Shopping: 免税 and How It Works
Japan’s consumption tax is 10 percent on most goods (8 percent on food and non-alcoholic beverages for takeout). As a foreign visitor staying fewer than six months, you can shop tax-free at licensed stores — look for the 免税 (menzei) sign, often in red and white, or the English words “Tax-Free Shop.” The minimum purchase threshold is 5,000 yen (excluding tax) per store per day.
The current process works like this: you bring your items to a designated tax-free counter, present your passport, and the 10 percent tax is deducted at the point of sale. Your purchase is recorded electronically and linked to your passport. At the airport, customs may verify your purchases before departure. You should leave Japan within 90 days of the tax-free purchase for the exemption to remain valid.
One important change took effect on April 1, 2025: you are no longer eligible for tax-free shopping if you plan to ship your purchases home via international parcel. The items must leave Japan with you. And starting November 2026, the system shifts to a refund model — you will pay the full tax-inclusive price and apply for a refund at the airport before departure.
Key tax-free vocabulary:
- 免税 (menzei) — tax-free, tax exemption
- 免税店 (menzei-ten) — tax-free shop
- 消費税 (shouhizei) — consumption tax
- パスポート (pasupooto) — passport
- 税抜き (zeinuki) — price excluding tax
- 税込み (zeikomi) — price including tax
At the register, you can say: 「免税でお願いします。」 (menzei de onegai shimasu.) — “Tax-free, please.” Then hand over your passport. That single sentence can save you 10 percent on every qualifying purchase.
Souvenirs and Omiyage: More Than Just a Gift
The Japanese word for souvenir is お土産 (omiyage), but the concept carries far more weight than its English translation. Omiyage are gifts you bring back for friends, family, and colleagues — not trinkets for yourself. In Japanese culture, returning from a trip without omiyage for your coworkers can be seen as inconsiderate. The tradition traces back centuries to when villagers would pool money to send a representative to distant shrines, and the traveler would bring back small tokens for those who stayed behind.
The classic omiyage is a box of individually wrapped regional sweets — enough pieces so everyone in the office gets one. Every prefecture, city, and often every train station has its own signature treat. Tokyo has Tokyo Banana. Kyoto has yatsuhashi. Hokkaido has Shiroi Koibito. These items are designed for gift-giving: beautiful packaging, consistent portion counts, and a clear connection to place.
Souvenir vocabulary:
- お土産 (omiyage) — souvenir, gift from a trip
- 名物 (meibutsu) — local specialty, famous product
- 限定 (gentei) — limited edition
- 地域限定 (chiiki gentei) — regional exclusive
- 詰め合わせ (tsumeawase) — assorted set, variety pack
- 日持ち (himochi) — shelf life
A practical phrase when choosing gifts: 「日持ちはどのくらいですか？」 (himochi wa dono kurai desu ka?) — “How long does this keep?” Essential when you are buying edible souvenirs days before your flight home. And avoid buying in sets of four — the Japanese word for four (四, shi) sounds like the word for death (死, shi), making it an unlucky number for gifts.
If you want to go beyond buying souvenirs and actually make something yourself, consider booking a traditional lacquerware workshop in Kyoto, where you can learn the centuries-old maki-e technique and take home a hand-decorated tray or pendant as a one-of-a-kind keepsake.
Paying: Cash, Cards, and the Phrases That Close the Deal
Most department stores, chain retailers, and convenience stores accept credit cards and IC cards like Suica and Pasmo. Smaller shops in shotengai or rural areas may still be cash-only, so carrying some yen is always wise.
Payment vocabulary:
- 会計 (kaikei) — bill, check
- 現金 (genkin) — cash
- カード (kaado) — card
- クレジットカード (kurejitto kaado) — credit card
- 電子マネー (denshi manee) — electronic money, e-payment
- レシート (reshiito) — receipt
- お釣り (otsuri) — change
To ask about payment options: 「カードは使えますか？」 (kaado wa tsukaemasu ka?) — “Can I use a card?” And when you are ready to pay: 「お会計お願いします。」 (okaikei onegai shimasu.) — “The check, please.” At the register, you will notice a small tray where you place your cash or card. Use it — handing money directly to the cashier is considered less polite.
Asking About Colors, Stock, and Availability
You have found something you like, but you want it in a different color or need to know if they have more in the back. A few targeted phrases make these conversations effortless.
- 「他の色はありますか？」 (hoka no iro wa arimasu ka?) — “Do you have other colors?”
- 「これの黒はありますか？」 (kore no kuro wa arimasu ka?) — “Do you have this in black?”
- 「在庫はありますか？」 (zaiko wa arimasu ka?) — “Do you have this in stock?”
- 「新しいのはありますか？」 (atarashii no wa arimasu ka?) — “Do you have a new one?”
Essential color words:
- 黒 (kuro) — black
- 白 (shiro) — white
- 赤 (aka) — red
- 青 (ao) — blue
- 緑 (midori) — green
- 紺 (kon) — navy
Where to Shop: Shotengai, Underground Malls, and Beyond
Not all shopping in Japan happens in department stores. 商店街 (shoutengai) are traditional shopping streets — often covered arcades lined with small, independent shops — that have been community hubs for generations. There are an estimated 15,000 shotengai still operating across Japan. These streets cluster near train stations and temples, offering everything from handmade tofu and fresh tea to vintage clothing and kitchen knives. Prices tend to be lower than department stores, and the atmosphere is far more personal.
Then there are the underground malls, called 地下街 (chikagai). These sprawling subterranean networks extend beneath major rail stations in cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. Tenjin Chikagai in Fukuoka is one of the most famous. Tokyo has several, including the historic Asakusa Chikagai, established in the 1950s and largely unchanged since — a genuine time capsule of Showa-era retail.
Shopping district vocabulary:
- 商店街 (shoutengai) — shopping street, market arcade
- 地下街 (chikagai) — underground shopping mall
- 市場 (ichiba) — market
- 専門店 (senmon-ten) — specialty shop
- ドラッグストア (doraggu sutoa) — drugstore (popular with tourists for cosmetics and snacks)
- 百円ショップ (hyaku-en shoppu) — 100-yen shop
Gift Wrapping: The Art of Tsutsumi
In Japan, how a gift is wrapped matters as much as what is inside. The tradition of 包み (tsutsumi) — wrapping — stretches back over a thousand years to the Heian period, when court nobles wrapped gifts in silk as a sign of status and respect. Today, Japanese department stores offer wrapping as a standard, complimentary service. The most common technique is 斜め包み (naname-tsutsumi), or diagonal wrapping, which produces clean creases and uses less paper than Western methods.
You can also encounter 風呂敷 (furoshiki) — traditional wrapping cloths that have been used since at least the Nara period. A furoshiki is reusable, beautiful, and makes a thoughtful gift on its own.
To request gift wrapping at a store, say: 「プレゼント用に包んでもらえますか？」 (purezento-you ni tsutsunde moraemasu ka?) — “Could you wrap this as a gift?” In most department stores, the staff will not even blink. Wrapping is part of the service.
If you need a bag: 「袋をお願いします。」 (fukuro wo onegai shimasu.) — “A bag, please.” Note that since Japan’s plastic bag charge took effect in 2020, many shops charge a small fee for bags, so you may hear 「袋はいりますか？」 (fukuro wa irimasu ka?) — “Do you need a bag?”
A Few Phrases That Work Everywhere
Whether you are in a Ginza department store or a narrow shotengai stall in Osaka, these phrases will carry you through nearly any shopping interaction:
- 「これはいくらですか？」 (kore wa ikura desu ka?) — “How much is this?”
- 「見ているだけです。」 (mite iru dake desu.) — “I am just looking.”
- 「これをください。」 (kore wo kudasai.) — “I will take this, please.”
- 「少し安くなりますか？」 (sukoshi yasuku narimasu ka?) — “Can you give a small discount?” (appropriate in markets and electronics stores, not in department stores)
- 「ありがとうございます。」 (arigatou gozaimasu.) — “Thank you very much.”
Shopping in Japan is not just a transaction. It is a system built on courtesy, precision, and an attention to detail that shows up in everything from the way your change is counted back to the way your purchase is wrapped. The vocabulary in this guide is your key to participating in that system rather than standing outside it — and it will save you real money along the way, especially at the tax-free counter.
If you want to build this kind of practical fluency before your trip, Tabiji Academy’s lesson plans are designed to get you speaking confidently in exactly these situations. Explore our lesson plans and start practicing the phrases that will make your next trip to Japan feel less like tourism and more like fluency in motion.
