Learn about buying a train ticket
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Yoshi, Chigusa:おはよう東京。 |
| Yoshi: ヨシです。 |
| Chigusa: チグサです。 |
| Yoshi: Peter here, survival phrases number 27. Alright, back again with rail traveling part two of four. Now last week we went on and one but there was so much introduced and we left out so much. Now that’s why you want to stop by japanesepod101.com. Extra material inside the post, inside the forms, PDFs with more information, plus learning to reinforce it all. So stop by, say hi, leave us a post. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Yoshi: Now let’s clean up some points we didn’t get across last week. Now traveling in Japan around cities, there are a couple of times that you really want to avoid, really, really want to avoid if possible. You know you got your big bags, you are tired, the last thing you want to do is be on a jam packed train. Now in Japan it’s one thing they definitely are not short on. There are jam packed trains everywhere. So what times do we want to avoid Chigusa San? |
| Chigusa: The morning and evening rush hours which are 7:30 to 9:30 in the morning and 5 to 7 in the afternoon. |
| Yoshi: Yes, please do not travel at those times if possible. You are going to have your bags, you are going to get pushed, shoved. I mean Chigusa San, how bad is it in Tokyo? |
| Chigusa: It’s the worst really. You are going to hate Japan if you experience the rush hour, so I really don’t recommend for you to get on. |
| Yoshi: Just stay off the train. |
| Chigusa: Stay off. |
| Yoshi: You know it’s tolerable but if you have your bags and your possessions you really want to avoid it. So again these are big cities. If you are out more towards the countryside feel free to kind of move around more but Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, these times, yeah. So just little something to kind of think about before you kind of jump in. Now how do we say rush hour in Japanese Chigusa San? |
| Chigusa: ラッシュ |
| Yoshi: Which is short for? |
| Chigusa: Rush hour. |
| Yoshi: Now this is on a day to day basis. Yoshi San how about times of year? What times of the year do you want to avoid? |
| Yoshi: There are a couple times you want to avoid. One is お正月. |
| Yoshi: New Years. And this is about one week right? |
| Yoshi: Yes. |
| Yoshi: Okay. Again kind of depending on what days the vacation falls and what day comes on but it’s going to be a week at the end of the year, the whole country, again vacations together. Next? |
| Yoshi: ゴールデンウィーク |
| Yoshi: And this wasn’t too long ago. At the end of April, beginning of May, 5 holidays. And although they are not always consecutive, they are usually grouped close together so it winds up being about 5 or 6 days when you add in the weekend. So this is another big holiday season. |
| Yoshi: And the last but not least お盆 |
| Yoshi: Ok Yoshi San. Please tell us about this one. |
| Yoshi: It’s event that everyone, so many people go home to join the ceremony and お盆is for paying respect for the dead. |
| Yoshi: Okay. Can you tell us a little bit more? |
| Yoshi: It’s in the middle of August and I think different places have different ways to do it |
| Yoshi: But most of them are going home and being with your family. So that’s why the season is extremely high travel. |
| Yoshi: Yes. |
| Yoshi: The travel prices in August, sky rocket. From June, the end of June, middle of June and kind of the middle of November are the cheapest seasons so you are looking at a plane ticket increasing three times what it was in June when it becomes August. Just really expensive. So if you are looking to travel, yes, you might want to avoid August. Plus how is Japan in August? |
| Yoshi: Hot and humid. |
| Yoshi: Oh yes, really hot and humid. So these three holiday seasons, that is just like a nonstop rush hour. So just a couple things we want to point out to you so you are well aware of what’s going on inside Japan. Now last week we were talking about the Japan rail pass and we were telling you about the green rail pass and that you can use the Shinkansen and other things. Now when using this you have to go get the tickets and where do you get the tickets Yoshi San? |
| Yoshi: みどりの窓口 |
| Yoshi: Translates to green window, green windows. Now it’s not a window at all, it’s a counter. A big counter with lots of people from JR working there. And what you do is you buy tickets for long distance destinations. Most tickets for local destinations you can buy at the vending machine. Really cool by the way and the subject of one of our next lessons but for now we are talking about long distance traveling. One that tries to group the themes together quite well so the first is kind of macro, the whole view of Japan, the big rail pass going to multiple places and now we are going to cover, getting...using your rail pass to get the local tickets. So now we want to cover is, using the rail pass plus maybe if you don’t get the rail pass buying a ticket for long destinations, maybe Tokyo, Kyoto or things like that. We will cover macro to micro, bigger to smaller. So the first thing you got to do when you get to the station is you have to find the green window which is, one more time Yoshi San? |
| Yoshi: みどりの窓口 |
| Yoshi: Okay. So Yoshi San, how can we ask in Japanese, “Where is the green window?” |
| Yoshi: みどりの窓口どこにありますか？ |
| Yoshi: Or we can say? |
| Chigusa: みどりの窓口はどこですか？ |
| Yoshi: Ok, two ways. Now up until now we had the construction, something, something はどこですか, but today we are introducing a new construction and this is |
| Yoshi: はどこにありますか？ |
| Yoshi: Where is there どこですか where is, どこにありますかwhere is there, the green window. So if you remember a few lessons back we did directions, so Yoshi San is going to ask Chigusa San, where is the green window and Chigusa San is going to direct Yoshi to it. Here we go. |
| Yoshi: すみません。 |
| Chigusa: はい。 |
| Yoshi: みどりの窓口はどこにありますか？ |
| Chigusa: ここをまっすぐ行って、左の、改札口の隣にあります。 |
| Yoshi: はい。ありがとうございました。 |
| Yoshi: Ok, one more time. |
| Yoshi: すみません。みどりの窓口はどこにありますか？ |
| Chigusa: ここをまっすぐ行って、左の、改札口の隣にあります。 |
| Yoshi: Now this time with translation. |
| Yoshi: すみません。 |
| Yoshi: Excuse me. |
| Yoshi: みどりの窓口はどこにあるますか？ |
| Yoshi: Where is the green window? |
| Chigusa: ここをまっすぐ行って |
| Yoshi: Go straight from here. |
| Chigusa: 左の改札口の隣にあります。 |
| Yoshi: It’s on the left next to the turnstiles, the ticket entrance. Okay. So a new word in there. What’s that work Chigusa San? |
| Chigusa: 改札口 |
| Yoshi: Break it down. |
| Chigusa: か・い・さ・つ・ぐ・ち、改札口 |
| Yoshi: Very nice. Now once we get to the green window it’s not a window at all, it’s a room so you go in through the automatic doors and there will be a line and you will wait in line to talk to one of the representatives. So once you get there you have to ask about your tickets. So what we want to do now is go over some vocabulary and a quick dialog associated with getting a ticket because there are reserved seats, non-reserved seats, smoking car, non-smoking car. So imagine if you are a non-smoker and you wind up in a smoking car. Your trip is not going to be fun. And for those smokers out there, you know, maybe this is your chance, a smoking car. So probably though once you ride in it’s pretty bad, it’s really smoky. Sometimes you have to go through it to get to your seat or to the bathroom, it’s pretty bad. So what we want to do now is introduce you to some of these words and a quick dialog to make sure you get the right seat and the one you want, ok? The first word, Yoshi San? |
| Yoshi: 片道 |
| Yoshi: One way. |
| Yoshi: か・た・み・ち、片道 |
| Chigusa: 往復 |
| Yoshi: Round trip. |
| Chigusa: お・う・ふ・く、往復 |
| Yoshi: グリーン車 |
| Yoshi: First class. |
| Yoshi: ぐ・り・い・ん・しゃ、グリーン車 |
| Chigusa: 指定席 |
| Yoshi: Reserved seat. |
| Chigusa: し・て・い・せ・き、指定席 |
| Yoshi: 自由席 |
| Yoshi: Free seat or none reserved. |
| Yoshi: じ・ゆ・う・せ・き、自由席 |
| Yoshi: These are cheaper but you are not guaranteed a seat or a seat together so better line up fast. If you get these seats, get there ahead of time, get to the platform and wait there. That way you are sure to get a seat because sometimes, I remember that I had to stand. So you are allowed on the train but actually there are no seats. For reserved seats nothing to worry about, right Chigusa San? |
| Chigusa: Right. Take your time and enjoy the trip. |
| Yoshi: Oh Chigusa San. You sound like a lot of fun to go traveling with. Now we are going to introduce some words talking about what kind of seat you want. First we have. |
| Yoshi: 席 |
| Yoshi: Seat. |
| Yoshi: せ・き、席 |
| Chigusa: 窓側の席 |
| Yoshi: Window seat. |
| Chigusa: ま・ど・が・わ・の・せ・き、窓側の席 |
| Yoshi: Window seat. You definitely want to ask for those, definitely. |
| Chigusa: Also we have 通路側の席 |
| Yoshi: And what’s that? |
| Chigusa: Aisle seat. |
| Yoshi: Who wants an aisle seat, Chigusa San? |
| Chigusa: I do. |
| Yoshi: Why? |
| Chigusa: Because sometimes it’s easier for you to get in and out of your seat. |
| Yoshi: But people are always bumping you, shoving you, lady comes by with the card and hits your elbow. |
| Chigusa: No, but sometimes people prefer the aisle seat, you know. |
| Yoshi: Yeah, I should really go traveling with you. I never get the window seat. You wouldn’t even want it. That way I can get it. It works out perfectly. |
| Chigusa: Right. So we should go. |
| Yoshi: The look on your face. |
| Chigusa: And you pay for it. |
| Yoshi: I know... I know there was something to it. Sounded too good to be true. Ok, next? |
| Yoshi: 喫煙席 |
| Yoshi: Smoking seat. |
| Yoshi: き・つ・え・ん・せ・き、喫煙席 |
| Yoshi: And then we have? |
| Chigusa: 禁煙席 |
| Yoshi: Non-smoking. |
| Chigusa: き・ん・え・ん・せ・き、禁煙席 |
| Yoshi: Okay. How do we say reservation? |
| Yoshi: 予約 |
| Yoshi: Now I want to make a reservation? |
| Chigusa: 予約したいんですが |
| Yoshi: Alright. もう一度お願いします。ゆっくりお願いします |
| Chigusa: よやく、したいんですが |
| Yoshi: Remember in order to soften it we add |
| Chigusa: んですが |
| Yoshi: Okay. 予約to make it into a verb we add |
| Yoshi: する |
| Yoshi: And the way we say want with the verb する is? |
| Yoshi: したい |
| Yoshi: Okay. So added all together we have? |
| Chigusa: したいんですが |
| Yoshi: Alright. Now before that to describe what kind of seat we want. We add the seat and the type. For example if I want a window seat reservation I would say? |
| Yoshi: 窓側の席を予約したいんですが |
| Yoshi: If I want a non-smoking seat, I would say? |
| Chigusa: 禁煙席画を予約したいんですが。 |
| Yoshi: If I want a non-reserved seat I would say? |
| Yoshi: 自由駅を予約したいんですが。 |
| Yoshi: Now we are going to have a quick dialog and in this dialog Yoshi San has the JR pass. Here we go. |
| Yoshi: すみません。京都へ行きたいんですが。 |
| Chigusa: はい、かしこまりました。 |
| Yoshi: JRパスがありますが。 |
| Chigusa: はい、かしこまりました。 |
| Yoshi: 禁煙席を予約したいんですが。 |
| Chigusa: はい、少々お待ちください。2時10分発車です。3番線でございます。ありがとうざいます。 |
| Yoshi: ありがとうございました。 |
| Yoshi: Okay. One more time with translation. Here we go. |
| Yoshi: すみません。 |
| Yoshi: Excuse me. |
| Yoshi: 京都へ行きたいんですが。 |
| Yoshi: I would like to go to Kyoto. |
| Chigusa: はい、かしこまりました。 |
| Yoshi: Yes I understand. |
| Yoshi: JRパスがありますが。 |
| Yoshi: I have a JR rail pass. |
| Chigusa: はい、かしこまりました。 |
| Yoshi: Okay. |
| Yoshi: 禁煙席を予約したいんですが。 |
| Yoshi: I want to reserve a non-smoking seat. |
| Yoshi: 窓側の席を予約したいんですが。 |
| Yoshi: I want to reserve a window seat. |
| Chigusa: はい、少々お待ちください。 |
| Yoshi: Yes, please wait a minute. |
| Chigusa: 2時10分発車です。 |
| Yoshi: It leaves at 2:10. |
| Chigusa: 3番線でございます。 |
| Yoshi: It is the third line. |
| Chigusa: ありがとうざいます。 |
| Yoshi: Thank you. |
| Yoshi: ありがとうございました。 |
| Yoshi: Thank you. Now the Japanese in here were a little advanced so what we are going to do is give you an even easier version and what it says in the first line, he`ll hand the JR pass to the person or show the person so it’s a simultaneous action. He is speaking and showing the JR pass. Remember, easy version. Here we go. |
| Yoshi: すみません。京都までお願いします。 |
| Chigusa: はい、かしこまりました。 |
| Yoshi: JRパスがありますが。 |
| Chigusa: はい、少々お待ちください。 |
| Yoshi: 窓！側の席をお願いします。 |
| Chigusa: はい。2時10分発車です。3番線でございます。ありがとうざいます。 |
| Yoshi: ありがとうございます。 |
| Yoshi: Okay. So in this one the place までお願いします. The places I want to go. Same meaning. To here please, but it’s a much easier way to say it. Again this is the one we are using taxis. Destination までお願いします. The instead of the reservation just the type of seat and again |
| Yoshi: をお願いします。 |
Outro |
| Yoshi: Alright. Again more about this inside the PDF. Today again we ran along but there is so much we want to introduce you because there is so much going on here. Alright. That’s going to do for today. |
| Yoshi: またね。 |
| Chigusa: またね。 |
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