Japanese for the Cloakroom: Asking When It Closes and When You Can Pick Up Your Coat
Learn to ask at a Japanese venue counter until what time the cloakroom accepts and returns coats, and whether pickup after the event is possible.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
At concerts, theatres and event halls in Japan, you often hand your coat or bag to staff at a クローク (kurooku, cloakroom). The key practical skill is not memorising opening hours, which vary by venue and event, but asking staff directly: until what time can they keep your things, and can you collect them after the performance ends? This lesson gives you polite counter questions using 何時まで (nanji made, until what time), 預かってもらえますか (azukatte moraemasu ka, can you hold it for me), 受け取り (uketori, collection), 閉まります (shimarimasu, closes) and 終演後 (shuen-go, after the performance). You will also learn to ask 混みますか (komimasu ka, does it get crowded?) so you can plan your pickup. All patterns are polite question forms suitable for speaking to staff at a counter.
By the end, you can…
- ask until what time the cloakroom can hold my coat.
- confirm whether I can collect my belongings after the event ends.
- ask whether the pickup area gets crowded and plan accordingly.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
すみません、クロークは何時まで預かってもらえますか。
Excuse me, until what time can the cloakroom hold my things?
Sumimasen, kurooku wa nanji made azukatte moraemasu ka.
Polite opening at the counter. 預かってもらえますか asks whether staff can keep your item for you; it does not state a fixed closing time.
終わった後も大丈夫ですか。
Is it all right even after it finishes?
Owatta ato mo daijoubu desu ka.
Use this to check whether pickup is possible after the event ends. It is a yes/no confirmation question, not a request for a specific time.
受け取りは終演後でもいいですか。
Is pickup after the performance all right?
Uketori wa shuen-go demo ii desu ka.
終演後 means after the performance ends. 受け取りは…でもいいですか asks whether collection at that time is acceptable.
何時までに受け取りに来ればいいですか。
By what time should I come to collect it?
Nanji made ni uketori ni kureba ii desu ka.
Asks for the pickup deadline. 何時までに (by what time) is different from 何時まで (until what time); here you want the latest acceptable collection time.
終演後は混みますか。
Does it get crowded after the performance?
Shuen-go wa komimasu ka.
混みますか asks whether it will be busy. Use it to decide whether to wait or hurry; it does not ask for a guarantee.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 何時まで預かってもらえますか (nanji made azukatte moraemasu ka). 何時まで means 'until what time', and 預かってもらえますか means 'can you keep it for me?'. For example: クロークは何時まで預かってもらえますか。 To ask about collection after the event, use 終わった後も大丈夫ですか (owatta ato mo daijoubu desu ka) or 受け取りは終演後でもいいですか (uketori wa shuen-go demo ii desu ka). To ask about the deadline, use 何時までに受け取りに来ればいいですか (nanji made ni uketori ni kureba ii desu ka). These are polite question forms; they ask staff to confirm the situation rather than assuming a fixed rule.
When to use it
Use these questions when you are at the cloakroom counter before the event, handing over a coat or bag. Start with すみません (sumimasen) to get attention, then ask 何時まで預かってもらえますか。 If you plan to leave before the end or stay late, confirm with 終わった後も大丈夫ですか。 If you want to know the latest pickup time, ask 何時までに受け取りに来ればいいですか。 Before the event ends, you can also ask 終演後は混みますか (shuen-go wa komimasu ka) to plan whether to wait. If staff say 閉まります (shimarimasu, it closes) at a certain time, you can confirm with 何時までですか (nanji made desu ka, until what time is that?).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、コートを預かってもらえますか。
Excuse me, can you hold my coat?Sumimasen, kooto o azukatte moraemasu ka.はい、大丈夫です。クロークは何時まで預かってもらえますか。
Yes, that's fine. Until what time can the cloakroom hold it?Hai, daijoubu desu. Kurooku wa nanji made azukatte moraemasu ka.終わった後も大丈夫ですか。受け取りは終演後でもいいですか。
Is it all right even after it finishes? Is pickup after the performance all right?Owatta ato mo daijoubu desu ka. Uketori wa shuen-go demo ii desu ka.はい、終演後は混みますか。何時までに受け取りに来ればいいですか。
Yes, does it get crowded after the performance? By what time should I come to collect it?Hai, shuen-go wa komimasu ka. Nanji made ni uketori ni kureba ii desu ka.A little context goes a long way
At Japanese venues, cloakroom staff often give short, practical answers. Politeness comes from using すみません to open and 〜てもらえますか or 〜でもいいですか to ask. Avoid demanding a guarantee; instead, ask 何時まで and 大丈夫ですか to confirm. If staff say 閉まります, ask 何時までですか to clarify. Crowds after 終演後 are common, so 混みますか is a natural planning question.
One thing to watch for
Asking クロークは何時に閉まりますか (kurooku wa nanji ni shimarimasu ka) as if there is one fixed closing time for every event.
Try this instead: Use 何時まで預かってもらえますか to ask how late they can hold your item, and 終わった後も大丈夫ですか to confirm pickup after the event. For example: クロークは何時まで預かってもらえますか。終わった後も大丈夫ですか。 This asks staff to confirm the actual situation instead of assuming a fixed hour.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You want to ask until what time the cloakroom can hold your coat. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
クロークは何時まで預かってもらえますか。
This uses 何時まで (until what time) and 預かってもらえますか (can you hold it for me). A valid alternative is 何時まで預かってもらえますか。 with すみません at the start.
2You need to confirm that you can collect your bag after the performance. What question fits?
Show a sample answer
受け取りは終演後でもいいですか。
終演後 means after the performance, and 受け取りは…でもいいですか asks whether collection at that time is acceptable. 終わった後も大丈夫ですか is also valid.
3You want to know if the pickup area will be busy after the event. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
終演後は混みますか。
混みますか asks whether it will be crowded. This helps you plan whether to wait or go quickly. 混みますか alone is also understandable in context.
Ask, don't assume: use 何時まで預かってもらえますか for the holding window, 終わった後も大丈夫ですか or 受け取りは終演後でもいいですか for after-event pickup, and 混みますか to plan your collection.
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