How to Ask for a City Map in Japanese at a Tourist Office
Learn to ask 'Do you have a map of the city?' in Japanese, understand the reply, and read simple map words so you can find your way around town.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you arrive in a Japanese town, one of the most useful things you can do is walk into a tourist information office and ask for a map. In this lesson you will learn the exact Japanese question for 'Do you have a map of the city?', how to say thank you when you receive it, and the basic words printed on Japanese maps so you can actually use one. You do not need to know many kanji: the key words are short and appear again and again. We will use polite forms that are safe with strangers, and you will see how the same pattern works for a train map, a bus map, or a sightseeing map. By the end you will be able to walk up to a counter, ask your question, understand a simple yes or no, and read the most important labels on the paper in your hand.
By the end, you can…
- ask a tourist office staff member whether they have a map of the city.
- understand a simple yes or no answer and say thank you.
- recognize basic Japanese map words such as station, exit, and here.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
この町の地図はありますか。
Do you have a map of this city?
kono machi no chizu wa arimasu ka
The standard polite question. Use it at a tourist office, hotel front desk, or station counter. The final ka turns the sentence into a question.
地図をください。
A map, please.
chizu o kudasai
Use this when you can already see maps on the counter or when the staff member nods and waits for you to continue.
英語の地図はありますか。
Do you have an English map?
eigo no chizu wa arimasu ka
Swap eigo for other languages if needed, for example furansugo for French. Very common at tourist offices in larger cities.
ありがとうございます。
Thank you very much.
arigatō gozaimasu
Say this when you receive the map. It is the polite default with strangers and staff.
ここはどこですか。
Where is this (place)?
koko wa doko desu ka
Point at a spot on the map while saying this. Useful when you cannot match the map to what you see outside.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is X は あります か (X wa arimasu ka), meaning 'Do you have X?' or 'Is there X?'. Put the thing you want before wa. For example, 地図はありますか (chizu wa arimasu ka) means 'Do you have a map?', and パンフレットはありますか (panfuretto wa arimasu ka) means 'Do you have a pamphlet?'. To be more specific, add a describing word with no: この町の地図 (kono machi no chizu) means 'a map of this city', and 英語の地図 (eigo no chizu) means 'an English map'. The particle no links the description to the noun, like 'of' in English. Note that Japanese does not use 'a' or 'the', so chizu can mean 'a map' or 'the map' depending on context.
When to use it
Use the polite arimasu ka form with staff you do not know: tourist office counters, hotel receptions, train stations, and convenience stores. If you are talking to a friend, the casual form is 地図ある (chizu aru), but at a tourist office stay polite. When you receive the map, a short ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) is enough. If the answer is no, you may hear すみません、ありません (sumimasen, arimasen), meaning 'Sorry, we do not have one.' You can then ask どこでもらえますか (doko de moraemasu ka), 'Where can I get one?' Staff often point and say あそこです (asoko desu), 'It is over there.'
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、この町の地図はありますか。
Excuse me, do you have a map of this city?sumimasen, kono machi no chizu wa arimasu kaはい、あります。英語の地図もありますよ。
Yes, we do. We also have English maps.hai, arimasu. eigo no chizu mo arimasu yo英語の地図をください。
An English map, please.eigo no chizu o kudasaiはい、どうぞ。ここが駅です。
Here you are. This is the station.hai, dōzo. koko ga eki desuA little context goes a long way
At Japanese tourist offices, staff usually greet you with irasshaimase and may bow slightly. A small bow or nod when you thank them is natural and appreciated. Counters often have free maps already displayed, so you can simply point and say chizu o kudasai. If you need help reading the map, staff are generally happy to mark your destination with a pen; asking koko wa doko desu ka while pointing is perfectly polite.
One thing to watch for
Saying 地図をありますか (chizu o arimasu ka) by adding o before arimasu.
Try this instead: Use wa, not o, with arimasu: 地図はありますか (chizu wa arimasu ka). The particle o marks a direct object of an action verb like kudasai, as in 地図をください (chizu o kudasai), but arimasu describes existence, so it takes wa (or ga) instead.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask a tourist office staff member, 'Do you have a map of this city?'
Show a sample answer
この町の地図はありますか。 (kono machi no chizu wa arimasu ka)
This uses the pattern X wa arimasu ka with kono machi no chizu, 'a map of this city'. You could also say 市の地図はありますか (shi no chizu wa arimasu ka) if you mean the whole municipality, but kono machi is the most natural for a visitor.
2The staff member says はい、あります。 What did they mean, and what could you say next?
Show a sample answer
They said 'Yes, we have one.' You could reply 英語の地図をください。 (eigo no chizu o kudasai), 'An English map, please.'
Hai, arimasu is a simple affirmative. Asking for a specific version with o kudasai is polite and clear. If you do not need English, you can simply say ありがとうございます and take the map.
3You are looking at the map and cannot find where you are. What question can you ask while pointing at the map?
Show a sample answer
ここはどこですか。 (koko wa doko desu ka)
This means 'Where is this?' and works when you point at a spot on the map. Another option is 今ここですか (ima koko desu ka), 'Are we here now?', which staff will understand in context.
Memorize one sentence: この町の地図はありますか (kono machi no chizu wa arimasu ka). Swap kono machi for eki or machi to fit the place, and finish with ありがとうございます when the map is in your hand.
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