Master these Chinese characters, and you’ll have no worries enjoying food, fun, and more in Japan

Traveling to Japan is super popular these days, especially independent travel, as it allows for deeper exploration and is especially favored by young people. While you don’t necessarily need to speak Japanese to visit Japan, many Japanese words actually contain Chinese characters, and their meanings aren’t always obvious from the characters alone. By learning a few commonly used characters related to eating, drinking, and having fun, you can often guess their meaning—and this will definitely make your trip to the Land of the Rising Sun go more smoothly.

1. 無料 (むりょう): Free

The “料” in “無料” means money. So “無料” means free, while “有料” means something costs money.

2. 放題 (ほうだい): All-you-can

Taiwanese people’s favorite all-you-can-eat or all-you-can-drink options are written in Japanese as “放題.” “飲み放題” means all-you-can-drink, and “食べ放題” means all-you-can-eat. Whenever you see “○○放題,” it means that the item before it is available in unlimited quantities—you can have as much as you want.

3. 激安 (げきやす): Super cheap

“激” means “very” or “extremely,” and “安” means “cheap.” Together, they mean something is “super cheap.”

4. おすすめ (osusume): Recommended

This means “recommended.” You’ll often see stickers with this word near products in stores, indicating items that the shop recommends or is proud to offer.

5. 品切れ (しなぎれ): Sold out

You might see a “品切れ” sticker on shelves, which means the item is currently “out of stock.”

6. 新入荷 (しんにゅうか): Newly arrived / New stock

This term means the product is “newly launched” or has just been restocked or freshly supplied.

7. 割引 (わりびき): Discount

When shops offer discounted or reduced prices, they write “割引.” For example, “20%割引” means a 20% discount off the original price—that is, you pay 80%.

8. 税抜 / 税込 (ぜいぬき / ぜいこみ): Tax excluded / Tax included

Many shops in Japan add consumption tax separately, so how much you pay depends on whether it's tax excluded or tax included. This is especially relevant for foreigners, particularly when reaching the tax refund threshold—the “税抜” price applies.

9. 贅沢 (ざいたく): Luxury / Extravagance

Many dishes use the word “贅沢” to highlight the luxury of ingredients or the richness of texture. You can find this term on menus, in product descriptions, or on signs.

10. 远虑 (えんりょ): Please refrain / Mindfulness

“○○ご遠慮ください” is a phrase commonly seen in public places in Japan, meaning “Please refrain from ○○.”