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      Having a large vocabulary is important. So, let's learn about places for directions!

Culture Note: A 旅館 is a traditional Japanese inn. They are wooden structures where guests may sleep, bathe, and eat traditional food. The flooring is laid out with 畳たたみ. Bedding is 布団ふとん, and you wear 浴衣ゆかた to sleep.  

     Store in Japanese is 店みせand shop is 店舗てんぽ. Store names often end in ～屋や or ～店てん. To address an employee of a store, address him or her as:

     At times ～員いんis used to mean "employee". As it is more polite to address a person with his or her actual name, always look for a name tag if available. To say where one works, you use the phrase ～に勤つとめています.

Kinds of Stores

     To describe the location of an item or place, you must use the following expressions in Japanese. Unlike in English, the location phrase is after the noun.  

Word Note: You can add 斜ななめ at the front of a direction word to mean "diagonally". So, 斜め後ろ = diagonally behind. 向き means "facing". So, 南向き　＝ facing south. 

1. 銀行()はどこですか。
   Where is the bank?

2. 工場こうじょうの隣にあります。
    It's right next to the factory.

3. 近()くに電気屋()はありますか。
    Is there a electronics store nearby?

4. 辞書じしょは机の上にあります。
    The dictionary is on the desk.

5. 交番()の前()に学校()があります。
   There is a school in front of the police station. 

6. 美術館()の横()に病院()があります。
    There is a hospital to the side of the art museum.

7. 川（の）向うの家
    House on the other side of a river 

8. テーブルの下()に置()いてある。
    It's been placed under the desk. 

9. 変()な線(せん)が学校()の周()りにあります。
    There is an odd line around the school.

10. あそこの本棚ほんだなの下の段だんの左の方の小さい字引じびきの隣の本
The book over there next to the small dictionary on the left side of the bottom shelf on the bookshelf

11. 消防署()の向()かいに喫茶店()がある。
     There is a coffee shop across from the fire station.

12.湖みずうみのわきで散歩さんぽする。
      To take a walk on the side of the lake.

13. 彼は扉()の向()こうへ走()り出()した。
     He began to race beyond the door.

14. この部屋()の前()には縁側(えんがわ)があって、その前()は庭()です。
     There is a veranda in front of the room, and in front of it is a garden.

15. この先通行止(さきつうこうど)め
     Road Blocked! 

16. 病院()ならすぐこの先()です。
      If you're talking about the hospital, it's only a little way from here.

17. 駅の隣に大きなスーパーができました。
      A big supermarket has been made next to the train station.

Word Note: Remember that できる does not mean just "can" but can also mean "completed", "be made", "come into being", etc. 

     Below are some more additional vocabulary words for the examples that follow.  

Word Notes:

1. "By" in the sense of a mode of transportation is expressed by で. 

2. 側 = side. This can be used to refer to direction, side of something, a position, and a third person. For the first three, it can be read as かわ and even be seen as っかわ, but these are no longer standard readings. 

Directions Note: Directions like 南東(なんとう) are reversed if they represent location. For example, southeast Asia is 東南(とうなん)アジア．

     When asking for directions, there are many different ways you can formulate your question. You may opt to say you're lost, use a conditional, or use a certain level of politeness. Below are some of the many viable ways you would do this in Japanese. 

Word Note: You can use 何で instead of どうやって, but it isn't as common.  

   As politeness is often heightened when asking for directions, です is often changed to でしょう, its volitional form. People will typically respond to you by using the と conditional or ～てください.

18. どうやって行()ったらいいでしょうか。
      How should I go there?

19. 2つ目の交差点を渡わたって、４０メートルぐらい行ってください。
      Cross the second intersection, and go about forty meters.

20. ４０メートルぐらい行()くと、左側()に美術館()があります。
      If you go about forty meters, an art museum will be on your left.

21. その美術館()の角()を左()に曲()がって、しばらくまっすぐ行()ってください。 
      Turn left at the corner of the art museum, and go straight for a while.

22. しばらくまっすぐ行()くと、郵便局()が見()えますよ。
      If you go straight for a while, you will see a post office.

23. すみません、私()もこの辺()は初()めてなんです。
      Sorry, I am new to this area.

24. 旅館()はどちらですか。
      Where is the ryokan?

Culture Note: In a 旅館 guests live on traditional tatami mats, take Japanese baths, and sleep on futon. You will most likely encounter Japanese style toilets, which look quite different. You have to squat on those.

25. 「新幹線()に乗()ったことがありますか。」「いいえ、乗()ったことがありません。ところで、東京駅()に行()きたいですけど、どうやって行()けばいいですか。」「3つ目()の交差点()を右()に曲()がってください。そうすると、左()にありますよ。」「どうも。」
"Have you ridden the Shinkansen?" "No, I haven't". "By the way, I want to go to Tokyo Station, but how should I get there?" "Turn right on the third intersection. Then, it will be on your left". "Thanks". 

Culture Note: The 新幹線(), also known as the "bullet train", is one of the fastest passenger train services in the world. The 新幹線 opened in 九州() in 2011.

26. Xへはどうやって行()きますか。
      How do I get to X?

27. 道()に迷()いました。銀行()を探(さが)しています。どうすれば行()けますか。
      We're lost. We are trying to find a bank. How can we get there?

28. 「遠()いですか」「いいえ5分くらいですよ」「ああ、そうですか。どうもありがとう」「どういたしまして」
“Is it far?” “No, it's about five minutes (from here)” “Ah, really. Thank you very much" "You're welcome”.

     "Then" is それから when you're explaining a progression of events, which is very important in giving directions and showing what happens right after in general, and そうすると is used when you do something, something else will happen.  

29. 2つ目()の交差点()を左()に曲()がってください。それから、まっすぐ行()ってください。
      Please turn right on the second intersection. Then, please go straight.

30. この道()をまっすぐ行()ってください。そうすると、右()に病院()があります。 
      Please go straight on this street. Then, there will be a hospital to your right.

31. 薬()を口()に含(ふく)んだ。それから、水()で流(なが)し込(こ)んだ。
      I swallowed the medicine. Then, I washed it down with water.

32. 私()は仕事()で皿(さら)を洗()い、それから乾(かわ)かしました。
      I washed then dried the dishes at work.

Translate into Japanese (1-5)

1. I'm going to school tomorrow.

2. Where is the bank?

3. How should I go to the movie theatres?

4. The police station is behind the department store.

5. The neighborhood is to the left side of the highway.

6．How do you say then as in continuing your directions?

7. Explain そうすると.

8. Make a paragraph using 3 locations, and 2 specific indicators where they're are.