What to Say in Japanese When You Are Lost, and How to Follow Replies

Getting turned around in a Japanese city is common, especially in big station areas and residential streets without obvious names. Asking for help is easy; the harder part is understanding the reply. This guide covers both, using the "On the Street" section of the Japan National Tourism Organization's (JNTO) Tourist's Language Handbook, which prints the likely answers alongside each question.

1. Saying you are lost

• 道に迷いました。 [michi ni mayoimashita] "I'm lost." 迷う [mayou] means to lose your way. This line is standard polite Japanese rather than a handbook phrase.
• この地図で現在地はどこですか。 [kono chizu de genzaichi wa doko desu ka] "Where am I now on this map?" This one is the handbook's first question; the reply it prints is ここです.
• 私は日本語がわかりません。 [watashi wa nihongo ga wakarimasen] "I don't understand Japanese." From the handbook's useful phrases.

If the person starts speaking quickly, two more lines from the handbook help:

• ゆっくり言ってください。 [yukkuri itte kudasai] "Please say it slowly."
• 英語を話す人はいますか。 [eigo o hanasu hito wa imasu ka] "Does anyone here speak English?"

2. Asking the way

• ＿＿へはどう行けばよいですか。 [＿＿ e wa dou ikeba yoi desu ka] "How can I get to ＿＿?" This is the handbook's main directions question.
• ＿＿への行き方を教えてください。 [＿＿ e no ikikata o oshiete kudasai] "Please tell me how to get to ＿＿." 行き方 [ikikata] means the way to go.

Destinations from the handbook's list that come up often when you are lost: 駅 [eki] station, ホテル [hoteru] hotel, バス停 [basutei] bus stop, 観光案内所 [kankou annaijo] tourist information center, and 交番 [kouban] police box.

3. Understanding the answer

The handbook's sample replies use a small set of words. Learn these and most directions become readable:

Put together, the handbook's model answer reads:

• （まっすぐ／右へ／左へ）＿分ほど歩けば（右／左）側にあります。 "If you walk (straight / to the right / to the left) for ＿ minute(s), you will find it on the (right / left) side."

Other replies the handbook prepares you for:

• ここです。 [koko desu] Said while pointing at a map: "You are here."
• ご案内しますので、ついてきてください。 [go-annai shimasu node, tsuite kite kudasai] "I will take you there. Please follow me."
• （バス／電車／地下鉄／タクシー）で行かなければなりません。 "You need to take a (bus / train / subway / taxi) to get there."
• あいにくこの近くにはありません。 [ainiku kono chikaku ni wa arimasen] "I'm afraid there isn't one near here."
• よくわからないので、他の人に聞いてください。 "I'm sorry, I don't know. Please ask someone else."

A good habit: when someone points, repeat the key word back, for example 右ですね [migi desu ne], "Right, yes?" It gives them a chance to correct you.

4. When to go to a koban

A 交番 [kouban] is a small police box. JNTO describes it as a kind of local police post found commonly in neighborhoods across Japan, and says to look for one if you need help, asking someone if you are not sure where it is. Officers there are also a reliable source of directions.

A koban matters even more if something goes missing. JNTO explains that if you need a passport reissued or want to claim insurance after a theft, loss, or traffic accident, you must report it to the police and get a report, and it suggests going to the nearest koban or asking your hotel front desk for help.

5. Police numbers for lost items and English help

As listed on JNTO's pages when this was checked in October 2026, and worth confirming before you rely on them: beyond the koban itself, JNTO's hotline page lists two police numbers that are useful when you are lost or have lost something:

JNTO's safety page adds that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department runs an English emergency line, 03-3501-0110, 24 hours a day, every day. JNTO also notes that most of these organizations have English-speaking staff. For general tourist questions rather than police matters, JNTO's TIC call center, 050-3416-0010, answers every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

6. A short script for the moment

1. すみません [sumimasen], "Excuse me."
2. 道に迷いました。
3. Show your destination, then ask: ＿＿へはどう行けばよいですか。
4. Listen for まっすぐ, 右, 左, and a number of minutes.
5. If it is far: あいにく... or a mention of 電車 or タクシー means it is not walking distance.
6. Thank them: ありがとうございました [arigatou gozaimashita].

7. Key takeaways

• 道に迷いました says "I'm lost"; ＿＿へはどう行けばよいですか asks the way.
• Listen for まっすぐ (straight), 右 (right), 左 (left), and ＿分 (minutes).
• ついてきてください means the person will walk you there.
• A 交番 (koban) police box can give directions and take loss or theft reports.
• For lost property, JNTO lists the police lost and found center at 0570-550-142.