Clothes and sizes — trying on, cheaper, no bag
One clothing-shop conversation: try it on, M then S, is there a cheaper one, no bag. The fitting room is the scene. Not a size chart taped to a phrase list.
August 2026
Cafe order — for here, takeout, oat milk, “excuse me”
One cafe ticket: iced coffee, for here, oat milk, then すみません for water. Stay in the order. Do not collect a drinks glossary.
Onsen manners in language — tattoos, towels, and “is it open?”
One front-desk talk before the water: are you open, are tattoos all right, which towel, wash first. The rules live in the sentences, not in a manners list beside them.
Pharmacy — cold, stomach, and “for a traveler”
One pharmacy counter: a cold, then a stomach, then 旅行者なんですが. Tell the body in です/ます. Do not recite a medicine catalog.
Asking the way — left, right, how many minutes
One street-corner conversation: where is the temple, left or right, how many minutes on foot. Breakdown from the scene, not a compass vocabulary dump.
A ramen counter — how many, extra soup, the bill
Sit at a ramen counter and stay in one meal: headcount, the bowl, one extra, then お会計. Polite です/ます, not a menu of stacked phrases.
Convenience store Japanese — bag, chopsticks, hot snack, register
One register conversation: heat the snack, chopsticks, bag, point card, pay. Survive the clerk’s questions without a phrase-sheet freeze.
JR, subway, transfer — asking if this train stops at your station
On the platform, ask whether this train stops, where to transfer, and how many minutes. One conversation with staff, not a list of line names.
Suica and IC cards — tap, charge, and the gate apology
A gate that will not open, then a charge at the machine. Learn tap, チャージ, and the short apology as one scene, not a list of card words.