When learning Japanese, place names are some of the first words you encounter — on maps, signs and in everyday conversation. However, many of these words sound similar to other Japanese terms or have alternative names that can confuse learners. In this article, we introduce common location names from a Fun Fun Nihongo video, with short notes to help you tell them apart and use them correctly.
目次
This article is based on a video by Fun Fun Nihongo, our Japanese learning content series.
Transportation and Travel
駅
- eki
train station
You’ll often see eki used as part of a station name, such as Shinjuku-eki or Shibuya-eki. In these cases, eki simply means “station.”
空港
- kūkō
airport
Kūkō (airport) is similar in sound to kōkū (aviation), which can feel confusing at first. While kūkō refers to the place itself, kōkū is used in words related to air travel, such as airlines.
ホテル
- hoteru
hotel
A loanword from English, pronounced with three clear syllables: ho-te-ru. Another common word for accommodation in Japanese is ryokan, which refers to a traditional Japanese inn.
Public Services and Institutions
病院
- byōin
hospital
Byōin usually refers to a full hospital. It can also sound similar to biyōin (hair salon), especially in spoken Japanese, so be careful! Meanwhile, smaller clinics may be called kurinikku.
市役所
- shiyakusho
city hall
This word refers to a city’s local government office. In large cities like Tokyo, you may also see kuyakusho (ward office), while offices at the prefectural level are often called kenchō, and smaller towns may use yakuba.
郵便局
- yūbinkyoku
post office
Yūbinkyoku is made up of yūbin (mail) and kyoku (office). This full word is commonly used on signs and maps, so you’ll usually see and hear it exactly in this form.
銀行
- ginkō
bank
Ginkō is written with the kanji for “silver” (gin) and “to go” or “to carry out” (kō). The word originally referred to a place where money is handled and moved, which helps explain why this term is used for a bank.
Education and Learning
学校
- gakkō
school
Gakkō is used for elementary schools (shōgakkō), for junior high schools (chūgakkō), and for high schools (kōkō, short for kōtō gakkō). Universities, however, are usually called daigaku, which is a different term.
図書館
- toshokan
library
Toshokan means a public library. A bookstore is called honya.
博物館
- hakubutsukan
museum
Often confused with bijutsukan (art museum). Hakubutsukan covers a wide range of fields like history or science.
Nature and Leisure
公園
- kōen
park
Kōen refers to a public park, often with trees or a playground. A related word is hiroba (plaza or open square), which usually describes a wide open space rather than a green park.
動物園
- dōbutsuen
zoo
Dōbutsuen is a compound word meaning “animal park.” A similar word is shokubutsuen (botanical garden), which refers to a place for viewing plants rather than animals.
水族館
- suizokukan
aquarium
Suizokukan is sometimes pronounced more casually as suizokkan in everyday speech. This kind of sound change is common in Japanese, especially in longer words.
遊園地
- yūenchi
amusement park
Often used for large theme parks. The word does not include “park,” so it can be confusing for learners.
プール
- pūru
swimming pool
A loanword from English. The long vowel sound is important for clear pronunciation.
Food and Shopping
スーパー
- sūpā
supermarket
A shortened form of sūpāmāketto. This abbreviation is much more common than the full word.
コンビニ
- konbini
convenience store
A very common abbreviation of konbiniensu sutoa. Learners should note that this shortened form is used almost all the time.
百均
- Hyakkin
100-yen shop
Hyakkin is a casual abbreviation of hyaku-en kin’itsu (“100-yen uniform pricing”), and it’s commonly used to refer to 100-yen shops in everyday conversation.
レストラン
- resutoran
restaurant
A loanword from English with the same meaning as “restaurant.” Another common word is shokudō, which usually refers to a more casual place serving simple, everyday meals.
カフェ
- kafe
cafe
Often used instead of longer expressions like kissaten. Kafe usually refers to modern-style cafes.
Entertainment
映画館
- eigakanmovie theaterEigakan specifically refers to a movie theater. You may also see the word gekijō (theater), which is a broader term and can be used for movies, plays, concerts or other performances.
Religious Places
神社
- jinja
shinto shrine
Often confused with tera (Buddhist temple). Jinja is related to Shinto beliefs and rituals.
お寺
- otera
Buddhist temple
This place can also be called tera, but in everyday conversation people often say otera, with the polite prefix o- added.
Quick Tip
When asking for directions, these place names often come right before phrases like “wa doko desu ka?” (“where is ...?”) or “ni ikitai desu” (“I want to go to ...”). Recognizing the place name first makes it much easier to follow maps and spoken directions.
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Performer, Fun Fun NihongoKotone is a Tokyo University of Foreign Studies graduate, where she majored in Philippine Studies. After studying abroad in Brunei and interning at a startup in Malaysia, she now works as a model while continuing to explore the world.
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