Japanese Shopping Phrases: Ask Prices, Buy & More

Walking into a Japanese shop is one of the small joys of living in or visiting Japan: neat displays, attentive staff, and an extraordinary range of goods. What makes it even better is knowing the right words to use. Whether you're browsing a department store in Osaka, hunting for a souvenir in Kyoto, or trying on clothes in Harajuku, this guide gives you every phrase you'll realistically need — from the entrance all the way to the exit.

30 Essential Japanese Shopping Phrases

Use this table as your permanent shopping reference. Phrases are grouped by stage of a shop visit so you can find exactly what you need in the moment.

Key pattern to memorise: [item] + を + ください (o kudasai) = "Please give me [item]." The particle を is essential — dropping it sounds clipped and incomplete.

A Full Shopping Conversation

Here is a complete shop visit from the greeting at the door to the goodbye at the register. Read it once for comprehension, then practice both roles out loud.

Staff: いらっしゃいませ！
Irasshaimase!
Welcome!

You: 見ているだけです。
Mite iru dake desu.
I'm just looking.

You: すみません、このジャケットはいくらですか？
Sumimasen, kono jaketto wa ikura desu ka?
Excuse me, how much is this jacket?

Staff: 8,800円です。税込みです。
Hassen happyaku-en desu. Zeikomi desu.
It's 8,800 yen. Tax included.

You: 試着してもいいですか？
Shichaku shite mo ii desu ka?
May I try it on?

Staff: もちろんです。試着室はあちらです。
Mochiron desu. Shichakushitsu wa achira desu.
Of course. The fitting room is over there.

You: これにします。カードで払えますか？
Kore ni shimasu. Kādo de haraemasu ka?
I'll take this. Can I pay by card?

Staff: はい、大丈夫です。レジ袋はいりますか？
Hai, daijōbu desu. Reji-bukuro wa irimasu ka?
Yes, that's fine. Do you need a plastic bag?

You: いいえ、結構です。レシートをください。
Iie, kekkō desu. Reshīto o kudasai.
No thank you. Receipt, please.

Staff: ありがとうございました！
Arigatō gozaimashita!
Thank you very much!

Shopping in Japan is often a warm social experience — and if you'd like to carry that connection beyond the register, the guide to making friends in Japanese covers the natural phrases for starting and sustaining a real conversation.

Example Sentences in Context

Seeing phrases in varied, realistic sentences cements them faster than drilling from a list alone.

1. すみません、このコートはいくらですか？
   Sumimasen, kono kōto wa ikura desu ka?
   Excuse me, how much is this coat?
2. ちょっと高いですね。もう少し安いものはありますか？
   Chotto takai desu ne. Mō sukoshi yasui mono wa arimasu ka?
   It's a bit expensive. Do you have something a little cheaper?
3. このシャツの青い色はありますか？
   Kono shatsu no aoi iro wa arimasu ka?
   Do you have this shirt in blue?
4. カードで払えますか？
   Kādo de haraemasu ka?
   Can I pay by card?
5. レシートをください。
   Reshīto o kudasai.
   Receipt, please.

Cultural Tips Every Shopper Should Know

いらっしゃいませ — you don't need to respond. Every shop entrance in Japan comes with an enthusiastic いらっしゃいませ from staff. It is a scripted welcome, not an invitation to conversation. Customers do not reply — a small nod or smile is completely appropriate. Trying to reciprocate with your own いらっしゃいませ will only confuse the staff.

Pay on the tray, not into the hand. At most registers you'll find a small tray (トレー, torē) beside the cashier. Place your cash or card on the tray rather than handing it directly to the staff member. This is standard checkout etiquette throughout Japan, and doing it correctly signals that you're comfortable in the setting.

Consumption tax (消費税, shōhizei). Prices in Japanese shops may be displayed 税込み (zeikomi, tax included) or 税抜き (zeinuki, before tax), and the difference matters at the register. Get into the habit of asking 税込みですか？(Zeikomi desu ka? — "Is tax included?") when the price isn't clearly labelled, especially for larger purchases.

Eco-bag fees (レジ袋, reji-bukuro). Single-use plastic bags in Japan carry a small charge. The cashier will ask レジ袋はいりますか？(Reji-bukuro wa irimasu ka? — "Do you need a plastic bag?") at checkout. If you have your own bag or simply don't want one, say レジ袋はいりません (Reji-bukuro wa irimasen).

These four customs together give you a complete picture of what to expect at every stage of a Japanese shop visit. For situations beyond the shop floor — emergencies, transport, finding your way around — the survival Japanese guide is a practical companion for your wider time in Japan.

Common Mistakes Learners Make

Confusing これ、それ、and あれ. Learners often default to これ (kore, this) for any item, regardless of where it is. Japanese demonstratives depend on distance: これ for something near you or in your hands; それ (sore, that) for something near the other person; あれ (are, that over there) for something far from both speakers. Getting this right sounds noticeably more natural and avoids the unintentional impression that everything is right in front of you.

Dropping を before ください. The buying pattern is [item] を ください. The particle を (o) marks the direct object and cannot be skipped — これください sounds clipped and slightly impolite compared to これをください. It is a small word with a meaningful role.

Forgetting ですか at the end of questions. これはいくらですか？ends with the question marker ですか. Stopping at いくらです sounds like a statement ("it costs [something]") rather than a question. ですか is what signals you are asking.

Asking for discounts in standard retail shops. 割引はありますか？(Waribiki wa arimasu ka?, "Is there a discount?") is perfectly appropriate at flea markets and second-hand shops, but asking for a discount in regular Japanese retail is considered rude. Keep that phrase for the right context.

Practising these exact scenarios with immediate feedback from a real teacher makes a significant difference. Start a Free Trial lesson with Kind Japanese over LINE and run through a shopping role-play in your very next session.

Practice Quiz

Test yourself before your first real shopping encounter.

Part 1 — Fill in the blank

Part 2 — What does it mean?

Part 3 — Scenario: what do you say?

FAQ

Do I need to say anything back when staff says いらっしゃいませ?

No — いらっしゃいませ is a scripted welcome, not a question requiring a response. Staff say it automatically as customers enter; a nod or smile is entirely appropriate. Trying to respond verbally or mimicking the phrase back is not expected, and it can feel awkward for both sides.

How do I ask the price if I don't know the word for the item?

Point at the item and say これはいくらですか？(Kore wa ikura desu ka? — "How much is this?"). It works for anything you can physically indicate. You never need to know an item's Japanese name in order to ask its price.

What if I can't understand the price the cashier says?

Ask them to repeat: すみません、もう一度お願いします (Sumimasen, mō ichido onegai shimasu — "Sorry, could you say that again?"). Or ask them to write it: 書いてください (Kaite kudasai — "Please write it"). Most cashiers will immediately turn the register screen to face you.

Is card payment accepted everywhere in Japan?

Major department stores, chain shops, and convenience stores widely accept credit cards and IC transit cards. Smaller boutiques and market stalls may be cash only. Always carry some yen, and use カードで払えますか？(Kādo de haraemasu ka?) to confirm before you're standing at the register without options.

Continue Learning

Previous lesson: In the hobbies vocabulary and conversation lesson, you practised expressing likes, interests, and preferences — patterns that carry over directly into shopping when you say what you want or what you think of a price.

Next lesson: Ready to check in somewhere? Navigating a Japanese hotel covers all the phrases you need for check-in, room requests, and speaking with hotel staff.

This article is Lesson 75 of the Kind Japanese 100-day beginner curriculum.