Directions
Asking for directions (道順・道案内) is a great, practical means of practicing grammar, especially the conditional forms which we recently delved into. This lesson will have two separate focuses: vocabulary and grammar.
While there will be dozens of words showcased in the vocabulary banks, upon closer inspection, you will find that many of them are words you have known since early on in your studies. In reality, everything mentioned in this lesson is ascertainable from having read all the lessons up to this point.
Cardinal Directions
方位
By now, the basic cardinal directions—north (北) , south (南), east (東), and west (西)—ought to be very familiar to you in Japanese. These are known as “cardinal points” in English, or 4方位 in Japanese. When these words are combined in expressions like “north and south,” two orderings are possible:
| Western Order | Traditional Order |
| North and South 北南 | Lit. “South and North” 南北 |
| East and West 東西1 | Lit. “”East and West” 東西 |
Altogether, while in English these four cardinal directions are ordered as “north, south, east, and west,” the traditional ordering in Japanese is 東西南北.
Expressions such as “northeast,” “southwest,” etc. are known as “intercardinal/ordinal directions” in English, or 8方位. In this demarcation, each direction is separated by 45°, and the ordinal points that make up the “four corners” on a compass are known as (四隅). The eight directions in this demarcation are collectively called 八方 (the four cardinal directions and the four ordinal directions), and in set expressions, it has the nuance of “all sides.”
| English | Western Order | Traditional Order |
| northeast | 北東 | 東北2 |
| northwest | 北西 | 西北 |
| southeast | 南東 | 東南 |
| southwest | 南西 | 西南 |
As made evident by the chart, two orderings exist for the ordinal points too. In practical use, the traditional forms are utilized almost entirely in place names, many of which are common words such as “Southeast Asia” (東南アジア).
1. 台風は北西に進んでいます。
The typhoon is moving northwest.
2. 鎌倉は東京の約５０ｋｍ南西にあります。
Kamakura is approximately 50 km southwest of Tokyo.
3. 船で北東へ行けばたどり着きます。
You’ll arrive (there) if you go northeast by boat.
4. 町を抜けて南西のほうに３０分ほど歩いたところのお寺です。
The temple is about a 30-minute walk southwest of town.
5. 東南アジアに向かう前に、旅程にある各国のビザ要件を確認することが重要です。
Before heading to Southeast Asia, it is important to check the visa requirements for each country on your itinerary.
Then, there are “secondary intercardinal directions” (16方位). As the Japanese suggests, this adds the points in between the ordinal points from above.
| north-northeast | 北北東 |
| north-northwest | 北北西 |
| south-southeast | 南南東 |
| south-southwest | 南南西 |
| east-northeast | 東北東 |
| east-southeast | 東南東 |
| west-northwest | 西北西 |
| west-southwest | 西南西 |
For most conversations, these words will get you far in understanding directions using maps/compasses, but depending on your profession, you may encounter expressions which utilize a 32方位 system or even more precise than this.
| north by east | 北微東 | east by south | 東微南 | south by west | 南微西 | west by north | 西微北 |
| northeast by north | 北東微北 | southeast by east | 南東微東 | southwest by south | 南西微南 | northwest by west | 北西微西 |
| northeast by east | 北東微東 | southeast by south | 南東微南 | southwest by west | 南西微西 | northwest by north | 北西微北 |
| east by north | 東微北 | south by east | 南微東 | west by south | 西微南 | north by west | 北微西 |
Generic Location Words
As we have seen, just as soon as we begin adding direction words like “north” and “south” into a sentence, than the need to know how particles interact with them along with knowing where to place these location words.
Imagine you are trying to say, “Dallas is (to the) north of Austin.” In Japanese, this is rendered as follows:
6. ダラスはオースティンの北（の方）にあります。
Dallas is (to the) north of Austin.
Here, we see that the modifier is not the direction but the reference point being discussed itself. Although not entirely natural in English, we could view the attribute-marking function of の as being the same as its possessive marker function, and in this light, what is within Austin’s north is the city of Dallas.
Then, we can also notice how the particle に is used to indicate location, as existing in a place is an established scenario as opposed to a fluid dynamic (that would otherwise trigger the use of で).
Conversely, when the location word is the modifier, it can be assumed that the location is already established and that the predicate pertains to some other detail.
7. 北側の部屋は湿度が高い。
The northern room has a high humidity.
Alongside the direction words we have seen so far, words like “left, right, up, down, etc.” come in handy not for just telling people where to go but also where to find things.
| Xの北 | north of X | Xの南 | south of X |
| Xの東 | east of X | Xの西 | west of X |
| Xの左 | left of X | Xの右 | right of X |
| Xの前 | before X | Xの上 | top of X |
| Xの横 | side of X | Xの中 | inside X |
| XとYの間 | between X and Y | Xの後ろ | behind X |
| Xの奥 | interior of X back of (a road, etc.) | Xの手前 | this side of X |
| Xの下 | under X | Xの隣 | next to X |
| Xの向かい | across from X | Xの周り | around X |
| Xの正面 | front of X | Xの近く | near X |
| Xの先 | past X | Xの遠く | far from X |
| Xの向こう | beyond X | Xの脇 | to the side of X |
| Xのそば | right by X | Xの傍ら | aside from X |
8. うちのマンションは商店街の中にあります。
My apartment is in the shopping district.
9. バスに乗って、森の奥に行くと、花畑があります。
If you take the bus and go (deep) into the forest, there will be a field of flowers.
10. 辞書は机の上にあります。
The dictionary is on the desk.
11. 交番の前に学校があります。
There is a school in front of the police station.
12. この部屋の前には縁側があって、その前は庭です。
There is a veranda in front of the room, and in front of it is a garden.
13. テーブルの下に置いてある。
It’s been placed under the desk.
14. 学校の周りを歩いて見つけたことをまとめました。
Here’s what I found while walking around the school.
15. この先通行止め
Road Blocked (Ahead)!
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.
向かい vs 向こう
While 向かい (across from) and 向こう (beyond/over/other side) are similar, referring to what is on the other side of X, the distance felt between X and Y is not the same.
向かい is, simply put, “across from,” used to refer to what is directly across X, and both X and Y are within sight. Meanwhile, 向こう passes some barrier, X, that makes the distance between the speaker and the Y significant.
17. 消防署の向かいに喫茶店がある。
There is a coffee shop across from the fire station.
18. 彼は扉の向こうへ走り出した。
He ran for what (lied) beyond the door.
横 vs 隣
The words 横 (side of) and 隣 (next to) are actually quite similar in practice, especially when describing things lined up next to each other, so much so that both could be naturally translated as “next to” in this context.
In two-dimensional terms3, 横 may be best viewed as meaning “horizontal,” being the antonym of 縦 meaning “vertical.” When things are lined up, 横 may refer to whatever is directly to (either) side of the reference point.
19. 美術館の横に病院があります。
There is a hospital (directly) next to the art museum.
20. 僕の通っていた高校の横に川があります。
There is a river next to the high school I went to.
21. 鈴木さんの横に１０人の生徒が座っている。
There are 10 students sitting next to Suzuki-san.
Sentence Note: In Ex. 21, the 10 students sitting next to Suzuki-san are all lined up together, but where Suzuki-san is sitting in relationship to them is up in the air. 10 of them could be to the left, 10 could of them could be to the right, or any number of them could be on either side. However, the students cannot be spread out away from Suzuki-san. As obvious as this point might be, this is a logical restraint on how 横 means “next to” which you will need to keep in mind.
One detail that will be important when comparing 横 with 隣 that can be gleaned from the sentences above is that the “whats” can be whatever with 横. The only scenario in which a sentence may sound unnatural is when there is a perceived hierarchical relationship that makes a certain ordering make more sense when deciding “‘who’ is to the side of ‘who.'”
22a. 赤ちゃんはお母さんの横にいる。〇
22b. お母さんは赤ちゃんの横にいる。△
While not ungrammatical, Ex. 22b is deemed less natural than Ex. 22a because the reference point ought to be the mother. In this light, the X of 横 can be viewed as an anchor, so what you choose as the anchor can significantly impact the directionality of a statement.
Still speaking in two-dimensional terms, 隣, while also translated as “next to,” has a more nuanced definition. It can only describe “like things4” that are next to each other, and what “X is 隣 to” is not necessarily in direct contact with said like thing, or even necessarily on a horizontal plane. Consider the following.
23. 隣の家は３０メートルほど離れている。
The neighboring house is around 30 meters away.
24. 横書きの五十音図を考えましょう。「し」の隣の文字は「さ」と「す」ですね。
Let’s consider the Japanese syllabary table written horizontally. The characters next to “shi” are “sa” and “su,” you see.
25. 日本の隣の国はというと、ロシアや韓国ですかね。
As for the countries [next to/neighboring] Japan, there are Russia, South Korea, and such, I would say.
26. あそこの本棚の下の段の左の方の小さい字引の隣の本
The book over there next to the small dictionary on the left side of the bottom shelf on the bookshelf
27. 渋谷駅は代々木駅の二つ隣の駅です。
Shibuya Station is two stops away from Yoyogi Station.
As Ex. 27 shows, multiple reference spots of the same thing can be referred to with 隣, and the context of train stations is a very common application. In addition to this, the words 左隣 (neighboring to the left) and 右隣 (neighboring to the right) also exist.
28a. 椅子の隣に黒猫がいる。X
28b. 椅子の横に黒猫がいる。〇
There is a black cat next to the chair.
Because chairs and black cats are not “like things,” Ex. a is not grammatical.
29a. 記者はトランプ大統領の隣にいます。△
29b. プーチン大統領はトランプ大統領の隣にいます。〇
29a. The reporter is next to President Trump.
29b. President Putin is next to President Trump.
Ex. 29a is not as natural as Ex. 29b on the grounds of what constitutes “like things.” While “reporters” and “presidents” are both people, their roles are so different that their likeness is not based on their shared humanity alone in this context.
近く vs そば vs 脇
Earlier in Ex. 21, the point was made that if the students were somewhat separated from Suzuki-san, then 横 would become unnatural. Depending on the context, two rephrases can be considered.
30. 鈴木さんの隣に同級生が１０人座っている。
Next to Suzuki-san are 10 of his classmates.
31. 鈴木さんの近くに生徒たち１０人が座っている。
There are 10 students sitting nearby Suzuki-san.
Provided Suzuki-san is also a student, then the 10 other people would be his classmates, and those classmates could be all sitting nearby, and the spacing would not necessarily matter. Some could be sitting on the floor and the sentence would still stand. Now, if Suzuki-san is not a student, the apposition requirement of 隣 is not meant. Luckily, saying that “10 students” are sitting nearby/close by is still possible, though by no means would 近く be synonymous with 横.
Adding to the mix, let’s consider the word そば. Confusingly, そば can either mean “beside” or “close vicinity.” The deciding factor, though, is whether or not the reference point is in reach of one’s hands.
32. 鈴木さんは佐藤社長の｛そば・横｝に座っています。
Suzuki-san is sitting right by President Sato.
In the context of, そば and 横 can be viewed as synonymous, but with そば, it feels as though Suzuki-san is following President Sato and wanting to be right there with him. Even if someone were technically in the way, that intent would solidify that near-zero distance, but… if that were the case, then it would not necessarily be equal to 横 (as the intruder would be 佐藤社長の横).
33. 新大久保駅の【近く〇・そば (△)】のドン・キホーテに行ってみました。
I tried out the Don Quijote near Shin-Okubo Station.
34. 大久保駅北口の【近く 〇・そば ◎】のファミマに行ってみました。
I tried out the Family Mart near Okubo Station North Exit.
How far away things are when 近く and そば are used to describe said closeness can be highly subjective, but typically, そば is felt to be far closer to the speaker (than other potential comparisons). The grammaticality judgments for the examples above represent real world assessments of those actual places. There is a Don Quijote very near Shin-Okubo Station, less than a three-minute walk, but there are other Don Quijote that are way closer to its local station. Meanwhile, the Family Mart outside the North Exit of Okubo Station is right there. That does not mean using 近く would be wrong, as someone’s recollection can always be off or potentially irrelevant if the listener does not know the area.
35. 【近く ◎・そば ?】に電気屋はありますか。
Is there an electronics store nearby?
Similarly to 横, what is chosen as the reference point follows hierarchical-leaning common sense. What the X in Xのそば is, regardless of actual distance, is treated as the center point location. Consequently, this means that XのそばのY is natural, whereas YのそばのX is not.
37. 新人の田中君は、窓のそばの机に座って作業していた。
The new guy Tanaka-kun was sitting down working at the desk by the window.
38.トランプ大統領のそばに記者たちが集まっている。
There are reporters gathered by President Trump.
39.（オレの）そばにいて。
Be by my side.
As mentioned, そば may often have an emotional layer of nuancing, which is especially felt in Ex. 39.
40a. 鼻のそばのほくろ 〇
40b. ほくろのそばの鼻 X
40a. Mole by one’s nose
40b. Nose by mole X
The next word to go over is 脇, which literally means “armpit” but has gained the added meaning of “the side/flank.” If a locality has “two sides,” then those sides can be described with 脇. “Flank” is even closer than “right by,” and so when there is overlap between 脇 and そば, 脇 would feel closer, but it cannot be used in a 360° range like そば・近く.
41. 鈴木さんは佐藤社長のわきに座ることにしました。
Suzuki-san decided to sit the side of President Sato.
42. 道の脇に車を停めておきました。
I parked my car on the side of the road.
43.湖のわきで散歩する。
To take a walk on the side of the lake.
Yet another word that is similar to those above is 傍ら. Oftentimes, it used in the sense of “right nearby” with positive emotional attachment. It may also refer to “edge” as in “edge (of a road).”
Other Location Modifiers
While the list of expressions from above largely focused on the pattern “Xの…,” it is also important to go over common modifiers to location words. Adverbs and suffixes are great means of being more specific.
| （～）斜めに | diagonally (from) | ～向き | facing |
| ～側 | side | ～寄り | on the ~side |
44. みう姉さんの後ろ斜めに立ってください。
Please stand diagonally behind from Miss Miu.
45. 日当たりの良くない北向きの部屋は人気が低くて、ほかの方角と比べて家賃が安い傾向にある。
Rooms that face north, which lack natural light, are less popular and tend to have lower rent than rooms facing other directions.
Places to Go
Next, we will go over core vocabulary regarding places to go.
| place | 所・場所 | amusement park | 遊園地 |
| post office | 郵便局 | bank | 銀行 |
| company | 会社 | workplace | 仕事場 |
| hospital | 病院 | graduate school | 大学院 |
| college | 大学 | department store | デパート 百貨店 |
| school | 学校 | aquarium | 水族館 |
| theater | 映画館 | convenience store | コンビニ |
| coffee shop | 喫茶店 | harbor | 港 |
| park | 公園 | museum | 博物館 |
| city hall | 市役所 | restaurant | レストラン |
| police station | 交番 | train station | 駅 |
| airport | 空港 | church | 教会 |
| mosque | モスク | synagogue | シナゴーグ |
| library | 図書館 | observatory | 展望台 |
| zoo | 動物園 | art museum | 美術館 |
| shrine | 神社 | Chinese restaurant | 中国料理店 |
| temple | 寺 | Japanese restaurant | 日本料理屋 |
| hotel | ホテル | Japanese-style inn | 旅館 |
| family inn | 民宿 | pharmacy | 薬局 |
| public bath | 銭湯 お風呂屋 | cemetery | 墓地 |
Shops
Store/shop in Japanese is either 店 or 店舗. As demonstrated by the list below, most kinds of stores/shops in Japanese end in the suffixes ～屋 or ～店. English words like ストア are also becoming common in phrases like ドラッグストア (drug store).
| stationery shop | 文房具屋 | butcher shop | 精肉店 肉屋 |
| cleaners | クリーニング屋 | photo shop | 写真屋 |
| fish store | 魚屋 | greengrocer | 八百屋 青物屋 |
| fruit store | 果物屋 | bakery | パン屋 |
| cake shop | ケーキ屋 | candy shop | お菓子屋 |
| appliance store | 電気屋 | shoe store | 靴屋 |
| sushi restaurant | 寿司屋 | flower store | 花屋 |
| drug store | 薬屋 ドラッグストア | food stand | 出店 |
| book store | 本屋 書店 | hardware store | ホームセンター |
| retail store | 小売店 | liquor store | 酒屋 |
| supermarket | スーパー | toy store | 玩具屋 |
| camera store | カメラ屋 | old book store | 古本屋 |
| furniture store | 家具屋 | jewelry store | 宝石店 |
| clothing store | 衣料品屋 | eatery | 食堂 |
Phrasing Note: To address an employee of a store, or even the establishment itself in conversation, the suffix ～さん is frequently used.
Asking for Directions
Even after having learning so many direction words and places to go, when you are out on the road, or whatever mode of transportation (交通手段) you have chosen to use, you will find that many of the following words will be crucial to getting you to your destination (目的地).
| intersection | 交差点 | traffic light | 信号 |
| bridge | 橋 | end of the street | 突き当り |
| subway | 地下鉄 | corner | 角 |
| bus stop | バス停 | pedestrian overpass | 歩道橋 |
| taxi station | 乗り場 | bullet train | 新幹線 |
| ferry | フェリー | expressway | 高速道路 |
| sidewalk | 歩道 | main road | 幹線道路 |
| neighborhood | 近所 | vicinity | 辺り |
| around | 周辺 | area | 辺 |
| rest stop | 休憩所 | crosswalk | 横断歩道 |
| railroad crossing | 踏切 | gas station | ガソリンスタンド |
| tunnel | トンネル | slope/incline | 坂 |
When asking for directions, there are many different ways you can formulate your question. Below are some of the many viable ways you can start with to ask where you need to get to.
| …[に・へ]行きたいです[けど・けれど（も）・が] | I want to go to…but |
| どうやって…[に・へ]行ったらいいですか。 | How should I go if I am going to…? |
| どうやって…[に・へ]行けばいいですか。 | How should I go if I am going to…? |
| 道に迷いました。 | I’m lost. |
| …への行き方を教えてください（ませんか）。 | Could you please tell me how to get to…? |
| ここは、どの辺ですか。 | What area is this? |
| …へはどうやって行くんですか | How do I get to…? |
| …は｛どこ・どちら｝ですか。 | Where is…? |
| …はどこか教えてください（ませんか）。 | (If you would) please tell me where…is. |
Politeness level5 will affect various aspects of the phrasing of your question. Keep this in mind as we go through the following examples.
46. どうやって行ったらいいでしょうか。
How should I go there?
47. 2つ目の交差点を渡って、４０メートルぐらい行ってください。
Cross the second intersection, and go about forty meters.
48. 最初の信号を右に曲がって、次の信号を左に曲がります。
Turn right at the first light, then turn left at the next light.
49. 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.
50. 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.
51. 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.
52. 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.
53. 〇〇旅館はどちらですか。
Where is the ## Ryokan?
54. 「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.”
55. Xへはどうやって行きますか。
How do I get to X?
56. 道に迷いました。銀行を探しています。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?
57. 「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
“Then” is frequently employed when giving people directions. In Japanese, there are two possible options:
- それから: Directly translating to “then,” it is perfect for aiding the flow of progression.
- そうすると: Directly translated to “once you do that,” it is often used right before the last step as an indication that upon going through the route laid out, the listener will then reach their destination.
58. 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 left on the second intersection. Then, please go straight.
59. この道をまっすぐ行ってください。そうすると、病院は、右側にあります。
Please go straight on this street. Once you do that, there will be a hospital to your right.
- While the traditional ordering utilizing Sino-Japanese words are in use, further back in time, the native ordering did match Western languages for the cardinal directions, as is evident from the native readings for the following: 東西（ひがしにし）・北南（きたみなみ）. ↩︎
- All the traditional order names for the ordinal directions have native readings, which, while no longer used productively in the spoken language, they may still appear in literature and older texts. ↩︎
- In three-dimensional terms, 横 = the sides that are not top or bottom or front or back. ↩︎
- When references must be “like things,” they are in apposition of each other. This is known as 同格. ↩︎
- In formal speech, です → でしょう, ～ください → ～くださいませんか, etc. are very common adjustments. ↩︎