Volume 1 · Chapter 08
City Hall, Bank, Phone
The first living-in-Japan administrative phrases.
This chapter is for the first weeks of living in Japan: city hall, bank, phone, and identity checks. The survival pattern is for “I want to do…” plus the document words staff will ask for.
What you want to do
- I have a residence card.
- I want to change my address.
- I want to open a bank account.
- I want to sign up for a mobile phone.
- I want to submit a moving-in notification.
- I need a residence certificate.
- I will take a numbered ticket.
したいです attaches to a noun + をします action. This is why works: “I want to do an address change.”
- I want to register.
- I want to cancel a contract.
- I want to make a payment.
Document words
在留カード ざいりゅうカード residence card 市役所 しやくしょ city hall 銀行口座 ぎんこうこうざ bank account 印鑑 いんかん personal seal 本人確認 ほんにんかくにん identity verification 住民票 じゅうみんひょう residence certificate 転入届 てんにゅうとどけ moving-in notification 申込書 もうしこみしょ application form 暗証番号 あんしょうばんごう PIN number 通帳 つうちょう bankbookCity hall flow
At city hall, staff may speak fast because the process is routine for them. Listen for “show,” “write,” “wait,” and document names.
- Please show your residence card.
- Please write your name here.
- Please wait with this number.
- How much is the fee?
- Can it be done today?
Bank flow
- I want to open an account.
- I want a cash card / ATM card.
- Please enter your PIN.
- Is a personal seal necessary?
- I want to use online banking.
Phone contract flow
- How much is it per month?
- How many gigabytes of data?
- This plan, please.
- Is there a cancellation fee?
- Identity verification documents are required.
Mini dialogues
City hall
Bank
Recognition warnings
本人確認 is often abbreviated in context: staff may say or Both mean they need to verify identity. 暗証番号 is your PIN; do not say it aloud.
Randomized practice
Admin Practice
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Say it
Say you have a residence card.
在留カードがあります。
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Say it
Say you want to change your address.
住所変更をしたいです。
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Say it
Say you want to open a bank account.
銀行口座を作りたいです。
-
Say it
Say you want a mobile phone contract.
携帯電話の契約をしたいです。
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Say it
Say you want to submit a moving-in notification.
転入届を出したいです。
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Say it
Say you need a residence certificate.
住民票が必要です。
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Say it
Say you want to register.
登録をしたいです。
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Say it
Say you want to cancel a contract.
解約をしたいです。
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Say it
Ask how much the fee is.
手数料はいくらですか。
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Say it
Ask if it can be done today.
今日できますか。
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Say it
Say you want a cash card.
キャッシュカードが欲しいです。
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Say it
Ask if a personal seal is necessary.
印鑑は必要ですか。
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Say it
Ask how much it is per month.
月々いくらですか。
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Say it
Say this plan, please.
このプランでお願いします。
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Say it
Ask if there is a cancellation fee.
解約料はありますか。
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Meaning
市役所
しやくしょ = city hall
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Meaning
印鑑
いんかん = personal seal
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Meaning
本人確認
ほんにんかくにん = identity verification
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Meaning
住民票
じゅうみんひょう = residence certificate
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Meaning
転入届
てんにゅうとどけ = moving-in notification
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Meaning
申込書
もうしこみしょ = application form
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Meaning
暗証番号
あんしょうばんごう = PIN number
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Dialogue
Staff asks for your residence card. What do they say?
在留カードを見せてください。
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Dialogue
Staff asks you to write your name here. What do they say?
ここに名前を書いてください。
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Dialogue
Staff asks you to enter your PIN. What do they say?
暗証番号を入力してください。