Places and streets
**Shotengai** — a covered or open-air shopping street, usually lined with a mix of local shops and food stalls. **Depachika** — the basement food hall of a department store, packed with prepared food, sweets and gifts. **Torii** — the gate marking the entrance to a Shinto shrine.
Eating and drinking
**Izakaya** — a casual pub serving small plates alongside beer, sake and highballs. **Tachinomi** — a standing-only bar, faster and cheaper than a seated izakaya. **Kissaten** — an old-school, often retro Japanese coffee shop, distinct from a modern specialty cafe. **Kaiten-zushi** — conveyor belt sushi. **Wagashi** — traditional Japanese sweets, often built around sweet red bean paste.
Accommodation
**Ryokan** — a traditional Japanese inn, typically with tatami rooms, futon bedding and a multi-course kaiseki dinner. **Machiya** — a traditional wooden townhouse, sometimes renovated into guesthouse accommodation. **Onsen** — a hot spring, natural geothermal water. **Sento** — a public bathhouse using ordinary heated tap water rather than natural hot spring water.
Culture and events
**Matsuri** — a festival. **Koyo** — autumn foliage. **Sakura** — cherry blossom. **Yukata** — a casual cotton robe, often worn at a ryokan or a summer festival. **Manzai** — a fast, two-person comic dialogue format, closely associated with Osaka.