Practice Challenges

Put your Japanese to the test! These practice challenges simulate real situations you will encounter while traveling. Try them before your trip, and revisit them during your travels to see how much you have improved.

Challenge 1: Menu Reading メニュー読解

You are sitting in a restaurant. Read these real menu items and figure out what they are. Answers are hidden below each scenario.

Scenario A: Ramen shop ticket machine

You walk into a ramen shop and see these buttons on the 食券機(しょくけんき):

1. 醤油ラーメン — ¥850
2. 味噌チャーシュー麺 — ¥1,050
3. 塩ラーメン大盛り — ¥950
4. つけ麺 — ¥900
5. 替え玉 — ¥150
6. 煮卵 — ¥100
7. 餃子（5個） — ¥350
8. ライス — ¥150

Reveal answers

#	Item	Breakdown	English
1	醤油ラーメン	醤油 (soy sauce) + ramen	Soy sauce ramen
2	味噌チャーシュー麺	味噌 (miso) + roast pork + noodles	Miso ramen with extra pork
3	塩ラーメン大盛り	塩 (salt) + ramen + 大盛り (large portion)	Large salt ramen
4	つけ麺	つけ (dip) + 麺 (noodles)	Dipping noodles
5	替え玉	替え (replace) + 玉 (ball of noodles)	Extra noodle refill
6	煮卵	煮 (simmered) + 卵 (egg)	Marinated soft-boiled egg
7	餃子（5個）	餃子 (gyoza) + 5個 (5 pieces)	5 dumplings
8	ライス	raisu	Rice (side dish)

Best strategy: If it is your first visit, go with #1 (醤油ラーメン) for the classic experience, add #6 (煮卵) for an egg. Total: ¥950.

At a ramen ticket machine, you want the classic Tokyo-style bowl. Which button do you press?

A. 醤油ラーメンB. つけ麺C. 替え玉D. ライス

Scenario B: Sushi counter menu

You are at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. The touchscreen shows:

1. まぐろ — ¥110
2. サーモン — ¥110
3. えび — ¥110
4. 中トロ — ¥330
5. うに軍艦 — ¥440
6. ネギトロ巻き — ¥110
7. たまご — ¥110
8. 茶碗蒸し — ¥220

Reveal answers

#	Item	Breakdown	English
1	まぐろ	maguro	Lean tuna
2	サーモン	sāmon (loanword)	Salmon
3	えび	ebi	Shrimp
4	中トロ	中 (medium) + トロ (fatty)	Medium-fatty tuna belly
5	うに軍艦	うに (sea urchin) + 軍艦 (battleship roll)	Sea urchin in a seaweed cup
6	ネギトロ巻き	ネギ (green onion) + トロ (tuna) + 巻き (roll)	Minced tuna and scallion roll
7	たまご	tamago	Egg omelet sushi
8	茶碗蒸し	茶碗 (tea bowl) + 蒸し (steamed)	Savory steamed egg custard (not sushi; a side dish)

Mandarin boost: 軍艦 (jūnjiàn), 茶碗 (cháwǎn), 蒸 (zhēng) — you can read half this menu with Mandarin alone.

Scenario C: Izakaya menu page

You are at an 居酒屋(いざかや) (Japanese pub) with friends:

1. 枝豆 — ¥380
2. 焼き鳥盛り合わせ（5本） — ¥680
3. 唐揚げ — ¥550
4. 刺身三点盛り — ¥1,280
5. 冷奴 — ¥350
6. 生ビール — ¥500
7. 梅酒サワー — ¥450
8. 飲み放題（2時間） — ¥1,500

Reveal answers

#	Item	Breakdown	English
1	枝豆	枝 (branch) + 豆 (bean)	Edamame (boiled soybeans)
2	焼き鳥盛り合わせ（5本）	焼き鳥 (grilled chicken) + 盛り合わせ (assortment) + 5本 (5 skewers)	5-skewer yakitori sampler
3	唐揚げ	唐 (Tang dynasty) + 揚げ (fried)	Japanese fried chicken
4	刺身三点盛り	刺身 (sashimi) + 三点 (3 types) + 盛り (plating)	Sashimi platter, 3 kinds
5	冷奴	冷 (cold) + 奴 (block)	Cold tofu with toppings
6	生ビール	生 (draft/fresh) + ビール (beer)	Draft beer
7	梅酒サワー	梅酒 (plum wine) + サワー (sour cocktail)	Plum wine sour
8	飲み放題（2時間）	飲み放題 (all-you-can-drink) + 2時間 (2 hours)	2-hour unlimited drinks

Pro tip: 飲み放題 (nomihōdai, all-you-can-drink) is extremely common at izakayas. 食べ放題 (tabehōdai) is all-you-can-eat. The pattern is [verb stem] + 放題 (unlimited).

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Challenge 2: Sign Reading 看板チャレンジ

Can you decode these signs you will see while walking around Japanese cities?

Station and transit signs

Read each sign and determine what it means:

1. 出口
2. 北口
3. 南口
4. 改札
5. 精算機
6. 乗り換え
7. 各駅停車
8. 急行
9. 終電
10. 女性専用車

Reveal answers

#	Sign	Reading	Meaning	Mandarin parallel
1	出口	でぐち (deguchi)	Exit	出口 (chūkǒu) — same!
2	北口	きたぐち (kitaguchi)	North exit	北口 = north entrance
3	南口	みなみぐち (minamiguchi)	South exit	南口 = south entrance
4	改札	かいさつ (kaisatsu)	Ticket gate	改 (change) + 札 (ticket)
5	精算機	せいさんき (seisanki)	Fare adjustment machine	精算 (settle accounts) + 機 (machine)
6	乗り換え	のりかえ (norikae)	Transfer (between lines)	换乘 reversed
7	各駅停車	かくえきていしゃ (kakueki teisha)	Local train (stops every station)	各 (each) + 駅 (station) + 停車 (stop)
8	急行	きゅうこう (kyūkō)	Express train	急 (urgent) + 行 (go) — 急行 in Chinese too
9	終電	しゅうでん (shūden)	Last train	終 (end) + 電 (electric/train)
10	女性専用車	じょせいせんようしゃ	Women-only car	女性 (women) + 専用 (exclusive use) + 車 (car)

Score: 8-10 = Ready for Japan! 5-7 = You’ll manage. Under 5 = Review the Travel chapter.

You see 改札 on a station sign. What does it mean?

Hint: You pass through this after buying a ticket or before boarding.

Think about it... then click to reveal

Shopping and restaurant signs

1. 営業中
2. 準備中
3. 定休日
4. 会計
5. お手洗い
6. 禁煙
7. 税込
8. 本日のおすすめ
9. お持ち帰り
10. 食べ放題

Reveal answers

#	Sign	Reading	Meaning	Mandarin parallel
1	営業中	えいぎょうちゅう	Open (for business)	营业中 (yíngyè zhōng) — same!
2	準備中	じゅんびちゅう	Preparing / not ready yet	准备中 (zhǔnbèi zhōng) — same!
3	定休日	ていきゅうび	Regular closing day	定 (fixed) + 休 (rest) + 日 (day)
4	会計	かいけい	Payment / register	会计 (kuàijì) — accounting
5	お手洗い	おてあらい	Restroom	手 (hand) + 洗い (wash) — “hand-washing place”
6	禁煙	きんえん	No smoking	禁烟 (jìnyān) — same!
7	税込	ぜいこみ	Tax included	税 (tax) + 込 (included)
8	本日のおすすめ	ほんじつのおすすめ	Today’s recommendation	本日 (today) + おすすめ (recommendation)
9	お持ち帰り	おもちかえり	Takeout	持ち帰り = carry home; also テイクアウト (takeout)
10	食べ放題	たべほうだい	All-you-can-eat	食べ (eat) + 放題 (unlimited)

Mandarin advantage: Signs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 are almost identical in Chinese. You already know half the signs in Japan.

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Challenge 3: Food Bingo 食べ物ビンゴ

Print or screenshot this bingo card and check off each food as you eat it during your trip. Try to get a line — or better, fill the whole card!

Tokyo × Osaka × Nagoya × Fuji Food Bingo

Tokyo	Osaka	Nagoya	Fuji area	Anywhere
築地で寿司 Tsukiji sushi	たこ焼き Takoyaki	味噌カツ Miso katsu	ほうとう Hōtō noodles	コンビニおにぎり Konbini onigiri
もんじゃ焼き Monjayaki	お好み焼き Okonomiyaki	手羽先 Tebasaki wings	信玄餅 Shingen mochi	回転寿司 Conveyor belt sushi
メロンパン Melon pan	串カツ Kushikatsu	ひつまぶし Hitsumabushi eel	富士宮焼きそば Fujinomiya yakisoba	FREE 自販機ドリンク
天ぷら Tempura	豚まん Butaman (551)	味噌煮込みうどん Miso nikomi udon	吉田うどん Yoshida udon	ラーメン Ramen
焼き鳥横丁 Yakitori alley	いか焼き Ikayaki	小倉トースト Ogura toast	甲州ワイン Koshu wine	抹茶スイーツ Matcha sweets

Scoring

Achievement	What you did	Rating
	Any 5 items	Tourist
	One full row or column	Foodie
	Two lines	Gourmet traveler
	15+ items	ご当地グルメマスター
	Full card	食(く)い倒(だお)れ Champion!

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Challenge 4: Survival Scenario Roleplay

Read each situation and decide what you would say. Then check the suggested response.

Situation 1: Lost at the station

You are at Nagoya Station and need to find the Higashiyama Line. You see a station attendant.

What would you say?

You: すみません、東山線はどこですか？ (Sumimasen, Higashiyama-sen wa doko desu ka?) “Excuse me, where is the Higashiyama Line?”

Attendant likely replies: あちらです / まっすぐ行って右です (Achira desu / Massugu itte migi desu) “Over there” / “Go straight and turn right”

Key vocab: まっすぐ (straight), 右 (migi, right), 左 (hidari, left), あちら (over there)

Situation 2: Ordering at a ramen shop

You entered a ramen shop. There is a ticket machine but no English. You want miso ramen with an egg.

What would you do?

1. Look for 味噌 (miso) on the buttons — you know 味 + 噌
2. Press it, then look for 煮卵 (nitamago) or 味玉 (ajitama) — egg topping
3. Insert money, collect tickets, hand them to staff
4. When asked about noodle firmness: 「ふつうで」(futsū de, “regular please”)
5. When your ramen arrives: 「いただきます」(itadakimasu, “time to eat”)

Situation 3: At a konbini

You want to buy onigiri but cannot read the flavors. You pick one up and see: 紀州南高梅

What flavor is it?

紀州南高梅 (きしゅう なんこう うめ) = Kishū Nankō Ume

• 紀州 = Kishū (old name for Wakayama Prefecture, famous plum region)
• 南高 = Nankō (a premium plum cultivar)
• 梅 = ume (pickled plum)

It is a premium pickled plum onigiri — one of the most classic flavors. The 梅 character is your key: if you see 梅, it is plum.

Mandarin boost: 梅 (méi) = plum, 紀 (jì) = chronicle/record, 南 (nán) = south, 高 (gāo) = high/premium.

Situation 4: Asking for no wasabi at a sushi counter

You love sushi but hate wasabi. The chef is making your order.

What would you say?

You: すみません、サビ抜きでお願いします。 (Sumimasen, sabi-nuki de onegai shimasu.) “Excuse me, without wasabi please.”

Key: サビ抜き (sabi-nuki) = wasabi-free. サビ is sushi-counter slang for わさび. 抜き means “without.”

At conveyor belt restaurants, most dishes come without wasabi by default — you add your own from the table. At counter sushi, the chef puts it between the fish and rice, so speak up before they make your piece.

▶Listen: no wasabi, please

You love sushi but cannot eat wasabi. What do you say at a counter sushi shop?

A. サビ抜きでお願いしますB. お会計をお願いしますC. 二人ですD. ふつうで

Situation 5: Asking for directions to Osaka Castle

You are near Osaka-jō and see a police box (交番, kōban).

What would you say?

You: すみません、大阪城はどこですか？ (Sumimasen, Osaka-jō wa doko desu ka?) “Excuse me, where is Osaka Castle?”

Or show your phone and say: ここに行きたいです。 (Koko ni ikitai desu.) “I want to go here.” (pointing at map)

Tip: Japanese police boxes (交番) are your best friend for directions. Officers are trained to help with navigation and have detailed local maps. They are the most approachable people to ask for directions.

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Challenge 5: Kanji Spotter Checklist

During your trip, see how many of these kanji you can spot in the wild. Check them off as you find them:

Kanji	Meaning	Where you will see it
出口	Exit	Every station
入口	Entrance	Stations, buildings
男 / 女	Male / Female	Restrooms
禁煙	No smoking	Restaurants, streets
無料	Free (no charge)	Wi-Fi signs, samples
営業中	Open for business	Shop doors
駅	Station	Every station
円	Yen	Price tags everywhere
温泉	Hot spring	Hakone, resort areas
神社 / 寺	Shrine / Temple	Maps, signs
注意	Caution	Warning signs
危険	Danger	Construction, cliffs
食	Food/eat	Restaurants
飲	Drink	Vending machines, menus
富士山	Mount Fuji	Road signs, products

Memory Trick 記憶のコツ

Turn kanji spotting into a game: every time you successfully read a sign without help, treat yourself to a snack. By the end of your trip, you will be reading signs on autopilot — and you will have eaten very well.

Key takeaways

• You've completed the full Japanese Adventure course!
• Your kanji knowledge, travel phrases, and regional food vocabulary are ready for Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Mount Fuji
• Keep practicing with real menus, station signs, and konbini labels on your trip

Mark as Complete