The ward office. Tap any row to hear it spoken in Japanese. Listen first, then say it out loud yourself 2–3 times.
Tip: 窓 = window, 口 = mouth/opening. So 窓口 is the "window opening", the counter where staff help you.
Tip: 入 = enter, 出 = exit, the same as on station signs (入口 entrance / 出口 exit). So 転入 is moving in and 転出 is moving out.
Tip: Many verbs are a noun + する (suru = "to do"). 記入 (filling in) + する → 記入する "to fill in".
Tip: Notice the words from counters 1–3 inside these sentences. Try to catch them by ear before reading the English.
Prefer to practise speaking? Open the interactive video with "Your turn" pauses.
Answer in the chat (romaji, hiragana, or English all fine). Use a hint only if you're stuck.
You just moved into Shinjuku ward from Osaka. Which do you submit at Shinjuku ward office: てんにゅうとどけ or てんしゅつとどけ?
Answer: てんにゅうとどけ (転入届). You moved into Shinjuku.
| 転 (てん) | move / change |
| 入 (にゅう) | enter ← the key kanji |
| 届 (とどけ) | notice, report |
Bonus: Before leaving Osaka, you submit 転出届 (てんしゅつとどけ) at the Osaka ward office. So moving house in Japan means visiting two ward offices: one to say "I'm leaving" and one to say "I've arrived."
A machine gives you a small paper that says "No. 42". What is that paper called in Japanese?
Answer: ばんごうふだ (番号札), the numbered ticket.
Pronunciation: it's ban-gō, with a long "o". In hiragana, ばんごう: the う after ご stretches the sound. Say it as ばん・ごー・ふだ.
Long vowels matter in Japanese, because they can change the meaning of a word. Practise them in the review box below.
Your bank asks for proof of your address. Which document do you ask for at the ward office?
Answer: じゅうみんひょう (住民票), the certificate of residence. You'll need it for banks, phone contracts and new jobs.
Two long vowels: じゅう → jū (long u) and ひょう → hyō (long o). Say it slowly: じゅー・みん・ひょー.
How to ask for it: 住民票をください。 (じゅうみんひょうを ください。) "A certificate of residence, please." You can hear it in 窓口 4.
Challenge: What do you think 住民 (じゅうみん) means?
Answer: resident, the people who live in an area.
"Residence" is close, but that's a place. 民 means people, so the word is about a person.
| 住 (じゅう) | live |
| 民 (みん) | people |
| 票 (ひょう) | slip / certificate |
| 住民票 | resident certificate |
Habit to keep: when you know what each kanji means, you can guess new words by yourself.
Tip: When う follows an "o" or "u" sound (ごう, じゅう, ひょう), hold the vowel for two beats instead of one. Listen on Slow, then copy the length.
You remembered 入 = enter, recalled words by their sound, and worked out 住民 from its kanji.
Long vowels: ごう (gō), じゅう (jū), ひょう (hyō). Hold them a little longer.
住むにほんごすむにほんご · Sumu Nihongo