In this booster
Got tickets to a sumo tournament, a baseball game, or a concert — or want them? This pack covers the whole arc: the ticket window, the gate, your seat, the merch table. It leans hardest on Lesson 3’s kudasai and ikura, Lesson 4’s doko desu ka, and Lesson 5’s want-to frame — no new grammar: every sentence here is a frame you already own, wearing new nouns. Boosters assume the finished core (Lessons 1–9).
Big-event tickets usually sell out before the day — the same konbini kiosks that hand out packages (Package Pickup explains the machines) also sell event tickets, and staff will help if the screen defeats you. Getting to the venue is the Subway & City Transit booster’s department.
Tap each sentence and listen first, repeat it aloud, then check yourself against the text and meaning that appear. Tap again to listen as often as you like.
Tickets at the window
Every venue keeps a window for same-day sales — when it hasn’t sold out.
Tojitsuken wa arimasu ka.
tojitsuken — the same-day ticket, sold at the venue on the day. Sumo keeps a small batch even when advance seats are gone; get in line early.
Otona, futatsu onegaishimasu.
otona — adult. The word every ticket window, bus, and museum in Japan prices by.
Kodomo wa ikura desu ka.
kodomo — child. The pair otona / kodomo is printed above every price list.
Jiyuuseki wa arimasu ka.
jiyuuseki — the unreserved section: baseball’s cheap outfield, sumo’s top-floor bench. Same word as the train’s unreserved car.
Shiteiseki wa takai desu ka.
shiteiseki — a reserved seat, your name on a specific spot. Concerts are almost always all-shiteiseki.
Masuseki wa ikura desu ka.
masuseki — sumo’s floor-level box: a low fenced square with four cushions, shoes off at the edge. Close to the action and priced like it.
Finding your seat
Chiketto, douzo.
chiketto — the event ticket. Trains have kippu; everything with a stage or a scoreboard has chiketto.
Kono seki wa doko desu ka.
seki — seat. Point at the seat number on your ticket and any usher walks you there — the same point-at-it move as the subway exit trick.
Sumimasen. Koko wa watashi no seki desu.
Said with a smile and your ticket visible, this resolves itself instantly — seat mix-ups are common and nobody argues.
Kaijou wa doko desu ka.
kaijou — the venue or hall: the word on event tickets, station signage, and the little arrows taped up on concert day.
Sutajiamu made onegaishimasu.
sutajiamu — stadium. The taxi frame from Lesson 6, wearing a ballpark.
Sumo, baseball, a show
Sumou o mitai desu.
sumou — sumo. Six 15-day tournaments a year (Tokyo in January, May, September; Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka take the others) — say this at a hotel desk and they’ll know exactly what to check.
Yakyuu no shiai o mitai desu.
yakyuu — baseball, and shiai — a game or match, any sport. Pro baseball runs March–October, and a ticket is one of the cheapest big-event nights in Japan.
Sumou wa nan-ji made desu ka.
A tournament day runs from morning to about six — but nobody watches all of it. See the behavior notes for when to actually show up.
Konsaato no chiketto ga arimasu.
konsaato — concert. Useful with a hotel concierge: show the ticket, and directions, timing, and a taxi appear.
Guzzu wa doko desu ka.
guzzu — official merchandise, from team towels to tour T-shirts. Popular items sell out early — and the sign or announcement for that is Lesson 5’s urikire.
Dialog
At the day-ticket window before an evening game. Listen cold first — no peeking — then check yourself line by line.
Sumimasen. Kyou no chiketto wa arimasu ka. Hai. Jiyuuseki dake desu. Ja, otona futatsu kudasai. Hai. Sanzen-en desu. Shiai wa nan-ji kara desu ka. Roku-ji kara desu. Doumo arigatou gozaimasu.Sanzen is one of the five sound-changed numbers from the Prices at Speed skill — ticket windows say it constantly.
What they’ll say to you
Four lines for your ears — the gate, the window, and the stadium PA. You never say these.
Chiketto o haiken itashimasu. Honjitsu wa manseki desu. Fauru booru ni gochuui kudasai. Sainyuujou wa dekimasen.The gate line is the ticket cousin of the train conductor’s Kippu o haiken itashimasu (Trains) — same shape, same move: hold it up, no words needed.
How to behave: three different crowds
- Sumo: arrive mid-afternoon, not at opening. A tournament day starts around 8:30, but the top division enters the ring about 15:40 and the last bout lands just before 18:00. Ticket says all day; locals arrive after three. In a masuseki, shoes come off at the box’s edge — and when an upset ends the day and cushions fly, leave yours on the floor; throwing zabuton is famous, discouraged, and best left to others.
- Baseball: pick your side before you pick your seat. Each team’s organized cheering section (ouendan) fills the outfield behind its own dugout side — buy tickets on the side you’ll cheer for, learn the arm motions from your neighbors, and you’re adopted by the third inning. Beer comes to you: vendors with kegs on their backs patrol the aisles — a raised hand and Sumimasen is the whole transaction.
- Concerts: cameras away. Photos and video are usually forbidden at Japanese concerts — the opposite of the ballpark, where nobody minds. Merch stands often open hours before doors; the line forms early and popular items are gone by showtime.
- Eat before or inside, and check the re-entry rule. Stadiums welcome outside food and sell plenty (a ballpark bentou is a genre of its own), but most venues won’t let you back in once you leave — the PA line above is the warning.
Vocabulary reference
| # | Romaji | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | chiketto | ticket (event) | Chiketto, douzo. |
| 2 | tojitsuken | same-day ticket | Tojitsuken wa arimasu ka. |
| 3 | otona | adult | Otona, futatsu onegaishimasu. |
| 4 | kodomo | child | Kodomo wa ikura desu ka. |
| 5 | seki | seat | Kono seki wa doko desu ka. |
| 6 | jiyuuseki | unreserved seat | first-come cars |
| 7 | shiteiseki | reserved seat | free with a pass — always reserve |
| 8 | masuseki | sumo box seat | shoes off, four cushions |
| 9 | kaijou | venue, hall | Kaijou wa doko desu ka. |
| 10 | sutajiamu | stadium | Sutajiamu made onegaishimasu. |
| 11 | sumou | sumo | Sumou o mitai desu. |
| 12 | yakyuu | baseball | Yakyuu no shiai o mitai desu. |
| 13 | shiai | game, match | Shiai wa nan-ji kara desu ka. |
| 14 | konsaato | concert | Konsaato no chiketto ga arimasu. |
| 15 | guzzu | merch, goods | Guzzu wa doko desu ka. |
Recognize only — never say these:
| Script line | It means | You do |
|---|---|---|
| Chiketto o haiken itashimasu. | ticket check at the gate | hold it up — no words needed |
| Honjitsu wa manseki desu. | full house today | try another date |
| Fauru booru ni gochuui kudasai. | foul-ball warning | eyes up |
| Sainyuujou wa dekimasen. | no re-entry | don’t leave mid-event |
Anki deck
Download the booster deck — sentence cards are the course; suspend the vocab cards unless a word won’t stick.