Japanese Direction Words: A Beginner’s Guide to Directions and Location Words

Japanese direction words appear everywhere: train stations, maps, hotel instructions, anime, video games, and everyday conversations. Some describe movement, such as “turn right.” Others describe a location, such as “next to the station.”

This guide explains both groups, shows the particles that commonly follow them, and gives you practical example sentences you can use immediately.

Japanese words for right, left, and straight

右（みぎ / migi）— right

Migi means “right” or “the right-hand side.” For movement, it is commonly followed by に (ni).

右に曲がってください。
Migi ni magatte kudasai.
Please turn right.

コンビニは右にあります。
Konbini wa migi ni arimasu.
The convenience store is on the right.

For a full explanation of its pronunciation, kanji, and common phrases, see Migi and hidari: left and right in Japanese.

左（ひだり / hidari）— left

Hidari means “left” or “the left-hand side.” It follows the same basic patterns as migi.

次の角を左に曲がってください。
Tsugi no kado o hidari ni magatte kudasai.
Please turn left at the next corner.

駅は左側です。
Eki wa hidari-gawa desu.
The station is on the left side.

まっすぐ（massugu）— straight or directly

Massugu is the word you will hear when someone wants you to continue without turning. It can also mean “directly, without making a detour.”

この道をまっすぐ行ってください。
Kono michi o massugu itte kudasai.
Please go straight down this road.

仕事のあと、まっすぐ家に帰りました。
Shigoto no ato, massugu ie ni kaerimashita.
I went straight home after work.

The small っ matters: it creates a short pause before the s. Read our detailed guide to massugu for pronunciation, spelling, grammar, and figurative meanings.

Japanese location words: front, behind, above, and below

前（まえ / mae）— in front of; before

Mae indicates the front of something. The structure is usually:

Mae also means “before” in time, so context matters.

後ろ（うしろ / ushiro）— behind; at the back

ホテルの後ろに駐車場があります。
Hoteru no ushiro ni chuushajou ga arimasu.
There is a parking lot behind the hotel.

Do not confuse ushiro, a physical back or rear position, with ato, which often means “after” or “later.” Both can use the kanji 後, but their reading and use differ.

上（うえ / ue）— above or on

地図はテーブルの上にあります。
Chizu wa teeburu no ue ni arimasu.
The map is on the table.

Ue can mean either “above” or “on top of.” The sentence and real-world situation tell you whether the objects are touching.

下（した / shita）— below or under

かばんはいすの下です。
Kaban wa isu no shita desu.
The bag is under the chair.

中（なか / naka）— inside

鍵はかばんの中にあります。
Kagi wa kaban no naka ni arimasu.
The key is inside the bag.

外（そと / soto）— outside

外で待ってください。
Soto de matte kudasai.
Please wait outside.

Notice the particle で (de) here. We use de because waiting is an action performed at that location.

Tonari, yoko, and soba: three ways to say “next to” or “near”

English often uses “next to” or “beside” for all three, but Japanese distinguishes the relationship more clearly.

郵便局は銀行の隣です。
Yuubinkyoku wa ginkou no tonari desu.
The post office is next to the bank.

かばんは机の横にあります。
Kaban wa tsukue no yoko ni arimasu.
The bag is beside the desk.

ホテルは駅のそばです。
Hoteru wa eki no soba desu.
The hotel is near the station.

See Tonari vs yoko vs soba for diagrams in words, common mistakes, and more examples.

Other essential location words

間（あいだ / aida）— between

Use the pattern A と B の間.

薬局は銀行とコンビニの間にあります。
Yakkyoku wa ginkou to konbini no aida ni arimasu.
The pharmacy is between the bank and the convenience store.

向こう（むこう / mukou）— across, beyond, or the other side

駅は川の向こうです。
Eki wa kawa no mukou desu.
The station is on the other side of the river.

近く（ちかく / chikaku）— nearby

この近くにATMはありますか。
Kono chikaku ni ATM wa arimasu ka.
Is there an ATM near here?

Soba and chikaku both mean “near.” Soba often feels closer and more immediate, while chikaku can refer more broadly to the nearby area.

Japanese compass directions

At stations, these words often combine with 口（ぐち / guchi, exit or entrance）:

• 北口（きたぐち / kitaguchi）— north exit
• 南口（みなみぐち / minamiguchi）— south exit
• 東口（ひがしぐち / higashiguchi）— east exit
• 西口（にしぐち / nishiguchi）— west exit

Words used when giving street directions

How to ask for directions in Japanese

Where is ___?

駅はどこですか。
Eki wa doko desu ka.
Where is the station?

How should I get to ___?

郵便局はどう行ったらいいですか。
Yuubinkyoku wa dou ittara ii desu ka.
How should I get to the post office?

I want to go to ___, but…

市役所に行きたいんですが……。
Shiyakusho ni ikitai n desu ga…
I would like to go to city hall…

The unfinished 〜んですが politely invites the other person to help.

How to give directions in Japanese

Useful verb forms include:

• 行く（iku）— go
• 曲がる（magaru）— turn
• 渡る（wataru）— cross
• 入る（hairu）— enter or turn into
• 出る（deru）— exit or come out
• 止まる（tomaru）— stop

Which particle should you use?

に (ni): the location where something exists or the direction of movement

右に曲がる — turn to the right
駅の前に銀行があります — there is a bank in front of the station

で (de): the place where an action occurs

駅の前で待ちます。
I will wait in front of the station.

の (no): links a reference point to a location word

駅の隣 — next to the station
机の上 — on the desk

A short Japanese directions dialogue

A: すみません。駅はどこですか。
Sumimasen. Eki wa doko desu ka.
Excuse me. Where is the station?

B: この道をまっすぐ行って、最初の角を左に曲がってください。駅はコンビニの隣です。
Kono michi o massugu itte, saisho no kado o hidari ni magatte kudasai. Eki wa konbini no tonari desu.
Go straight down this road and turn left at the first corner. The station is next to the convenience store.

A: まっすぐ行って、左ですね。ありがとうございます。
Massugu itte, hidari desu ne. Arigatou gozaimasu.
Straight, then left. Thank you.

Common mistakes

1. Using kore for a place

Kore means “this thing.” For “here,” use koko.

• これは駅です。— This is a station.
• ここは駅です。— This place is the station / Here is the station.

Read Koko, soko, asoko, and doko for the complete ko-so-a-do system.

2. Treating tonari, yoko, and soba as identical

They overlap in translation, but their spatial images differ. Use tonari for an immediate neighbor, yoko for the side, and soba for general nearness.

3. Forgetting the small っ in massugu

まっすぐ has a brief pause. Writing or saying masugu removes that consonant length.

FAQ

How do you say “directions” in Japanese?

道案内（みちあんない / michi annai） means guidance or directions for finding a place. 方向（ほうこう / houkou） means direction or orientation more generally.

How do you say “go straight” in Japanese?

Say まっすぐ行ってください (massugu itte kudasai).

How do you say “turn right” and “turn left”?

右に曲がってください means “please turn right,” and 左に曲がってください means “please turn left.”

What is the Japanese word for “location”?

場所（ばしょ / basho） means place or location. 位置（いち / ichi） means position or location in a more precise sense.

Summary