Japanese for ALTs: Around the School

Finding Your Way Around the School

As an ALT, you don’t sit in one classroom all day. You move. Constantly. You’ll be:

• Told to go somewhere new
• Asked to wait somewhere
• Asked to use (or not use) a room

And you’ll often be asked to do this with very little warning.

Most Japanese textbooks teach you the grammar for asking where something is or whether something is allowed, but they rarely teach the vocabulary you actually need inside a school.

This article focuses on navigation and permission Japanese in the school context, so you can function smoothly even if you don’t know every obscure verb conjugation in the book.

A Typical Japanese School Layout

Japanese schools are laid out very differently from other countries. In most elementary and junior high schools, teachers go from homeroom to homeroom instead of students going from classroom to classroom. Many high schools use the same system, though there are exceptions.

While some schools will have a dedicated “English Room,” most ALTs will go to different classrooms throughout the day. For example, you first class might be in the Year 1, Group B classroom (１年B組, ichinen bi kumi) or the Year 3, Group 1 classroom (３年１組, san’nen ichi kumi), then you’ll move to another classroom for the next class.

The only exceptions are for classes that require specialized equipment. Outside of the class homerooms, every room has a specific purpose. Using these rooms for anything else is often frowned upon as “not that room’s purpose.”

Because of this, a room being empty does not mean it’s free to use. Many rooms require explicit permission to use, even if no one is inside. This is sometimes due to safety concerns (for example, in a chemistry classroom), sometimes because there is expensive equipment (computer room), sometimes from a general sense that “that’s not what that room is for.”

While the room names are fairly standardized across Japan, elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools often use slightly different terms.

As students get older, functions are often split into multiple specialized rooms. A single “art room” at an elementary school may become separate rooms for different types of art at junior high or high schools.

Core Vocabulary Pattern

Most rooms in Japanese schools follow predictable naming structures, ending with one of the following suffixes:

• ~室 (~shitsu)
• ~教室 (~kyoushitsu)

For example:

• 音楽室 (ongakushitu, music room)
• 英語教室 (eigo kyoushitu, English classroom)

Even if you don’t know the first half of the word, recognizing 室 or 教室 lets you know you’re being told to go somewhere, not do something.

Sometimes that little context clue is all you need to stay in the conversation!

Key Rooms You’ll Hear Every Week

Teaching Spaces

For teachers, this is where the magic happens.

Vocabulary

教室（きょうしつ, kyoushitsu）– classroom

特別教室（とくべつきょうしつ, tokubetsu kyoushitsu）– special classroom
(Note: a general term for non-homeroom subject rooms)

英語教室（えいごきょうしつ, eigo kyoushitsu）– English room

音楽室（おんがくしつ, ongakushitsu）– music room

理科室（りかしつ, rikashitsu）– science room

図工室（ずこうしつ, zukoushitsu）– arts and crafts room (often elementary)

美術室（びじゅつしつ, bijutsushitsu）– art room (often JHS/HS)

家庭科室（かていかしつ, kateikashitsu）– home economics room

Here are some example sentences for using these terms. We’ve bolded the classroom names:

Staff and Administration Spaces

Outside of the staff room, you won’t use these rooms as frequently. But when you need to know them, you need to know them!

Vocabulary

職員室（しょくいんしつ, shokuinshitsu）– staff room

校長室（こうちょうしつ, kouchoushitsu）– principal’s office

教頭室（きょうとうしつ, kyoutoushitsu） – vice principal’s office

会議室（かいぎしつ, kaigishitsu）– meeting room

事務室（じむしつ, jimushitsu）– administrative office

印刷室（いんさつしつ, insatsushitsu）– printing room
(Note: usually has a wide variety of supplies for making teaching materials. The actual printer may or may not be in here!)

準備室（じゅんびしつ, junbishitsu）– preparation room

保健室（ほけんしつ, hokenshitsu）– nurse’s office

Example sentences:

Knowing these terms saves you from a lot of awkward wandering.

Student Life and Shared Spaces

These come up most often during events, breaks, or even emergencies.

Vocabulary

体育館（たいいくかん, tai’ikushitsu）– gymnasium
(Note: usually a separate building, which is why it’s not 体育室)

図書室（としょしつ, toshoshitsu）– library
(Note: not generally a separate building in schools)

更衣室（こういしつ, koishitsu）– changing room

給食室（きゅうしょくしつ, kyuushokushitsu）– kitchen
(Note: used for making 給食, school lunches)

配膳室（はいぜんしつ, haizenshitsu）– food distribution room
(Note: used for distributing school lunches that were made at a separate facility)

校庭（こうてい, koutei）– schoolyard

グラウンド (guraundo) – sports ground

昇降口（しょうこうぐち, shoukouguchi）– entrance where students change shoes

放送室（ほうそうしつ, housoushitsu）– broadcasting room

倉庫（そうこ, souko）– storage room (Note: may be a room or a shed-like structure)

Example sentences

Common ALT Situations

You need some construction paper to make flashcards:

ALT:「印刷室を使ってもいいですか？」

JTE:「どうぞ、遠慮せずに。」

ALT: “Insatsushitsu o tsukatte mo ii desu ka?”

JTE: “Douzo, enryo sezu ni.”

You’re told to wait somewhere unfamiliar:

JTE:「会議室で待ってください。」

ALT:「はい、会議室ですね。すみませんが、会議室はどこですか？」

JTE: “Kaigishitsu de matte kudasai.”

ALT: “Hai, kaigishitsu desu ne. Sumimasen ga, kaigishitsu wa doko desu ka?

A student feels sick:

ALT:「保健室に行きましょう。」

Student:「うん！」

ALT: “Hokenshitsu ni ikimashou.”

Student: “Un!”

You’re suddenly asked to move classrooms:

JTE:「次は音楽室です。」

ALT:「わかりました。音楽室ですね。」

JTE: “Tsugi wa ongaku shitsu desu.”

ALT: “Wakarimashita. Ongaku shitsu desu ne.”

You arrive early and don’t know where to go:

ALT:「どこで待てばいいですか？」

JTE:「すみませんでした。職員室に待っていただいてもよろしいでしょうか？」

ALT: “Doko de mateba ii desu ka?”

JTE: “Sumimasen deshita. Shokuinshitu ni matte itadaite mo yoroshii deshou ka?”

Even if you don’t know all of the grammar, clear nouns and polite patterns will do the heavy lifting.

Cultural Notes

1. Some rooms are staff-only or student-only, even if they look empty. It’s important to respect these rules – don’t invite students into staff-only areas, don’t invite yourself into student-only areas.

2. Be careful with keys, even if they’re hanging on a hook and can easily be grabbed by anyone. If something goes wrong in a room, the person who unlocked it is responsible.

3. Some rooms exist that seem unused most of the time because they’re reserved for specific lessons, inspections, or emergencies. Using them without permission can cause problems.

4. Ask before you enter or use a room. Even when it feels unnecessary. Especially when it feels unnecessary. The only exception is when you’re explicitly told to use it as much as you like.

What to Read Next

Japanese for ALTs: Classroom Items

Vocabulary you’ll hear and use every single day.

What to Do When You Don’t Have Classes

Why knowing where you’re allowed to be matters.

JTE Collaboration

How asking permission the right way builds trust.

Thinking about becoming an ALT? Get the full guide from applying to arriving in So You Want to Be an ALT.